It's fair to say that before Hatton and Calzaghe, Nigel Benn was one of British boxing's premier superstars who captured the imagination of the public, delivering excitement and thrilling knockouts on a regular basis in a time when the cream of British boxing regularly did their thing live on ITV. As boxer I regard Benn as one of Britain's best - a two weight champion who went from a knock-em, sock-em brawler to a ring-wise veteran who made ten successful world title defences.
This book however, fails to deliver. We learn of Benn's early life and the death of his brother Andy. We learn about the wild days of his youth which led to a stint in the army and then a career in the prize-ring. We learn of his sexploits that see him regularly cheating on the women in his life. The fights are described as though he is merely reading his own press-cuttings. How did it really feel to batter Iran Barkley in less than two minutes? You want to know what it felt like to be involved in one of the most primally savage fights ever beamed into the homes of a prime-time Saturday night audience. What did it feel like to walk away with his faculties intact while his opponent was so badly injured that he has never made anything close to a full recovery. Instead, we learn about the cars he's driven and the money he's made. And then there's the end, with Benn in a new relationship becoming a born-again Christian. I'm always deeply suspicious of those who find the light after freely enjoying the bounty of their sinners ways. If you want to a down-to-earth, funny and enjoyable boxing read - go for the Ricky Hatton book!