Nigel Benn comeback fight off due to injury

It turns out that “Father Time” wins again and this time, defeating 55 year old former two division World Champ, Nigel Benn. Benn, who had been intending to make a comeback after 23 years out of the ring, has suffered a shoulder injury and will be unable to return on the intended date of November 23rd.

London’s Daily Sun was in attendance on Monday as Benn was trying to work out but it was obvious he was having shoulder pain:

Nigel Benn's boxing comeback fight vs Sakio Bika called off https://t.co/t1V7k8EMPC pic.twitter.com/kWvO3BTzDw

— Sun Sport (@SunSport) October 28, 2019

Benn, who was going through the work out with his 23 year old son Connor (who just fought and won by KO Saturday night) had to stop the session and then told the Sun,

“I have been dreaming of a one-off fight for years and I’m heartbroken I’ve had to call it off.”

Benn, the former WBO Middleweight and WBC Super Middleweight champ, had announced in late September that he was coming back to the ring for the first time since 1996. He was due to fight 40 year old Sakio Bika in a scheduled 10-round fight. It was also to have been the main event on a Birmingham, England, PPV in late November.

Benn rose to prominence in the late 80s and the 1990s as a 160 lbs. and 168 lbs. World Champ. Known as the “Dark Destroyer” he 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.

In his next fight in August of that year, when he destroyed former middleweight champ Iran Barkley in one round in Las Vegas. However, Benn lost the WBO Middleweight 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.

There had been great concern, especially in the professional boxing community in the U.K., about Benn taking a serious risk stepping back in the ring professionally.

However, those health concerns, Benn had been certified and licensed by the “British and Irish Boxing Authority or ‘BIBA’ for the upcoming bout. BIBA’s chief medical officer, Michael Graham, had this to say about Benn’s return in September,

“The tests that we have done on Nigel Benn to date indicate that his physiological age is at least 15 years younger than his chronological age. That’s scientific tests, MRI scans, cognitive function, body fat, etc.”

He added at that time that Benn is, “certainly the fittest 55 year old boxer on the planet.”

Back to Monday, Benn told Sunsport that his shoulder had been bothering him since last week.

There is no word as to whether he needs surgery or if he has any intention of trying to rehab and put the fight back on at another time.