Did the Almost Return Fight of 55-Year-Old Former Champion Nigel Benn Now Bring On a Hard Question of Boxers Needing a Mandatory Retirement Age Forced On Them?

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By Roy “The Body Snatcher” Skillen

Age can do funny things to us. Since hitting the 40 mark a couple of months ago and realizing that I have wasted a lot of time watching crappy movies and Eddie Hearn interviews on YouTube I have suddenly decided that now is the right time to get myself in shape. I am not talking about getting a little fitter and losing a couple of pounds for me this is a self-overhaul as I plan to compete in a series of Spartan obstacle races with in the coming year, with the aim of climbing in the ring for my very first boxing match when I turn 41. My wife thinks I am a little crazy, especially when my first attempt at a pull up resulted in a semi serious pectoral strain.

But I feel that these goals are not beyond me. My body is still in reasonable shape as I don’t smoke, drink or binge on chocolate. I have never pushed myself to the maximum physically and surely, fingers crossed, there is still plenty in the tank. Apart from self-fulfilment I want my son and daughter to see what is possible with a little hard work. I want them to see that dad has pushed himself and I want to be a shining light as they look towards their own goals.

I am sure a lot of men feel this way and I totally get it. But what I don’t understand is when boxers that have achieved monumental things within their careers feel that they have to continue long past their sell by dates. Or try to prove a point by come back to the ring after years of cushy retirement.

Two of the saddest days of my life have come as a boxing fan when I finally realized my heroes were actually human. Watching Lennox Lewis pick apart a slow moving, predictable Mike Tyson was a real stab in the heart, but so was listening to Nigel Benn tell the ringside audience that he no longer has what it takes after a third defeat in a row and a second to rival Steve Collins. Benn had spent his entire a career as a warrior. Only knowing how to fight aggressively on the front foot and not having a quitting bone in his body meant that he took a lot of punishment with the majority of his bouts turning in to all out wars. With this in mind it is really no surprise that he couldn’t physically or mentally take any more and with hindsight you have to say he made the right decision to get out when he did with all of his faculties in place.

So why, at the age of 55, did he feel like he had to do it one more time? There have been rumors for a number of years that an exhibition type match with Steve Collins could be in the cards which in a way could make sense. Two middle aged guys getting in the ring to remember their glory days and earn a bit of coin at the same time. But instead Benn chose 40 year old Sakio Bika, a man known for his awkwardness, a man that has only been out of the ring for two years and a man that would not have backed down to those dreaming of a Nigel Benn fairy tale victory.

In a recent interview “The Dark Destroyer” talked about how great he was feeling and when you watch him train he certainly looks in amazing shape. But training and fighting are two entirely different things and as a long time fan, I was happy to hear the bout has been cancelled after Benn announced his retirement……. again, due to a shoulder injury. Although I feel his disappointed, I have to ask, should the fight have been sanctioned in the first place? What if his ageing shoulder had packed up two rounds in against and he started to have his head continuously rocked back by one of Bika’s rangy punches.

“I haven’t said a word about Nigel in 23 years but now he’s fighting again it’s time to talk,” Said former manager Peter DeFreitas in an interview with Britain’s Daily Star.

“I’m talking because I’m concerned – I fear for his life. For a man of his age he was very fit,” said DeFreitas. “But what happens when he’s under pressure, his hands drop and he starts taking punches to the head? He will look good for a couple of rounds and then what happens?”

It’s was a very serious concern that had been echoed by other experts and one that has the fighting world breathing a collective sigh of relief at the fight’s cancellation. And with so much tragedy in recent months around the world of boxing you have to wonder why the authorities were willing to take the risk with a legend of the sport.

It may seem harsh and I may get called all sorts of names but someone has to ask the question, is it time that boxing protected its fighters from themselves by introducing an official compulsory retirement age?

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