Michael Benjamin was 21 years old when he made Mohammed Dawes his seventh Knock Out victim. Benjamin stopped Dawes in the sixth round of a scheduled 10-rounder on January 31, 1988 at the National Sports Hall.The fight was promoted by the People’s Syndicate Promotion and earned the orthodox Benjamin his 11th victory from 12 fights. The tenacious lightweight was coming off a sublimed performance against Jeff Roberts which allowed him to secure the national lightweight title.
Following the victory over Dawes, the stocky boxer would reel off three more stoppages before being crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas lightweight champion. The title was lifted after Benjamin was adjudged winner, via Unanimous Decision over former World Boxing Association (WBA) Ernesto Espana of Venezuela.
Espana would hang up his gloves after the defeat but Benjamin stayed on and moved up to the welterweight division. He would take the national welterweight title after stopping Barrington Cambridge in the eighth round in May 1990.`