Bennett had a stellar amateur career prior to turning professional. Bennett turned professional in 2001 at Cruiserweight, but his career quickly came to a crashing halt. He failed to show a world class chin as a professional, and after a series of knockout losses against limited opposition, Bennett retired in 2003.
He won the world championships in Houston 1999 with wins over Patrick Mesters, Uzbek Serik Umirbekov and German Steffen Kretschmann but won the final only because Cuban superstar Félix Savón boycotted the final (forfeit). In addition to his Olympic accomplishments, Bennett was also a National Amateur Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 2000 with a win over Jason Estrada.
As a member of the 2000 United States Olympic Team, he beat Poland"s Wojciech Bartnik in the 1st round of matches on an 11-2 decision before losing to Cuban Félix Savón on a 23-8 points stoppage (RSCO) in the 3rd round in his next match.
