!! Anorak
04-26-2005, 03:13 PM
I don't know if this carried over into the states, but there was a time in Limeyland (before he lost, a point at which it seemed to dissipate) when Chris Eubank was HATED. I mean, really hated.
I remember playing pool with a friend the night Benn-Eubank II was on (imagine that - playing boxing in clubs and pubs nowadays) and we came out to see scores of youths who had watched the match walking along chanting "Eubank is a wanker!"
I said we ought to shout something about Benn to see how long it would take us to get seven shades of **** kicked out of us, but we decided it was probably a bad idea.
Nowadays Chris seems to be regarded as a harmless eccentric, but it was strange how much naked rage was presented to him in the mid 90s.
paul750
04-26-2005, 03:22 PM
i think eubank earned more respect in his two defeats aganist thompson than he ever did with any of his wins,which happens a lot in boxing. he really showed what he was made of in those two fights,eubank always had his fair share of fans too though, even in the early days
Kimmy
04-26-2005, 03:36 PM
I was in the crowd when Eubank fought Thompson the second time. The crowd went crazy for Chris when his simply the best music was blasting out. He ended his career popular because he fought his heart out against a bigger stronger man!
I was a big Nigel Benn fan and but I can honestly say I thought Eubank was unbeatable after he knocked out Watson. I was jumping on for joy when Watson knocked him down I did not even see the the Uppercut which in effect won him the fight. Eubank was a world class fighter who could have beaten many of the top americans but was not given or rather forced to fight them for top dollars.
After the Watson affair he was a different fighter similar to Emile Griffiths after he beat Paret.
Against Thompson he showed what he was made of
number6
04-26-2005, 04:05 PM
I was also a eubank hater,mainly because i was a benn fan
just like most boxing fans in the uk.He had a few fights
that seemed to drag on and go the distance,with fighters
who pushed him very close but had no right too(even if it was
after the Watson fight).He did eventually win over the british
public with the two brave losses to Thompson,even if eubank was a
shot fighter at the time.Only now when you look back do you realise
just how good the guy was
Kimmy
04-26-2005, 05:28 PM
even if eubank was a
shot fighter at the time.
Sorry, don`t wanna dis but i totally disagree with Eubank ever being a shot fighter. Calzaghe beat him up but his chin was still iron and people forget how good Eubank was Vs Calzaghe, its only cos Joe steam rolled him that Eubank lost nearly all the rounds.
Carl Thompson was very great but he was so much bigger. His performances in those Thompson fights were not of a shot fighter, in that i think Eubank looked better than he did for years, only because of Thompson outweighing him ( by fight time in the first fight Thompson was nearly 20 pounds heavier ) did Eubank fail. I don`t think Eubank was ever shot. If he had not fought the Thompson fights and instead fought at Light heavyweight we might have seen the best of Eubank!
Ghandi
10-20-2008, 07:10 PM
Anorak is lying, everyone has always loved Eubank