Nigel Benn vs. Sugar Boy Malinga 2
Date/ Venue: March 2, 1996/ Telewest Arena, Newcastle, England
BY ANSON WAINWRIGHT
Titles: WBC Super middleweight
“Although Malinga was the mandatory challenger for Benn’s title, he was perceived as a ‘no hoper’ and the bookmaker’s odds reflected this.
“Shortly before leaving for England, Malinga, a lay-preacher, requested a meeting at my office. He told me that God had spoken to him the and was not happy with the purse that Malinga was getting, and that he (Malinga) should come and see me in this regard. Knowing that he could not win the fight my suggestion was an extra R50,000 (approximately $5,000 USD at that time) should he win. He requested to pray again, got the nod from the powers that be, and the rest is history. Needless to say, he got his R50,000.
“He also informed me that God told him he would knock Benn out in the fifth round. Ironically, however, it was Malinga who hit the canvas in the opening seconds of that session, but while that prophecy didn’t come to pass, he did score the highly unlikely victory.
Result: Malinga SD 12
