The Sporting and Dining Club is proud to announce that Nigel Benn, will be its next guest speaker on the Isle of Man, on Thursday 16th June. Sponsored by Specsavers Opticians Isle of Man, the black tie dinner takes place at the Palace Hotel & Casino.

Benn, known as the "Dark Destroyer", is a former professional boxer who held both the WBO middleweight and WBC super-middleweight titles.

Born in Ilford, Greater London, Benn had a fantastic record as a professional boxer. In 48 bouts, he won 42; 35 of those by knockout, as he fought his way to a world championship. Guests will hear directly from the boxing legend as he reveals what it took to become a world champion along with memorable moments and stories from his remarkable career.

Benn will also speak of his unforgettable bouts against Chris Eubank, and the verbal sparring the pair have done with one another during their careers and since retirement. He is well known for his battles with Eubank, when the pair illuminated the British and world boxing rings in the 90’s.

Despite Benn hanging up his gloves in 1996, and Eubank in 1998, there has been recent talk that they are set to fight for a third time in a ?10million bout - which could be dubbed the rumble in the jungle. The pair last fought in 1993, over 20 years ago, and, despite both boxers being well into retirement, a third fight now seems on the cards and almost certain to happen. Benn, who trains in Australia under Rodney Williams, is vehement with his claim to be in better health than he was when he held WBO middleweight and WBC super-middleweight titles.

Benn was entered into the World Boxing Council (WBC) Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013 and was honoured alongside fellow Brit Joe Calzaghe as the WBC's greatest super middleweight champion in history. His image is now enshrined upon the sixth generation WBC super-middleweight belt.

Benn's autobiography, published in 2001, is called Dark Destroyer. He now lives in Sydney, Australia with his family.

John Wannenburgh of the IoM Sporting and Dining Club: “Further to our dinner with Frank Bruno last year, such was the demand that we felt we had to put forward another world champion – and this is one of Britain’s finest - to entertain our members and guests. It will be an awesome event!"

Adrian Higgins, Director of Specsavers Opticians Isle of Man said: ‘Specsavers is once again delighted to be supporting this ‘Sporting & Dining Club’ event. The Dark Destroyer is one of the greatest of our two-time world champions, and it should be a knock-out evening of entertainment.'

The black tie dinner will take place from 7.00pm, on Thursday 16th June 2016 at the Palace Hotel & Casino in Douglas.

Tickets:

Tickets are ?60.00 p/p for Members, and ?70.00 p/p for Non-Members, Exc. VAT.
Tickets available on email john@sportinganddiningclub.com, or, telephone 01624 617049 or 07624 495749.