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Originally posted by JuicyJuice
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Yeah but,that was Benn he was fighting there so its hard to look good against Benn in his prime no matter who you are. -
I remember when Watson went to Las Vegas to fight Michael Olajide in a 10-round IBF eliminator as chief support to the Frank Tate/Michael Nunn title fight, but Olajide pulled out late. If Olajide hadn't pulled out of it, and Watson beat him, Watson would of fought Nunn for the IBF title.Comment
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Mayweather is still my number one, even though he didn't put Judah away I thought he was dominant in the Judah fight except for a few rounds and even those rounds he handled himself well.Comment
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By reading this thread I'm hardpressed to believe that Eubank, Watson, and Benn aren't currently 1, 2, and 3 on the p4p lists...Comment
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is'nt beckles the guy watson beat in 10 seconds or somethin ?Comment
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Extract from Watson's book:Originally posted by Moschino045
In the final at middleweight I had to beat local boxer Harry Lawson from the Repton club. Lawson had won a few junior titles but I knew I would be too slick and powerful for him. I won when he was cut above the eye in Round Two and the fight was stopped, but it was not as easy as I thought it would be. I had two weeks after that win to get ready for the semi-finals back at York Hall and a possible confrontation with England's number one, John Beckles. It was only after heating Lawson that I realised how excited I was about possibly fighting Beckles. It kept me awake at night and at one point I thought I would have to get up and shadow-box to calm down. I know of fighters that have to go for runs or get in a gym for an hour after winning fights because they need to stop the adrenalin pumping.
In the gym Harry and Eric put their heads together to come up with ways to beat Beckles. We had all dismissed the two other fighters in the semi-final draw. A few days before I beat Lawson I had gone with Harry in his cab to Tottenham town hall to watch Beckles win the north-west London title. He was powerful and he could clearly ****, but he was slow and I knew that I was much faster than he was. There was an added edge to the upcoming and inevitable rivalry because Beckles boxed for the Islington club and I lived in Islington.
On the day of the London semi-finals at York Hall on 15 March 1984 I followed my usual routine. I woke late, had a light breakfast and waited for Eric to pick me up at the flat. The weigh-in for the fights took place in the afternoon on the stage at the old hall. I was comfortable at middleweight limit and felt relaxed. Eric was there, and Harry, and one or two from the gym were hanging about. Beckles was also there and he made the weight but I noticed that he looked drained. There was a pale sheen to his skin and I knew that meant he was weak at the weight. Next we had to wait for the draw to take place. We sat in the seats and talked and just tried to keep the atmosphere nice and calm. The draw was slow. There was a problem with the lightweights and it needed to he drawn again, and the officials on the stage were arguing. Harry was laughing at their behaviour and then we heard one of them say `Middleweights'. We all stopped talking and focused on the man with his hand in a small sack. `Watson, Colvestone ...' His voice trailed away as he looked up with the second name in his hand. I knew then. 'Beckles, Islington.' I had the fight I wanted.
A few minutes later I was on my way back to Mum's dinner table and a meal. It was to be the first of many big fights in my life, but at that time there was no bigger fight on the amateur circuit in London. When Eric left, I could sense that he was just a bit nervous so I followed him outside and told him to relax. After I had eaten I went up to my bedroom and put my head down for a few hours. I didn't sleep but I relaxed, and that was all that I needed. Eric came to get me at about five p.m. and we drove the few miles to York Hall. I remember it was dark and cold when he dropped me off. It was early and the boxing had only just started, but already there was a big crowd inside and a tremendous buzz. I started to walk to the back of the hall but I was stopped by a lot of people I knew or had previously met. I quickly realised that my fight was the centre of attention, and by the time I found my way to the small changing room up behind the stage I was ready to go out and fight. Eric and Harry settled me down and then the visitors started to arrive. This was, I imagined, what it was like in the big-time. I was full of energy. I just wanted to get in the ring and show what I could do, and do it in the least amount of time possible.
Darren showed up and confirmed what I had been thinking. `The place is ******, there's not a ticket left,' he told us. Many years later an ABA official came up to me at a pro show and told me that in thirty years of involvement he had never known a night like the one when I met Beckles. In the changing room I started to get ready slowly and carefully. Eric and Harry seemed surprised at how calm I was, but they needn't have been. It was my my first real test and I was desperate to get out there and prove that I was a real fighter. I have always known my true potential and I felt confident. Ten minutes before I was due in the ring I was called out to the gloving-up table to get my gloves laced and secured by the ABA's officials. At this point a fighter often gets to look at his opponent, but Beckles was not there. I went back with my gloves on and hit Eric's hands with a few light hooks to keep warm and see how the gloves felt. Harry showed up again to make sure I was calm. A few minutes later an ABA official came to the door and shouted, `Watson, one minute.' It was time. I walked from the changing room and through the door to the stage, and all I could see was the empty ring and hundreds and hundreds of people. I went down the few steps and then I was at the back of the hall. There are no security guards in amateur boxing and at first I could not see a way for me to get to the ring.
I looked up and saw Beckles climb in. He looked big under the lights. I carried on walking and the people just seemed to part, while the noise kept getting louder and louder. I reached the ring and Eric stood back to allow me up first. I ducked under the top rope and looked over at Beckles as I stood up. He had taken his robe off. I could see that he was extremely powerful, and I knew then that if I messed about he was going to knock me out. He had a knockout punch in his right cross and his left hook. He was more mature than me at about twenty-one, and finally I could see why people were nervous about me fighting him. I was the underdog - and I was loving every second of it. Harry backed away to stand with a group of friends, his regular boxing pals. Some of them doubted his wisdom, but he told them to stop worrying. `Beckles is dead at the weight and this kid can fight. Trust me,' he told them.
We were brought together in the middle of the ring by the referee to touch gloves and then I went back to the corner and Eric put my gumshield in. `Good luck, son,' he told me. I looked out over the crowd in the final seconds before the opening bell because I wanted to enjoy every moment. People were standing and shouting under the thick layer of smoke and I can clearly remember thinking, in the few seconds before the fight started, that this was what it was all about. I loved the attention and the excitement, the thrill of suspense and putting the crowd on the edge of their seats, the anticipation of overcoming the odds. That was my motivation. I was powered by my self-belief and determination. The will to win spurred me on. The same will would help me many years later.
Beckles never stood a chance. My punches connected with his chin, and then I felt his legs go, and then his whole body was gone.Comment
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A few comments about a few fighters that are or aren't on everyone's list-
-Taylor should be in the top three of anyone's list, IMHO. The guy has fought the best in his division and won, twice. And now for the 3rd fight in a row he is going to face the best fighter in his division. If he wins, he should be #1. Period. No other fighter will have faced the best fighters available to them 3 fights in a row and won all 3. That deserves some massive respect. And I think he will do it, again. Winky's peekabo is going up against a guy with a beautiful jab this time. I think this will be an ugly, slightly boring fight, that sees Taylor win a decision again. And don't bag on Taylor for it, either. Hopkins and Wright are 90% defensive-minded and nearly impossible to look good against. Even a prime RJJ, who at his best was probably the best fighter at any weight for several years, looked ho-hum against Hopkins. Hopkins is a guy who has developed a style which makes it nearly impossible for him to lose. Taylor beat him twice, move him to the top of the lists. Period. And if he beats Wright, he is hands down #1, no question.
-Mayweather has not fought the best fighter available to him since 2002. I think he should be at the low end of the top 10. I know everyone will go into convulsions over this, but this is a sport, not wrestling or ice skating. It's not a "performance" or a "showcase." It's a sport. To be the best, you have to fight the best. He hasn't. And it looks like he isn't going to anytime soon. He beat Gatti, yeah? So did Mickey Ward. He beat Judah coming off of a loss. Yeah? And? So did Baldomir. He beat Mitchell coming off of a loss. etc etc.
-Calzaghe should be in everyone's top 5, I think. You haven't seen as dominant and one-sided of a pure boxing clinic, against that good of a fighter since.... I don't even know when (probably since Hopkins beat Trinidad). That was an unbelievable spectacle against Lacy and he's beaten the best in his division since he started fighting. Sheika, Reid, Mithell, Lacy, etc. Hopkins was put to the top of the list with one major win and a bunch of solid ones, after he beat Trinidad. Mosely was thrust to the top of the list with one big win, over DLH. And Lacy was a reigning, defending champion who had destroyed the best in his division and who has been fighting for like 15 years, so don't try any of this "Lacy was raw and overrated" crap. None of you said he was raw or overrated before, so don't say it now. That's just a way of taking credit from Calzaghe. Give him his credit and put him solidly in at #5 or higher.
-Hatton should be in the top 10, without question, but where is very debatable. Those who say he shouldn't be in the top 10 probably just saw his fight with Tszyu and no others. The guy has skills, but just skills isn't what it takes to beat Kostya Tszyu, folks, that's why you saw brawling and inside fighting. Mitchell, Judah, Hurtado all were quicker or as quick and at least as skilled as Kostya was. But they all got KTFO trying to box with him on the outside. Ricky will do what is necessary to win and make adjustments. That's a p4p fighter, kids. If he's got to bob and weave his way in to win, then he's done it many times. If he has to brawl to win, then he's done it many times. He's one of the most versatile fighters on the list and will also be one of the toughest for anyone to beat, IMHO. His last couple of performances did not exhibit the pure skills that many like to see in a p4p list, though, so to have him a little lower in the list could be accepted. But I personally think he will alter his game from fight to fight, which ever serves him best to win, and as long as he gets results, then I think he stays no lower than 7. He took out the best, most dominant fighter at his weight in the past year. I'd only put fighters above him that can say the same thing.
Most of the rest of the fill-ins on the list like Wright, Pac, Castillo, etc are all consistently in the same spot on most lists, so there's no debate needed.Comment
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I knew Watson would beat Benn. TedSpoon hadn't seen Benn fight yet even though he was a major hype job, so I acquired a few tapes and saw that when Benn stepped up in class against Reggie Miller he struggled. I saw Watson take Miller apart with ease.
I saw Watson take apart world class Franklin Owens, who had given Michael Nunn and Michael Olajide so much trouble. But the British commentators didn't realise Owens was world class.
Benn and his people seemed to be treating the Watson fight as a stage to showcase this dynamite-fisted, phenonimon to the US public and grossly overlooked Watson's ability.Comment
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Originally posted by mattbythebayI think Mayweather stock went down a little by his unability to knock out Judah! 1.Calzaghe 2.pac 3.hatton 4.mayweather 5.klitchko 6.liakhovich 7.cotto 8.taylor 9.Bell 10.Barrera Top ten p4p fighting right now..this is not all time just current fighters..Let me know where you see me wrong on this list I am sure i will get plenty of feedback..and give me your list as well..Now lets get it on..Damn i miss Mills Lane!..lol
Off the Cuff...
1. Mayweather
2. Hatton
3. Pacquaio
4. Calzaghe
5. Barrera
6. Taylor
7. Wright
8. Tarver
9. Klitschko
10. BellComment
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it cant be said enough:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the pound for pound best fighter in the world today.Comment
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