'Age ain't nothing but a number'

Even though I remember it like it was yesterday, it has been 21 years since Nigel Benn and Steve Collins last squared off against each other in a boxing ring. Now Benn, 53 and Collins, 52 have agreed to fight again.

Great British Rivalry

In the 1990s, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Michael Watson had one of the most iconic rivalries in British boxing history. Steve Collins was the man who put an end to that era with an exclamation mark. Coming on the scene to beat both Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn twice. Now it appears that Benn and Collins are on the verge of renewing acquaintances in a boxing ring.

Closure

You may ask yourself why fight is happening? In a word closure. In particular, Nigel Benn wants closure on his fighting career. In a candid interview with IFLTV, Benn admits feeling like he sold himself short in his career. He alludes to drug abuse and relationship issues during his boxing heyday. He feels he could have been an even better boxer had he lived his life the ring way. He now feels he is looking after himself right. He even says he is twice as fit at 53 than he was when he was then. He wants one last swansong to prove it.

Military mindset

To understand Benn’s mentality, you have to understand his background. He was in the army. It was through boxing in the army that he discovered his talent for the sport. Whilst Benn has now shed the bad boy antics of his youth. It appears that military discipline that made him a formidable and much loved fighter, has not left him.

Footage of Benn sparring at 51, showing the fire still burning

Gladiator wars

Ideally Benn would love to have a third fight with his arch nemesis Chris Eubank. That is a rivalry that has had the British public transfixed for decades. To get an idea of how deep that rivalry is watch the first couple of minutes of this Celebrity Gladiators clip. Keep in mind, the Gladiators programme took place 10 years after the pair last fought in the ring in 1993.

The Benn-Eubank trilogy has been mooted for years. With Benn being the keener of the two to see it come to fruition. Having failed to secure the Eubank fight, Benn reached out to Steve Collins who was happy to oblige.

Money man

The motivation for Collins is less nuanced. Collins is in it for the money.

It’s just about the money, a payday which will allow me to buy some more land.

Who wins? Does it count? Will I watch?

The usual questions I'd ask ahead of a boxing match don't really apply to this fight. I don't really care who wins, the result will have no bearing on either man's boxing legacy and I probably won't watch it. I just hope each man come out of any contest healthy. Both will be shadows of the fighters that have made them British boxing icons. I'd rather see them in an exhibition match-up for charity, than anything competitiveness.

Forever young

If the fight is sanctioned, it will just be two old men, fighting decades after their prime. Boxing is the ultimate "young man's sport" and I'd rather remember these legends for their feats as young men. They will always have the respect and admiration of millions of boxing fans. They have earned it. They are and will always be warriors. They don't need to lace up boxing gloves again to prove it.