Fabrice Benichou lived and fought all over the world. He had an exotic, exciting, rollercoaster career and wasn't expected to amount to much but against all the odds he completed his fairytale by becoming a world champion.

Benichou was born in Madrid, Spain on April 5, 1965.

"My parents were artists, adventurers. My mother was a dancer at the Casino de Paris, my father a yoga teacher and fakir," Benichou told The Ring. "We left very quickly for Switzerland, then Belgium, then the USA. All in less than a year. I lived in the USA, then Canada, then Mexico I lived in over 50 countries.

"[My father] lived in India after escaping from the welfare system. So, it wasn't an ordinary life I lived, but a very adventurous one. I could only end up as a pimp, or a boxer, so I made the right choice ... although ...[Laughs]."

Benichou's early years were particularly chaotic and memorable.

"We left Belgium, and as a young artist and yoga teacher, [my father] was hired by the local mafia in a Belgian cabaret to transport five kilos of coke to the U.S.," he said. "He wanted to conquer America, so he did it when I was eight months old.

"When I was three, my babysitter was sick, so it was the 14-year-old son who looked after me, and as soon as we were alone, he raped me in Texas."

When he was four years old, he was even kidnapped in Mexico. Thankfully, after a couple of months his parents were reunited with their son.

During his early years, Benichou spent time with his father at the boxing gyms in different countries but his involvement came about when tried another sport whilst in Israel.

"My father, from a very young age, encouraged me to box and we frequented several boxing gyms in the days of champions like Muhammad Ali, Carlos Monzon and Sugar Ray Leonard," he said. "He structured the preparation of Dominican and Mexican world champions, [like Efren Torres and Jose Napoles], based on the mental preparation of yoga. That was his role.

"I really started by chance. On a soccer field, I was 1.40m tall at 15 and around 39kg [85-pounds], but I was very, very scrappy. We were playing each other pretty hard, and things got a little heated, so we got into a fight. In the stands was the President of Israel boxing Federation, and he saw me fighting.

"I was as strong as a twig, but I was doing pretty well, I put three of them to bed, and then the President came to see me and asked to speak to my father. I thought I was going to get yelled at again, and in the end my father and I discussed that I should take up boxing and that I'd be world champion."

However, things were still complicated for the youngster.

"I quickly became a real outsider, nobody believed in me, I learned boxing through several cultures due to traveling with my parents and I learned to strengthen myself," he said. "At the same time, I was in Eastern Europe as a circus performer for a year, and I learned again there, just as I had before that in Turkey, at the bottom of the country on the Syrian border, then in Italy, Spain, Germany, England, the best in Europe, Israel, Luxembourg and other countries. My boxing school was the school of my life, but I really learned to box in Panama, which was a hotbed of champions at that time."

It was during his time in the Latin American country that he sparred many rounds with future Hall of Famer Hilario Zapata.

Benichou had a modest amateur career of just 10 fights but did reach final of the French bantamweight championships in 1984. Then he decided it was time to turn professional in the summer of 1984.

"My license was Luxembourg because they wouldn't give it to me in France. My first fight was in Italy," he explained. "Not enough amateur fights and not talented enough for them.

"I trained in the Fernet Branca gym in Genoa and Umberto Branchini's gym in Milan. My first pro-opponent was Claudio Tanda. I won on points."

After two wins, in Italy, Benichou headed to Venezuela and Panama where he lost a couple of fights and then America and Italy. He was able to fight in France but under his Luxembourg license several times.

Benichou was 16-5 when he was selected to face once-beaten Thierry Jacob for the vacant European bantamweight title in Calais, France in January 1988.

"Jacob was the protégé of the federation," he said. "I had the whole city against me. All the media, everyone thought I was going to lose.

"It was very intense, and I knew the only way to win was to knock him out. Also, I kept on fighting him throughout, and just when I was starting to have doubts, I knocked him out. I knocked out the 4,000 people in the room. Even his brother got in the ring to hit me. I destroyed him mentally, he took me lightly, which taught him a lesson, because for him, it was supposed to be easy. It was Rock N' Roll, and I needed a police escort to get out."

Overconfidence led to him getting stopped in his first defense against Vincenzo Belcastro (KO 3) just outside Genoa in the north of Italy.

Unperturbed by the setback he scored two quick wins in Las Vegas and landed a shot at WBA junior featherweight titlist Jose Sanabria on the outskirts of Paris in September 1988.

"A very good opponent, technically and physically, a real champion," he said. "It just so happened that he'd just boxed two months earlier, and they told him I wasn't any good, so he took it lightly, then I won every round, but in the 10th, he took a step back on one of my attacks and cut my left eye, the referee stopped the fight."

At the time of the stoppage Benichou was ahead 89-82, 89-85 and 87-85 on the three official scorecards.

"Everyone had given up on me, saying I couldn't do it, except my father, who believed in me," he explained. "He found the financial means to organize the rematch himself in Limoges, and then, strangely enough, they all came back.

"It was obvious to me that I'd become world champion, I'd anticipated it, and I was already happy even before the fight, because I had to win [and I did, by 12-round split decision.] I partied all night, then bedtime."

Benichou, who speaks eight languages, six fluently, easily defended his title against Fransie Badenhorst (TKO 5) in front of a lively crowd in Italy and then back in France against Ramon Cruz (UD 12).

He was then tabbed to defend his title against Welcome Ncita in the first, and to this day, only world title fight in Israel in March 1990. However, things didn't go according to plan.

"The day before my fight, when I changed hotels to go to the hotel where the fight was to take place, I knocked on my wife's bedroom and she was naked in bed with my best friend at the time," he revealed. "I didn't think anything of it at the time, and besides, we had a peace and love mentality, so I didn't see the harm. But once I got in the ring, I realized when I saw the round card girl that I was a cuckold ... so I made a shitty fight. I didn't give a damn about anything."

After plenty of soul searching and time with his father, who helped get his mind right, he returned with a win and then fought WBA 122-pound ruler Luis Mendoza in October 1990.

"I was not protected by the federation, so I was given the loss when I would have deserved the win," said Benichou, who dropped a 12-round split decision.

Benichou headed to featherweight and after a couple of wins claimed the vacant European title by besting John Davison (UD 12). He successfully made two defenses to earn a shot at IBF 126-pound titlist Manuel Medina in March 1992.

"He was boring to box but very clever," said Benichou, who lost a 12-round split decision. "It was a complicated fight. He was a pretty dirty boxer. I didn't lose the fight, but they didn't give it to me."

After again beating Davison (MD 12) in a European title defense he received his second featherweight title shot when he met WBC beltholder Paul Hodkinson in September 1992.

"A great champion, I was really close," said Benichou, who was level on one scorecard and behind by one point and three on the other two after nine-rounds. "I was going to beat him, I wasn't hurt. In the 10th round, I was told I had a one-point lead, and I got the better of him, but he was a great boxer. I completely changed my boxing style to fight him, and I destabilized him.

"I was ahead and then I took a harmless right that cut my lip edge to edge and the referee stopped me. I've always been amazed at the way my lip was cut."

In his next outing, Benichou lost his European title to Mauricio Stecca (SD 12). He remained active over the next few years, winning some but losing when he stepped up against the likes of Wayne McCullough (PTS 10) and drawing a couple, before bowing out after losing to Spencer Oliver (TKO 4) for the European junior featherweight title in January 1998.

After several years away, he returned for two fights in Panama in December 2005 and September 2006 before finally retiring with a record of (46-18-2, 24 knockouts).

"I didn't want to do it anymore," he said. "If I continued boxing, it was mainly for the money, but I just didn't have the fire anymore."

Benichou, now 60, has four children and lives in Paris. Since retiring from boxing, he has worked several roles including as a TV consultant and as a Sports Equipment consultant. He also been on stage in a 'One Man' show and also released three books on his life.

He graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

Jose Sanabria: "It was his body position, the repetition and precision of his jab."

Manuel Medina: "Difficult to box, very elastic body. You couldn't touch him with full force."

Paul Hodkinson: "There were a lot of people who were fast. Welcome Ncita, Thierry Jacob etc. Paul Hodkinson, he had a fast right hand. The only way to dodge it is to turn your head. It was so fast."

Vincenzo Belcastro: "He was the one who moved the fastest."

Sanabria: "There are several, Hodkinson, Jacob, Medina but I'm leaning towards Sanabria: boxing tactics, anticipation, technique."

Hodkinson: "Hodkinson and Jon Davison. Both of them were punching machines, who kept coming forward, but Hodkinson hit harder."

John Davison: "McCullough, Mendoza, Davison, Hodkinson and Ncita were all tough guys. I would say Davison, his mentality and courage. I beat him twice on points. Very tough opponent."

Hodkinson: "Either Hodkinson or Sanabria. Both stopped me but on cuts. Hodkinson was the one who hurt the most."

Hodkinson: "Fast, precise boxer."

Hodkinson: "His hand speed, temperament, he did not have a lot of weak points, but terribly effective in these attacks. He was recognized as the best featherweight champion of his time all federations combined at that time."