Former World Champ Nigel Benn to un-retire after nearly 25 years?

A wild story has emerged on Monday afternoon in the U.K. where former two division World Middleweight and Super Middleweight Champion from the 1980s and 90s, Nigel Benn, is apparently going to make a comeback at age 55!

Benn, who hasn’t fought professionally since November of 1996, will apparently return as a light heavyweight in November.

The website “Boxing for All” had some of the details, including a press conference later in this week:

? Wow. 55 year-old Nigel Benn has scheduled a press conference on Thursday to reportedly announce his boxing comeback.

He is set for a light-heavyweight bout on November the 23rd, with his opponent to be confirmed. pic.twitter.com/w154U3YVNl

— Boxing For All (@BoxingForAlI) September 23, 2019

Benn, known as the “Dark Destroyer” in his prime, rose to prominence in the mid-80s in England and burst on the worldwide scene after winning the WBO middleweight Championship from American Doug DeWitt in April of 1990. That improved his record to 26 – 1.

We wrote previously about his next fight in August of that year, when he destroyed former middleweight champ Iran Barkley in one round in Las Vegas. Benn lost the title in his next fight by TKO to fellow popular Englishman Chris Eubank in November of 1990.

He then moved up to 168 lbs., and stopped Italian Mauro Galvano, in Italy in October of ’92 to capture the WBC Super Middleweight Championship. Benn would successfully defend that title nine times over the next two years before losing to South African Fulani Malinga on a controversial split decision in March of 1996.

Benn then fought Ireland’s Steve Collins twice, losing in July by fourth round TKO and then, was stopped after the 6th round in the rematch in November of 1996. And, he retired at age 32, shortly thereafter, with a 42-5-1 record.

Benn has been very active working with younger fighters over the last three decades, including his sons, Connor and Harley, both of whom have been fighting professionally for the last three years.

Benn was inducted into the World Boxing Council Hall of Fame in 2013.

It’s not only unclear whom his opponent will be, but there will obviously be scrutiny of Benn’s health and reflexes, etc. It is not uncommon that a fighter tries to fight on in his 40s like George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard and many others famously did.

However, 55 is an age that will concern some with Benn’s return, if he actually steps through the ropes later this year.