On this day, we Irish legend and super middleweight Steve Collins successfully defended his WBO super middleweight title against Nigel Benn. The bout saw a dramatic result with Collins stopping Benn in the fourth round - after Benn suffered an ankle injury. Prior to the stoppage, Collins was ahead on two of the three judges' scorecards. It was the first of two scheduled meetings with Collins winning both fights.
Collins would rematch Benn and has the distinction of being the last man Benn would face, as despite the TV broadcast having him up heavily, Collins won a split-decision over Benn.
For those unaware, Collins was a unique personality in the sport of boxing.
Collins had originally gained fame in the boxing world by defeating the undefeated long-reigning champion, Chris Eubank, and rival of Benn, as Collins fought Eubank in Ireland on March 1995. Utilizing the assistance of a guru, Collins created a mystique around his approach to the sport of boxing going as far to say he would be hypnotized for the fight. It made quite an impression to the viewing public as Collins' quirk led to a bit of mystery that we hadn't seen in some time.
Collins' first fight against Nigel Benn is considered a legendary fight, and even more legendary is the fact that Collins beat both Eubank and Benn, on two separate occasions.
Collins continued to defend his WBO super-middleweight title successfully, notching up seven defenses, which has him widely considered one of the best Irish boxers of all-time
