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Collins was shocked into retirement
TRAINER Jimmy Tibbs has revealed that former world champion Steve Collins has been shocked into retirement after he collapsed during a sparring session on Monday.
The 34-year-old Irishman has decided to call it a day after falling face down on the canvas during a work-out with British middleweight champion Howard Eastman at the Lennox Lewis gymnasium in London.
Within minutes of the collapse, Collins, who has not boxed since July 1997, was rushed to hospital where he received tests and a brain scan which have given him the all-clear.
The former world middle and super-middleweight champion was set to return to the ring next month after nearly two years on the sidelines.
But Tibbs said: "When Steve got himself together after they had done the tests and he had been given the all-clear, we all agreed that the best thing for him to do was to stop boxing.
"I was delighted when he told me that he wouldn't be boxing any more. He said that he believed it was a warning for him and he needed that to make him stop boxing.
"He needed something like that to shock him into retirement. He's not skint and it's the right decision. Steve had said at the Press conference for his comeback that he wasn't coming back for the money.
"To see a tough guy like Steve Collins collapsing to the canvas like that was very frightening."
Collins was due to contest a non-title bout on the supporting bill to Joe Calzaghe's WBO super-middleweight defence against Rick Thornberry in Cardiff on June 5.
He had then lined up an autumn clash with the Welshman in an attempt to regain his old world title, with the Celtic Warrior promised a shot at WBC light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones if he won.
It is understood that Collins has returned home to Dublin where it is expected he will formally announce his retirement after a career in which he enjoyed epic victories over the likes of Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.
Eastman's trainer Ronnie Davies said: "I was terrified when I saw Steve falling forward onto the canvas.
"The strange thing is that I didn't see a punch land on Steve. But Howard said that before Steve collapsed he had caught him with a right on the top of the head.
"If there was a punch it couldn't have been that hard because we had told them to take it easy and they were wearing 18-ounce sparring gloves."
Collins won the WBO super-middleweight title in March 1995 by outpointing Eubank. He made seven successful defences, including a repeat victory over Eubank and two against Benn.
Collins' promoters, Sports Network Europe, said he was due to leave hospital yesterday evening. A spokesman yesterday afternoon said: "Steve Collins would like it to be known he is sitting up in bed and will be discharged from hospital later on today."
TRAINER Jimmy Tibbs has revealed that former world champion Steve Collins has been shocked into retirement after he collapsed during a sparring session on Monday.
The 34-year-old Irishman has decided to call it a day after falling face down on the canvas during a work-out with British middleweight champion Howard Eastman at the Lennox Lewis gymnasium in London.
Within minutes of the collapse, Collins, who has not boxed since July 1997, was rushed to hospital where he received tests and a brain scan which have given him the all-clear.
The former world middle and super-middleweight champion was set to return to the ring next month after nearly two years on the sidelines.
But Tibbs said: "When Steve got himself together after they had done the tests and he had been given the all-clear, we all agreed that the best thing for him to do was to stop boxing.
"I was delighted when he told me that he wouldn't be boxing any more. He said that he believed it was a warning for him and he needed that to make him stop boxing.
"He needed something like that to shock him into retirement. He's not skint and it's the right decision. Steve had said at the Press conference for his comeback that he wasn't coming back for the money.
"To see a tough guy like Steve Collins collapsing to the canvas like that was very frightening."
Collins was due to contest a non-title bout on the supporting bill to Joe Calzaghe's WBO super-middleweight defence against Rick Thornberry in Cardiff on June 5.
He had then lined up an autumn clash with the Welshman in an attempt to regain his old world title, with the Celtic Warrior promised a shot at WBC light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones if he won.
It is understood that Collins has returned home to Dublin where it is expected he will formally announce his retirement after a career in which he enjoyed epic victories over the likes of Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.
Eastman's trainer Ronnie Davies said: "I was terrified when I saw Steve falling forward onto the canvas.
"The strange thing is that I didn't see a punch land on Steve. But Howard said that before Steve collapsed he had caught him with a right on the top of the head.
"If there was a punch it couldn't have been that hard because we had told them to take it easy and they were wearing 18-ounce sparring gloves."
Collins won the WBO super-middleweight title in March 1995 by outpointing Eubank. He made seven successful defences, including a repeat victory over Eubank and two against Benn.
Collins' promoters, Sports Network Europe, said he was due to leave hospital yesterday evening. A spokesman yesterday afternoon said: "Steve Collins would like it to be known he is sitting up in bed and will be discharged from hospital later on today."
and FWIW Michalczewski beat Griffin
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