calzaghe vs eubank

[Run]

Eubank was weight drained but he was FORCEd to fight evry minute of every round whic hmade him loook alot better.

Weight drained hell.

How about washed up? That's more like it.



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[GEOFFHAYES]

Eubank had to lose 20lbs in seven days for this fight, but for him that was nothing (he usually dried out 10-15lbs two days before a weigh-in)! He also took the fight on just 10 days notice.

He looked lighter and bouncier in this fight (like the old Eubank of 89-91, though not quite the same) because he had seven days to make the weight instead of just two days, and wasn't carry as much muscle (due to not doing his usual training) or water weight (due to not drying out) on the night.

If Eubank had a fighting prime, it was 89-91, but the Eubank in this Calzaghe fight was the closest thing to that since.. though nowhere near as stunning.

[SHB]

For me, that was his most impressive performance since the first Benn fight. He might well have not been as close to his prime as then, but he had to perform just to survive against a prime (and I would definitely still consider Calzaghe to be in his prime at that time although he's almost an entirely different boxer these days) Calzaghe.

It's a sad indictment on the british sporting and boxing public that it wasn't until the wars at the end of his career that he got the recognition he deserved. A damn shame.

[GEOFFHAYES]

The thing is, he actually had some real good performances between the Benn fight and the Calzaghe/Thompson fights but the boxing public (and man in the street) hated the guy so much because of the mainstream exposure and the posturing and 'Simply the Best' tag and the millions in his bank and the upper class persona that they never actually watched him box with an open-mind. I just smiled when Eubank strutted his stuff or tried to act like he was from the silver spoon in an interview, and watched his fights with an open-mind. I didn't like the guy as a person, because he made a mockery of boxing and his life was all one big act, but I was always in awe of his ring ability.

The Gary Stretch fight was fine, he dealt with a tall southpaw well, hunted his prey, bided his time and his made his strength count when the time was right, didn't let him off the hook. The first Watson fight he boxed out of his skin for five or six rounds, but then fell to dehydration (he'd lost 19lbs in four days and actually passed out the day before) because the weigh-in was on the day of the fight back then. John Jarvis was fine, delivered him the perfect knockout. The postman guy Thornton, because he was coming at him Eubank looked super-sharp early on (before running out of steam and running away), letting his punches off extremely quick it seemed (probably because Thornton was coming onto him). Juan Giminez couldn't get past his left jab alnight long. And the Henry Wharton fight ofcourse when he had his weight monitored by the BBBC for the first time ever, had to diet from the start of camp and wasn't allowed to fast and it paid off big time as he put in a sizzling display and was able to maintain his stamina.

Though I agree, the unknown Eubank of 1989 and the Eubank that fought Cronin (ie before he had to make a weight limit) and the Eubank that fought Thompson was on another planet to the ITV Big Fight Live version of Eubank (and the 'World Tour' of Britain and Ireland version of Eubank) as far as technique is concerned. But then again you couldn't argue with that unbeaten record, he'd drag every ounce of liquid out of his body in the few days before the weigh-in, make 12 stone, shoot back up to 13 stone, and fight awkwardly with a tonne of muscle and feline reflexes (he had a martial arts guy from NY called Walter Johnson who worked with him after the Corti fight and stretching became the staple of his training - that's where his muscle and flexibility came from).

the unknown Eubank of 1989

He was well-known in Europe though back then (not Britain, until Benn debacle), his fights with Malek, Camara, Melfah and Cronin (and Corti and Contreras) were on Eurosport, that's where I watched them. That's back when he looked abit special in terms of actual skill.

[GEOFFHAYES]

He looked better against Thornton than Toney and Jones did, looked better against Giminez than Benn and Calzaghe did and looked better against Wharton than Benn and Reid did. Probably because they went at Eubank. Has to be said though, when Eubank had to go looking for an opponent (and most of the time he did) he could look quite awful, even ridiculous..

[IwatchBoxing]

How about the best fighter from the british ricky hatton? you should put him in a fantasy fight too

[GEOFFHAYES]

Do you think he was far past his prime? He was a young man. He had tough fights but it is subjective whether he was past his prime, and even if he was it cant be by much. Eubank has never said anything about himself being past his prime has he?
Look at guys like james toney. These guys with the tough chins like granite dont age as fast in my opinion.

Hey come on, he'd been lead-footed since '93 and got clear gifts against Close x 2, Benn II, Amaral and Schommer and the Rocchigiani fight probably should of been scored a draw (with the point deducted). He retired in Oct '95 after clearly losing 11 out of 12 rounds against Collins, and in those comeback fights on Eurosport in the Middle East you had to check to make sure it wasn't in slow motion or something - painful viewing!

But Eubank got some of his old hunger back for this Calzaghe fight (and the Thompson fights) and showed the kind of heart he showed in the Logan, Corti, Benn I and Watson II fights instead of two and a half minutes of strutting and posing in each round as was the (famous) norm.


And how can you say Calzaghe looks 'thinner' here?? Eubank usually dwarfed his opponents, Calzaghe looks a much bigger lad there than he does now..

[dave777]

But Joe looked thinner here, i cant believe he is still the same weight as that. Looks different as well. Young!

well it was 10 years ago-we all get older...

[dave777]

Chris was 31 at the time of the fight

[Shanus]

Weight drained hell.

How about washed up? That's more like it.

That goes without saying.