30 years ago

Date: 19th March 1994

Title: WBO World Heavyweight Title

Promoter: Top Rank & Matchroom

Tv: Sky Sports

Michael Bentt
( 11 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 230 lbs

Herbie Hide
( 25 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 216 lbs

On March 19, 1994, at the Millwall Football Stadium in London, England, Herbie Hide and Michael Bentt faced off for the WBO World Heavyweight Title. The bout, promoted by Top Rank and Matchroom, ended with Hide winning by knockout at 2:50 in the seventh round, taking the title from Bentt in his first defence.

The fight was billed as “Into The Lions Den” in reference to the name given by Millwall soccer fans to their stadium, “The Den.” Bentt incidentally was born in East Dulwich, London, though raised in Brooklyn, New York.

The buildup to the fight was marred by a heated altercation between the two fighters during a press conference at the Sheraton Park Tower Hotel in London. The incident, which involved punches being thrown and the two men rolling around on a wet floor outside the building, resulted in an inquiry by the British Boxing Board of Control and left Bentt feeling ashamed of his actions.

When the fight finally took place, Hide, weighing 216 lbs, proved too much for the 230 lbs Bentt. The challenger floored Bentt in rounds 3 and 7 before securing the knockout victory. The judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage were all in favor of Hide, with Harold Lederman scoring it 59-54, Roy Francis 60-54, and Andre Van Grootenbruel 59-54.

The loss had severe consequences for Bentt, who collapsed hours after the fight and was rushed to the hospital. He spent the next four days in a coma due to brain damage suffered during the bout. Although he recovered, the injuries forced him to retire from boxing, ending a career that had seen him win a world title in just his 11th professional fight.

Before turning pro, Bentt had been a successful amateur, winning two bronze medals at the World Championships while representing the United States. After his boxing career ended, he transitioned into acting, notably portraying Sonny Liston in the film "Ali" directed by Michael Mann.

Hide's victory began his first reign as WBO World Heavyweight Champion. However, he lost the title in his first defence against American Riddick Bowe. Hide regained the belt in 1997 by defeating Tony Tucker, another American, and held it for three more fights before suffering a devastating second-round knockout loss to Vitali Klitschko. Hide continued fighting until 2010 but never again reached the same level of success.