Eubank vs Jones at 168?

[Gorgeous George]

Don't pay attention to that English plonker.

Only an idiot would listen to the brits blacken steve collins good name.

[Mugwump]

Prime Benn & Eubank (i.e. unladen with the guilt of brain damaging someone) were way beyond the empty shells that Collins defeated. I mean, if McClellan with two anvils on the end of each arm couldn't beat Benn, what chance would Collins have? And Eubank didn't pull out of finishing Collins because he was knackered. He did it because he lost his nerve. Just as he lost his nerve in several of his previous £10 million "World Roadshow" fights where he was the beneficiary of some pretty fortunate judging.

I give Collins his due for being an extremely tough competitor and good technician who would never give anything less than his all in the ring, but he was pretty unspectacular as a fighter and his box office reflected it. Indeed, this was probably the main reason guys like Jones and company avoided him and not that they were quailing in terror as Collins has continuously claimed.

As for having Eubank as my avatar - I've never claimed to be anything less than a fan. But I'm also sober enough to recognise that Eubank had many faults and that with the exception of his two fights against Carl Thompson (in which the old warrior spirit returned) his career post Watson was a fiasco.

But feel free to repeat your "Collins could never be beat" mantra.

[coghaugen]

Shame he doesn't mention Jones here...

[Clegg]

Regarding whether or not Benn was past his best when he fought Collins...honestly, I consider it beyond debate that he was, as anyone who followed even 10% of his career will know.

I also think that Eubank's power gets underrated a lot of the time. Benn (and a lot of other hard punchers) have a better KO rate, but part of that is because they go for the kill all night long, where Eubank looked to use his skill, and was patient in his approach. I'm not trying to build him up into something he wasn't, but if you actually watch his fights you'll see that he had a very good right hand.

The fact is that Eubank did have the guy hurt, and he chose not to try and finish him off, IMO because of the Watson fight and the fact that Collins' mind games in the build up had affected him.

[Bushidō]

LOL "I'll beat you and your momma's ass"

[coghaugen]

I remember that.

[Mugwump]

Regarding whether or not Benn was past his best when he fought Collins...honestly, I consider it beyond debate that he was, as anyone who followed even 10% of his career will know.

I also think that Eubank's power gets underrated a lot of the time. Benn (and a lot of other hard punchers) have a better KO rate, but part of that is because they go for the kill all night long, where Eubank looked to use his skill, and was patient in his approach. I'm not trying to build him up into something he wasn't, but if you actually watch his fights you'll see that he had a very good right hand.

Good point. Although if you look at Eubank's KO % prior to the Watson fight it was up there with the best of them. I'd go so far as to say he hit as hard or even harder than Benn. Eubank was always a natural SMW. Fighting down at MW was incredibly hard for him. He had a huge frame and he liked his food (not in a James Toney kind of way, but along those lines). This meant he had to put himself through an insane pre-match diet that consisted of no food whatsoever in order to make weight. But as a natural SMW he found his optimum power. And he could really ****.

This starching against Dos Santos is at MW. At SMW he gained even MORE power.



Benn was always a MW blown up to SMW. At MW his power was off the scale. I'd rank him right up with the hardest punchers of all time in that division. But when he came up he found he'd left some of his power behind. Instead of being the one-punch KO specialist he turned into a bruising concussive hitter who bludgeoned his opponent into submission. Ironically, this power loss was to his benefit as it forced him into thinking before hitting and picking his punches. For example, fighting at MW Benn would have been starched by McClellan within the first thirty seconds. Of course, he nearly WAS starched at SMW, but the difference between the two Benns in fighting styles is significant. MW Benn charges at his opponent like a maniac and is looking for the KO every second of every round (putting him at huge risk of gassing from any point past the sixth). SMW Benn hangs back waiting for an opportunity and then quickly moves in to deliver a single big shot or a two or three punch combination and then ducks back out again. And by becoming more economical as a hitter it meant he had enough energy to go the full twelve. Watching the McClellan fight it's apparent that the G-Man was completely bamboozled by Benn's tactical shift and he paid a terrible price for it.

[nachorjj]

Roy decicion or late KO prime 4 prime

[Gorgeous George]

Eubank was gone in the head after Watson II. He could no longer pull the trigger. Collins was all but beaten and then Eubank just stopped. He couldn't and wouldn't finish him off.

All eubank had to do was outbox the crude collins for 12 rounds, he didnt even have to sit down on his punches just out box the slower collins but at the end of the day he wasnt capable so shut the *** up brits.... so much bull**** typed on this site.......

[Benncollinsaad]

That Hinduw sure posts great fights. We need more of old classic Eubank/Benn/Collins fights on youtube!