Originally posted by coghaugen
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Michael Watson's punching prowess
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He was a good, solid puncher.
Looked like he had no power against McCallum, but that's because he was being neutralized and dismantled.
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Originally posted by jabsRstiff View PostHe was a good, solid puncher.
Looked like he had no power against McCallum, but that's because he was being neutralized and dismantled.
He clearly physically looked visibly v.stiff as well due to having influenza.Last edited by coghaugen; 08-11-2011, 10:30 AM.
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Originally posted by coghaugen View PostNo, my friend, that's because he was falling short due to be unable to shake off 11 months of ring rust, and fighting completely the wrong fight by going for quantity/volume over quality/power and thus leaving himself open much more than ever.
That's what I hear, but I don't buy it. He was the betting favorite, despite that layoff.
McCallum made him fight the wrong fight, because Watson had never fought anyone near Mike's class. The Benn that Watson beat hardly prepared him for such a shocking upgrade in versatility and skills.
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Yeah, Watson had the flu. He had the flu, but took 10.5 rounds of sustained brutality to every part of his body, while missing hundreds of punches.
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Originally posted by jabsRstiff View PostHe was a good, solid puncher.
Looked like he had no power against McCallum, but that's because he was being neutralized and dismantled.
Comparing the Watson who fought McCallum to the Watson who fought Eubank the first time, he's really stiff and awkward against McCallum and looked far better against tricky slickster Eubank, although Eubank won 7 of the first 9 rounds (only losing the 6th and 8th, in which Watson counter-punched him brilliantly) before Watson sweeped the last three, Watson looked looser in the shoulders (than he had against Mike OR Nigel) and made no mistakes, just didn't work enough.
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Watson reminded me of Wlad against David Haye in the first Eubank fight. Keeping Chris busy with the jab and inching forward steadily in a more textbook fashion to Eubank's dancing footwork, if only he trebled the jab more or followed the double jab with a right hand and he'd have taken all the rounds the awkward Eubank sneaked. So frustrating. Like Haye against Wlad, Eubank is unable to counter Watson's jab (apart from one time in about the 3rd, relying on his reflexes to catch it and wing a hook).
Chris has to be very sneaky with his right to get it in, whereas Watson in about the 3rd lands the kind of shot Eubank just couldn't throw - an educated punch from range. It was a very long lead right hand that land hard and flush as can be, if only Watson threw it more when Eubank dipped and leaned and paused.
Eubank's natural accuracy with short shots early is very impressive against Watson's known tight defense, and the 7th is an incredible display of defensive reflexes from Eubank. But it's clear who the superior technician was out of the two of them, even if Watson was slightly losing the rounds.
In the Eubank/Watson rematch one weight up, a stronger-looking, non-drained Watson decides to leave not an ounce of fuel in his tank. Timing spot on, sharp, healthy, he completely dominates Eubank in that fight IMO with endless sharp clusters and raw inside strength. There were endless possibilities in front of that Watson (Benn and Nunn were mentioned then America). So tragic.Last edited by coghaugen; 08-11-2011, 12:04 PM.
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It was quite impressive how Watson brutally stopped four American imports in the space of three months without hardly taking or missing a shot. Lee was a former world #1, tall rangey switch-hitting southpaw and one of the hardest lb4lb hitters (and Watson was 22 and a substitute), and Stackhouse gave Graham and Duran problems
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