Best I've Faced: Chris Eubank Sr

[daggum]

I never thought Collins was tough on basis eubank had him down and didn't have killer instinct anymore to finish him off. Plus he had hynotist as well.
But benn evasive so he weren't just puncher? But he rates British fighters. Maybe never fought best yanks

couldnt even beat dan schommer. what did you expect him to do?

[soul_survivor]

Great read. Eubank given a lot of credit to some relaly tough, really good fighters in a densely packed era of quality.

I wanted to mention that I always felt Eubank won that second collins fight and should have gone out as champion. In fact, I would go so far as to describe it as an utter robbery.

[coghaugen]

James Toney

Best fighter: Mike McCallum — That’s an easy choice, right off the top of my head it’s the Body Snatcher. He was the best fighter I fought at middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight. Out of all the fighters I fought, I respect him the most because he made me think about everything I tried to do. Before McCallum I was just runnin’ in on everyone, but he made me slow down and think for the first time.

Best Boxer: McCallum — Yup, it’s him again. It’s between McCallum and Michael Nunn, but I gotta go with McCallum because he was a master boxer who wasn’t afraid to stand his ground. Nunn was mostly fast. I admit that he outboxed me for about nine rounds, but my body shots slowed him down. I told him during the fight ‘I’m gonna catch you!’ And I did.

Best puncher: Merqui Sosa — Sam Peter is the hardest puncher I’ve fought, but pound-for-pound it’s Sosa because he hurt me the most. I’ll never forget that fight, we fought on an ESPN show in Atlantic City on a Sunday. I went at him like I did everyone back then and that mother f_____ hit me so hard in the third round I was seeing triple for the next three rounds. He knew how to hit and he was so awkward that I couldn’t time him and he caught me high on the head.

Quickest hands: Roy Jones — He was fast. I’ll give him that, but that’s all I’ll give him. I would have knocked him out if I wasn’t drained from losing 44 pounds in six weeks. I went in (that fight) like a fool and wasn’t properly prepared.

Quickest feet: Nunn — He had some fast-ass feet (laughing), didn’t he? He was an escape artist for nine or 10 rounds, ’til I caught up to him.

Best defense: McCallum: He was right there in front of me, but I had a hard time hitting him with clean punches. I basically came into my own by fighting him. I learned how to be elusive without running around the ring by fighting Mike McCallum three times.

Best chin: Tony Thornton: The punching postman from Philly! (laughs) I thought I was gonna knock him out easy. He was squared up with his chin right there for me to hit but I hit him with every punch I had and he wouldn’t budge. I hit him with my best left hook and he didn’t blink.

Best jab: McCallum: Mike’s jab was like a piston. There were other guys I fought who had good jabs, like Nunn and Jones, but they just had speed and they just flicked it. Mike popped that jab with authority. He was an old-school fighter.

Strongest: Samuel Peter: He was just a big-ass African with brute African strength.

Smartest: McCallum: Come on, who do you think it is? Who’s the one fighter I truly respect? You got it, the Body Snatcher, Mike McCallum. I fought my share of boxers who thought they were clever like Roy Jones, Michael Nunn, Montell Griffin, and Reggie Johnson, but they were all scared to really fight. McCallum boxed, he fought, he defended, and he didn’t run all over the ring. He could do all that because he was smart.


Mike McCallum

Best overall: James Toney He wasnt a complete fighter the first time we fought, and I still believe I won that fight. But he learned in that fight and he got better. He grew with each fight. By our third fight, he was a different fighter, a complete fighter. He was someone who could do it all, fight inside or outside, work offense and defense at the same time, just like me when I was younger. I like to think that I helped James mature as a fighter.

Best boxer: Herol Graham He was a pure boxer, a southpaw and very elusive. It wasnt easy to hit him. He was very smart, very skilled.

Best puncher: Julian Jackson He hit me so hard! Julian wasnt just powerful, he was also real quick. I got caught by a right hand in the first round of our fight and I remember thinking Whats wrong with my legs? I tried my best to hide it from him. I knew I had to take him out as soon as I could.

Best defense: Sumbu Kalambay I fought many good defensive fighters. Toney had a good defense. Graham was slippery. Jones was fast and slick, but Kalambay is No. 1. I cant forget about him. Hes the first fighter to beat me and its because of his good movement. He was always sliding side to side, very shifty. He was a dangerous boy.

Fastest hands: Jackson He was quick, man. Thats why he got so many knockouts. Everyone focused on his power and then hed get you with a punch you didnt see. They landed on you boom! from out of nowhere. Kalambay and Toney were also fast. So was Jones, obviously, but I fought him when I was older and had slowed down a bit.

Fastest feet: Roy Jones He had very quick feet. He was elusive just because of his footwork.

Best chin: Steve Collins I almost said Toney, but Collins had the best chin. I hit him right on his chin all night and he wouldnt budge. I couldnt hit Toney that much and when I did, he backed off. Collins walked through punches.

Best jab: Donald Curry I fought many fighters with good jabs. Kalambay could win fights with just his jab. McCrory had a good, hard jab. But Currys was the best. I see why they called him the Cobra because he didnt miss with it. He was a bad man with that jab.

Strongest: Michael Watson Oh my God, he was so strong. Thats why that fight was so hard. It was a gruesome fight, 11 rounds of back-and-forth hell.

Smartest: Roy Jones Jr. I fought quite a few smart boys in my time. Graham was a cunning S.O.B. I remember him sticking his tongue out at me whenever id miss a punch. Kalambay was smart and so was Toney, although he didnt have the experience to back it up when we first fought. But I think Roy may have been the smartest. He was very clever, which didnt surprise me. I knew he was sharp. It was like he was always one step ahead of me.


Steve Collins

Best overall: That’s a hard question to answer. It would be easy to say Mike McCallum but I wasn’t at my best in 1990. I was at my peak when I fought Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, whereas I met McCallum on the way up. It’s hard to answer that based on where I was at in terms of my own career.

Best boxer: The best boxer was definitely Mike McCallum. He was in his prime at 33 years old and I was 26 and still learning. Mike had beaten some of the very best fighters in the world at that point and guys like Sugar Ray Leonard wouldn’t go anywhere near him because he was so slick. I learned more in one fight with Mike McCallum than I did in my five previous fights combined, do you understand? He was skillful, a master at combination punching and he had everything at his disposal. He was the smartest guy I ever fought.

Best puncher: Nigel Benn hit the hardest. I don’t even think Benn knew how hard he hit to be honest (laughs). Nigel caught me flush in the first fight and I thought he had broken all of my teeth and this horrible taste filled my mouth. I actually felt sick to my stomach and nobody had ever hit me like that before.

Best defense: McCallum was so slick. He had the ability to ride punches and come back with his own. He would invite a shot, get past it and land quality counters. Defensively he was so cute and he was well schooled in every aspect of the game. It was great to share the ring with him and that experience did so much for my own career. In the first half of that fight I tried to box with him and that didn’t work, so I began chasing him in the second half. I had to use my strength, toughness and determination and I managed to win some rounds. It just wasn’t my time and I wasn’t ready at that point in my career.

Fastest hands: (Long Pause) I can’t really answer that. I fought guys who would hit and run away. If I had to choose it would be McCallum. Mike was pretty quick.

Fastest feet: I had the ability to cut the ring down so it didn’t really matter how fast someone’s feet were. Fast feet wouldn’t trouble me, and if you’re a professional then it never should. Fast on your feet or not I would be able to find you.I did spar a guy called Paul “Silky” Jones (former WBO junior middleweight titleholder) and he knew his way around a ring. He was a great fighter to work with because if you could cut him off there was nothing to worry about on fight night.

Best chin: It’s Chris Eubank. I hit him with huge shots to the head and he was going nowhere. When I dropped him it was a body shot that sent him over. He was so tough and durable and he was dangerous until the very last second of a fight. He didn’t have Benn’s power or McCallum’s combination work but he had incredible strength. You would be nailing Chris and think it’s all over and then he would just unload with power shots. He would get fancy during a fight and showboat which would keep opponents thinking plus his style was so unorthodox, you didn’t know what was coming next. That was his way of buying time but I would ignore that and jump all over him. I always wanted to be in punching range against Chris but he was the toughest most durable man I ever met – hands down.

Best jab: McCallum had the best jab. He controlled fights with the left jab and punished you if you made mistakes.

Strongest: Eubank was the strongest. His physical strength was incredible but the reason I gave him so much trouble is because I was even stronger than he was. Super middleweight was my division and my strength was second to none, whereas I lost something making the middleweight limit. At 168 pounds I could stand up to Chris and push him backwards and he had never encountered that before, so ultimately I broke his heart in the first fight. I fought all the way up at heavyweight as an amateur and my strength was my biggest asset.

Smartest: Mike McCallum was the smartest. I learned a lot from him and he educated me. Every once in a while you face a guy who is a bit special and they either finish you or make you. When Prince Naseem stepped up a level (to face Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001) he lost and that was basically the end of him.

I fought McCallum and although I lost it made me a better fighter because he was the best in his time. Sugar Ray Leonard told me personally that there was no money in facing McCallum and it was a fight he could lose. I asked him that during a Q&A and he admitted it to an entire audience. I stepped up to the elite level and traded with one of the best fighters around, so I knew I would get better and I knew I would become a world champion after that.

McCallum didn’t get the credit he deserved but just look at his record and you see the guys he beat.


Nigel Benn

Best overall: Gerald McClellan by far. He had an incredible knockout ratio and he was a prolific puncher. There was a mile between him and anyone else. I came out of that fight with a damaged nose, a damaged jaw and I was urinating blood. I was in bed for three days afterwards and I had a shadow on my brain. That shows you how powerful a champion that man was.

Best boxer: Sugar Boy Malinga springs to mind but he wasn’t the classiest of fighters, he was just my bogeyman. Malinga was very difficult for me and even though I won the first fight I could easily have lost it. I think I got the decision because I was on home soil. In the rematch I trained so hard for him but I was knackered and just completely jaded. He is one of the only fighters to really hurt me and he did it with a punch to the mouth which split my tongue and my lip. I was over trained in the second fight but I can’t really take anything away from him. Give me a guy who stands there and wants to fight and I’ll be victorious but I knew this guy was slippery. I could see Malinga’s punches coming but I couldn’t do anything about it. Even when I knocked him down I was shattered and I knew I was in for a long night. He deserved to win the rematch and he was a lovely man so I only have good things to say about him. He met up with Richie Woodhall after me and lost the title (WBC super middleweight) straight away.

Best puncher: Gerald McClellan. As I said the gap between him and the rest, in terms of power, was huge. He was in a league of his own but I had to win that fight because everyone thought I was going to lose. What happened was I was due to fight Michael Nunn and it got back to me that I would have to take ┬ú100,000 less and I said; “Are you mad?” Michael was a slippery southpaw, his name was “Second to” Nunn and I’ve to take ┬ú100,000 less? That could have been my last fight because Michael was one of the best around at that time, so I said no chance. The answer I got was fight Nunn or we’ll bring over a mini Mike Tyson (McClellan). Now, you have to understand I was in the army and had a ton of street fights, so I’m not scared to take on anyone. I’m not made that way but once my fight with Gerald was over I should have retired.

Best defense: Michael Watson. When we fought in 1989 I was like a bull in a china shop and my trainer at the time said; “Nigel, just go out there and steam him.” I’ve read a lot of boxing books in my time but I have no idea what steam him means. I’ve yet to find an explanation of that term anywhere but that was the type of corner I had at the time. I’d thrown everything at Watson over the first five rounds and I couldn’t damage him and I also found out later that Michael gave a wink to my corner as if to say “I’ve got your boy!” Michael had Mickey Duff and a good team in his corner and they had a lot of experience. It was my first loss and I was devastated and all that was left in the changing room was me and my jockstrap. Everyone deserted me.

Fastest hands:I can’t recall who excelled in that area to be honest. They probably beat me and I’ve did my best to forget (laughs). I can’t even say there was anyone in sparring because I didn’t do a lot of fighting in the gym. I maybe did twenty or thirty rounds in training because I only wanted to establish my distance. A lot fighters like to have wars in the gym but that wasn’t for me because I would just burn myself out. That changed when I went to the Fifth St. Gym in Miami and I was forced to do more sparring. I worked with a guy called Adolpho Washington who was a cruiserweight and the double of Mike Tyson when he put on the head gear. I found myself trying to be friends with him so he wouldn’t want to spar with me anymore (laughs).

Fastest feet: Dan Sherry had good feet. He ran right into an awesome right hand but he had good feet (laughs). He could switch hit, chop and change and his hands were fast so he was able to keep me turning.

Best chin: Chris Eubank and you don’t even need to ask me that (laughs). I could hit Chris’ chin with anything and it wouldn’t even move. It was like hitting a lump of granite but to be honest I enjoyed pummeling that chin (laughs hysterically). Look, I love Chris and we’re old men now so I can laugh and joke about it. I needed him as much he needed me.

Best jab: Nicky Piper kept leaning back and picking me off with the left hand, until I caught up with him. Sugar Boy Malinga was very effective with the jab and another American by the name of Lindsay Morgan was tall and used that punch pretty well.

Strongest: Robbie Sims was good inside but I would say Juan Carlos Gimenez. He also fought Eubank and Calzaghe and only Joe managed to put a dent in him. He was always banging his hands together wanting more and he was so strong. I’m talking as strong as an ox. As soon as I hit him I knew I wasn’t stopping him – he was going nowhere.

Smartest: (Long Pause) Reggie Miller. He was the first fighter to almost take me the distance but I finally stopped him. It was my twelfth fight and I was on my last legs just prior to the knockout. He was a really good fighter and an effective switch hitter. He was cute defensively but he thought he had me and left himself open.


Herol Graham

Best overall: Mike McCallum, but I thought I beat him. He tried to dictate the pace and I could see that, so I changed the tempo and did my thing. I boxed, frustrated him with my movement and, although he scored points by applying pressure, nothing was landing. The judges scored aggression but it wasn’t effective aggression. This was The Body Snatcher, right? Watch the fight and you’ll see – he couldn’t touch me to the body. It was a great experience and he was a great fighter, but he couldn’t get off the shots that he wanted to get off. I was perhaps guilty of not throwing enough back, but I thought I earned the decision.

Best boxer: Sumbu Kalambay for the European middleweight title. It was a very close fight, but he caught me with a big punch and I slid across the ropes. I have to give him that, it was a great shot, and that probably took the fight away from me, if I’m being honest. He was a quality opponent, who won and lost a fight with Mike McCallum after that.

Best puncher: The best puncher was Julian Jackson, come on, please. I don’t even have to think when it comes to that question. One shot and I was gone and it came just after the referee was going to stop the fight in my favor. I made the mistake of going for a sucker punch, when he was in the corner, and Jackson responded with a knockout punch. I had to go to the hospital and there were some scary moments because I couldn’t remember a thing about the fight. Three or four hours later it all came back to me and that was a really powerful right hand shot. There were a lot of broken hearts in Britain that night, especially mine. Another extremely hard puncher was Lindell Holmes, who I outpointed in Sheffield, but nobody tops Jackson.

Best defense: Maybe Sumbu Kalambay but there wasn’t anyone who really excelled defensively. Even McCallum wasn’t difficult to hit and although Kalambay was a big puncher with long arms, he was still findable. That said I didn’t hit him as often as I wanted to, so Kalambay edges it.

Fastest hands: Mine (laughs). For the most part my hand speed was superior, so it’s difficult to think of someone who troubled me. You could say Vinny Pazienza had the quickest hands but he couldn’t hit me with anything. It was funny because after that fight Pazienza told me that I didn’t touch him. I said; “What about the marks all over your face, Vinny? There’s blood coming from your eye and you have swollen lips, but I didn’t touch you?” He was going on like I didn’t win the fight (laughs). He did have quick hands because he was short limbed and exploded on the inside, but his style was easy to box against.

Fastest feet: Nobody, come on now, don’t mess about (laughs). I kept it long and my stance was wide, so I leaned back out the way. The suspension of a bridge is long, is it not? If I wanted distance then I created it, so nobody was able to counter me in terms of footwork – nobody.

Best chin: Well I can’t say me for this one because I got knocked out (laughs). It’s got to be Charles “The Hatchet” Brewer. I got him down twice, but couldn’t finish and he ended up stopping me. The fight was in Atlantic City, on the undercard of Lennox Lewis vs. Shannon Briggs.

Best jab: Nobody bothered me with the jab. I expected a great jab from Mike McCallum, but his didn’t trouble me at all. He was forced to hustle and bustle with me, because boxing wasn’t working for him.

Strongest: Sanderline Williams in 1985. I remember him because he wore army trunks, but more so because his shots seemed to go right through me. I really had to move that night, because he hit so hard. I would still give punch power to Julian Jackson though. I have to because he knocked me out.

Smartest: Sumbu Kalambay or Mike McCallum. Both of them were smart technicians who made you think, but I pushed both of them all the way.


Julian Jackson

Best Skills – Mike McCallum – he was very seasoned. At that time he was the most experienced boxer that I had met. He was already a champion. I felt he was also very technical. He had all the tools as a boxer and I felt I had the power to knock him out but it turned out to be the opposite.

Best Jab – McCallum – When I look back I would say Mike McCallum probably had one of the best jabs. He was tall; his height had a lot to do with his jab. I guess his timing and his experience, all of that played with that scenario.

Best Defense – Gerald McClellan – In my first fight with Gerald McClellan I didn’t get to hit him like I really wanted to. I was getting to him but somehow my punches weren’t landing clean enough. He was always able to defend and move. His defense was fairly strong and instead of me getting the knockout, which I really believe I would have, I got caught from him and I was the one who got knocked out.

Best Chin – Thomas Tate – I can’t say it was Mike McCallum or Gerald McClellan. I fought this guy in Las Vegas, Thomas Tate. As a matter of fact, I remember the referee, Richard Steele, I literally heard him tell the guy to move because it seemed as though he was giving up. I was not able to end the fight and he was able to survive but I did knock him down but he got back up and we went the distance.

There was a guy I fought in a very cold place but I can’t remember his name. I don’t know if the fight was recorded but I remember fighting this white guy and I hit him with the sink and he wouldn’t go down.

Best Puncher – McClellan – Definitely Gerald McClellan. He was a natural puncher like myself. I knew it and he knew it. I said the one who gets hit first is gonna go down and I guess I was the one that got hit first (laughs).

Fastest Hands – Terry Norris – Terry Norris was naturally quick. Harold Graham was fast but Terry Norris was naturally quick. It was amazing. It seemed as though he was gonna throw one jab and the next thing you know you’re getting hit by two or three jabs. His hand speed to me was the best. My timing was the key to combat his speed. I wasn’t as fast, I was quick, but I wasn’t as fast, my timing was the key, putting on the pressure to combat that speed.

Fastest Feet – Norris – I believe hand and foot speed is something that comes as a package. I would say Terry Norris. His hand speed had to match his foot speed and he had good footwork as well.

Smartest – McCallum – He knew he was in a fight and I had a puncher’s chance and he was afraid of me ’cause just the way he was fighting and what he did in the fight to try to stop me from knocking (him) out. He thumbed me. I got about two or three low blows the referee didn’t see. You might say that’s not smart it’s dirty but he was able to throw me off my game plan because of that. I was really upset because of that.

Strongest – Francisco De Jesus – I hit this guy with punches, even though I stopped him, it was amazing the strength this kid had. He just had power and I could feel the brute strength of this kid. He was stronger than McClellan or McCallum as far as what I felt in that fight. You can be strong, even though McClellan was a very strong puncher his strength may not have been as strong as this guy. When we clinched I could literally feel his power and I was like “woo.”

Best Overall – McClellan – I would say Gerald McClellan had tremendous talent, he had speed, power, especially power, he could box and I feel overall Gerald McClellan was the best fighter I faced.


Michael Watson

BEST SKILLS: Mike McCallum

He was very skillful and it was an honor to share the ring with him. He stopped me but if I’d been at my best I would have had a much better chance of winning that fight. I’d been out of the ring for a year, didn’t train properly, and still gave him hell.

BEST JAB: Don Lee

“Dangerous” Don Lee had knocked out Tony Sibson and fought a couple of top Americans. I respected him a lot so he brought out the best in me and my punching power was too much for him. That’s why they call me “The Force”.

BEST DEFENSE: McCallum

He was hard to hit cleanly and his counter punching was top class. It took me a while to break through and by that time it was too late. I’d run out of energy.

BEST CHIN: Chris Eubank

I hit him with everything in both of our fights. He had such a strong chin and taking all those punches from me proves it.

BEST PUNCHER: Nigel Benn

No thinking required for biggest puncher but styles make fights. I knew I had that fight won from the start and was very confident in myself. I predicted six rounds and that’s how long it went. The fight with Nigel made me who I am.

FASTEST HANDS: Kirkland Laing

We sparred hundreds of rounds together. The work I put in with Kirkland and Dennis Andries, in the gym, brought me to the top level in the sport. Kirkland should have been a world champion though, he was highly qualified.

FASTEST FEET: Laing

He was always on the move and I was always pursuing him. It would be great to have some of our sparring on film. That would make a good home movie.

SMARTEST: McCallum

He was very cute and very technical but, like I said, I was at my worst that night. His punching power wasn’t all that effective and the reason I went down was because I ran out of steam. Don’t get me wrong though, he was a smart fighter – a great fighter.

STRONGEST: Benn

Nigel was the strongest and the most powerful of all my opponents. He played into my hands by being so aggressive early though. The word was that Nigel spent a full day in the hairdressers a day or two before that fight. He apparently wanted to look good for getting knocked out (laughs). I love him though and he’s a great friend of mine.

BEST OVERALL: Benn

No fighter was more competitive against me when I was at my best. I trained as if my life was on the line and Nigel gave me the fight of my life. That victory made me who I am today and it also made Nigel a better fighter in years to come. After that loss, Nigel started working behind his left hand and became a lot more technical.


Michael Nunn

BEST SKILLS – Donald Curry: He was wise and sharp. This is a tough one because I came across a lot of good boxers on the way up the ladder.

BEST JAB – Frank Tate: He had a great jab, so I had to stay on top of him from the first round. I won the middleweight championship of the world after a long, hard fight.

BEST DEFENSE – Marlon Starling: To this day, Starling is still asking for a rematch. He was a crafty little man, who was hard to catch cleanly with big shots.

BEST CHIN – lran Barkley: You could hit the guy with a hammer and he was going nowhere. I landed everything I had and he said, ‘Is that all you’ve got, Nunn?’

BEST PUNCHER – Juan Roldan: He was the strongest puncher I faced in my career.

FASTEST HANDS – Carl Jones: He was from Los Angeles and had me down in the first round.

FASTEST FEET – Jones: The only thing faster than Jones’ feet were his hands.

SMARTEST – James Toney: I have to admit, looking back, James Toney was a smart guy in the ring.

STRONGEST – Barkley: For a middleweight, Barkley was exceptionally strong. It was like pounding on a heavyweight. After the weigh-in, he must have gained an extra 20 pounds.

BEST OVERALL – Curry: The best overall game belonged to Donald Curry. He could do a bit of everything.


Iran Barkley

BEST JAB

Roberto Duran: Wow, in my pro career, you know who I would have to say? Duran. Duran had a jab that if he hits you with it, he knew how to throw punches off of it. He set everything up off that jab. Another fighter I always thought was perfect doing that was was James ‘The Heat’ Kinchen.

BEST DEFENSE

James Toney: He used to protect himself and roll. I really had to figure him out. He wasn’t a big puncher but that roll was frustrating.

FASTEST HANDS

Thomas Hearns: Tommy had fast hands. Being tall and lanky like he was, his hands were pretty quick. Tommy had a bigger punch with everything he threw. Michael Nunn’s punches, I didn’t really feel. He was quick but I didn’t feel his punches. He wasn’t quicker than Tommy.

FASTEST FEET

James Kinchen: As a matter of fact, James Kinchen and another guy I that didn’t get too much recognition I fought early in my career, Mike Tinley, (had fast feet). Kinchen, he was little and he had fast little feet.

BEST CHIN

Duran: Duran was a good catcher. I spun Duran around with a left hook one time. It was amazing. I said, “This guy took a shot that would have knocked a building down.” [Laughs]. James Kinchen. I hit him with good shots, he would always come back, even though I was a big puncher and knocked him down a couple of times, he just came back. Toney took a good shot but he was crafty with his rolls.

SMARTEST

Duran: He knew just how to get out of things. No matter how hard I hit him he would always come back and figure something out, someway how to survive. Toney had a good Ring IQ.

STRONGEST

Duran: [Laughs] Duran was the guy. He was a little guy but no matter what I hit him with he would roll and come back. He was still able to push me a little.

BEST PUNCHER

Hearns: His power’s unbelievable. He was a lot stronger than I thought he was for a slim guy. Nigel [Benn] didn’t have any power to me. I felt a lot of punches but Nigel’s power to me, I didn’t really feel his power. That evening [against Benn], with me I couldn’t make [middleweight] weight anymore, I was steamed out but he did his job that he had to do. I fought guys who hit way harder than him.

BOXING SKILLS

Duran: His skills were sharp. He was a crafty guy. He’ll roll back and punch, he’d catch you off balance if he could. He was a smart, crafty man.

BEST OVERALL

Hearns: Because of his punching power and his skills, his ability to jab, move and be that tall to be able to box.


Richie Woodhall

BEST SKILLS

Joe Calzaghe: He had an answer for everything I did. Calzaghe, as I said, could handle any style and that, I’m telling you, is such a rare gift.

BEST JAB

Keith Holmes: He was as tall as me and he was the first southpaw I’d boxed with that height. Holmes was underrated, he was a very good fighter indeed and had a great jab.

BEST DEFENSE

Markus Beyer: He was a very short southpaw who kept making me overreach. Any mistake I made, he punished me for it. Beyer was a well-schooled amateur and I remember missing him with loads of shots early on. It was so deceiving because he was a short fella and I thought I’d just pick him off – Bloody hell, you try catching him.

BEST CHIN

Calzaghe: He was a tough geezer. I wasn’t a devastating puncher; I was more of a worker, and that showed against Calzaghe. I hit him many times but nothing affected him.

BEST PUNCHER

Holmes: I could feel his power throughout that fight. There were problems in the build-up with my elbow and training that I’d missed but I felt more power from him than any other fighter.

FASTEST HANDS

Roy Jones Jr.: The attacks were hard to detect because sometimes he would be throwing shots from the waist. The punches were outside your line of vision and some of the hooks he threw, you just couldn’t see them coming. He whipped them in really quick.

FASTEST FEET

Jones Jr.: His footwork was brilliant. He won the first round and I did well in the second but when I tried to get him in the third, he just slipped away. I couldn’t believe it.

SMARTEST

Silvio Branco: It was a European title fight and he was a clever boxer. Branco matched me for height and reach and was actually very similar to myself. He could fight coming forward and he could fight going backwards. It was never going 12 rounds; one of us was always going to go and I managed to stop him in the ninth. That was the hardest fight I ever had and we were both busted up to hell afterwards.

STRONGEST

Sugar Boy Malinga: I hit him with a lot of shots downstairs, as well as to the head and, apart from that one knockdown I scored in the second round, he just kept coming. Malinga was a tough guy and he was in his late-30s then. I remember asking myself, ‘What would this guy have been like at his peak?’ You don’t get a win over Nigel Benn if you’re not strong and Malinga was a very tough man.

BEST OVERALL

Calzaghe: As I said, he had an answer for everything. It’s a hard question because Roy Jones was fantastic over three rounds and his speed was just too much for me. If I have to go one way, though, I’d say Calzaghe.


Roberto Duran

BEST SKILLS

Ken Buchanan: Buchanan was one of the great lightweights when it came to tactics and skill. His intelligence made him very difficult to beat even though he wasn’t a very strong opponent. Sugar Ray Leonard was faster and stronger but Buchanan had tremendous skills.

BEST JAB

Buchanan: He was tall, boxed well and his lateral movement was extremely good. Buchanan’s jab was difficult to deal with because he threw it on the move.

BEST DEFENSE

Buchanan: He was hard to hit cleanly. I was very young, lacked experience, and Buchanan had been world champion for a long time. A lot of people will expect me to say Wilfred Benitez or Leonard when it comes to defense but I wasn’t prepared properly for Benitez or the Leonard rematch. Davey Moore, who I beat easily, knocked Benitez out so there’s no comparison there. I was coming into my prime against Buchanan and he made me miss often.

BEST CHIN

Marvelous Marvin Hagler: I hit Hagler with a lot of punches and he just kept coming. I didn’t find him as skillful as some of the opponents I faced but he was the toughest.

BEST PUNCHER

Esteban De Jesus: De Jesus was the first opponent to knock me down and he had me down again in the second fight. When I lost to Thomas Hearns I was drained from losing weight too quickly, and that had a bad effect on me. Hearns got me with a great punch but I could have performed far better in a rematch. Marvin Hagler, who is a good friend of mine, told Hearns the only reason he knocked me out is because I wasn’t at my best.

FASTEST HANDS

Sugar Ray Leonard: He was the fastest fighter I ever fought but in the first fight I saw everything that was coming at me.

FASTEST FEET

Buchanan: At lightweight the opponents were much swifter on their feet and, back then, we were boxing in 15-round fights. Buchanan always kept on the move but I caught up with him eventually. That victory means a lot to me.

SMARTEST

Leonard: It’s hard to give you one name but Leonard stands out because he made adjustments during fights.

STRONGEST

Hagler: It was an extremely close fight but he got me tired late. Even though I built myself up to middleweight, Hagler was much bigger and used his strength on the inside. After making weight, a fighter rehydrates and there was a big difference there. Still, even when I was tired, Hagler couldn’t get me down. There was no way I was going to get the decision but some fans and reporters thought I’d done enough. Hagler had big American fights pending with Leonard and Hearns so there was a lot of money at stake.

BEST OVERALL

Leonard: I have to say Sugar Ray Leonard because look at what he did in his career after he lost to me. It takes a lot to come back from defeat and Leonard did it.


George Foreman

Best overall: Ron Lyle.

I have to say Lyle because he gave me the toughest fight of my career. He hit me so hard, knocked me down, got knocked down and picked himself up. That was the hardest fight I ever had in my life. With Muhammad Ali I could do whatever I wanted, but I got tired and he was able to knock me down. If I had been more respectful of Ali I could have coasted at stages in that fight, and preserved energy, but I couldn’t coast with Ron Lyle because he would have killed me.

Best boxer: Muhammad Ali. He was so gifted technically and his jab was the best I ever faced in the ring. Ali could jab going backwards or to the sides and that shot would always find you. He would catch me with the jab as I was coming forward and it was so difficult to counter that punch. He would spin that jab over and over.

Best puncher: Lyle. This guy hit me so hard that it didn’t even hurt. Joe Frazier caught me with the left hook but he couldn’t hit like Lyle and although Muhammad knocked me down I was exhausted and still got to my feet. Lyle was the hardest hitter. The thing about Lyle was he was complete unafraid and challenged me at ring center. Nobody, other than Sonny Liston in sparring, stood and punched it out with me with any success. Joe Frazier only tried once and even the great Muhammad Ali couldn’t back up quick enough. Ron Lyle would not back up.

Best defense: Ali. Not during his time doing the rope-a-dope because he took a lot of punishment, when he was against the ropes. However, when Ali was out in the middle of the ring and we were boxing he was able to jab, slip, shoot the right hand and get out of the way. He knew something about defensive fighting but the rope stuff was me doing that to him, not him doing that to me. Jimmy Young was very clever, but I played around early in that fight and was just looking to go 12 rounds. Young was very skillful and smart because when I decided that I wanted a knockout, he clipped me. He was a very good defensive fighter but I wouldn’t compare him to Muhammad Ali.

Fastest hands: Ali. That right hand was the fastest punch I can recall taking in any fight. I mean it was “fast”. If Ali hadn’t lost his foot speed nobody would ever have lived with him. I couldn’t imagine a heavyweight having a right hand that fast. He takes this category hands down.

Fastest feet: Jimmy Young or Evander Holyfield.

Ali had lost his foot speed by the time I fought him. I was always able to put my left foot between Ali’s legs and punch with him. Young’s feet were a little faster than mine but Holyfield excelled in this area when we fought. Evander also had fast hands but, unlike Ali, I saw all his shots coming. He hit me with a lot of punches but I saw every one of them (laughs).

Best chin: George “Scrap Iron” Johnson. I hit him so often that I damaged my hands in that fight. He had taken “Smokin” Joe Frazier the distance and had the best chin I’d ever come across. They stopped the fight but I couldn’t get him out of there cleanly. I still haven’t knocked him out (laughs).

Best jab: Sonny Liston and Ali. Sparring with Liston is the most dangerous thing that I ever did in my entire life. As I said earlier, no matter what I tried against him, it was me who had to revert back to boxing. Nobody made me box like Sonny Liston did and that happened every time we worked together. He taught me many things, including the importance of the jab. I just couldn’t get mine straight and every day he had me working on it. There were times when he could have knocked my head off but he didn’t because we were pretty good friends. I saw the way he stared at people and I took on some of that behavior to intimidate opponents. That was where some of that “Bad George” came from, hanging around with Sonny. That was gym work but in the professional ring it was Muhammad Ali because he would just spin that jab into my face. Boy he had an educated left hand. Norton had a good jab but he made the mistake of trading power punches because he’d heard my defense would let me down. If he’d boxed like he did with Muhammad I wouldn’t have gotten him so easily. Kenny had the wrong tactics that night.

Strongest: Lyle. He was the strongest man I ever faced in any fight. The likes of Shannon Briggs, and men like that, didn’t affect me because they were just ordinary fighters. They didn’t make an impression and I just chased them around. The men I faced in the seventies were more fearsome than the ones I faced in the eighties and the nineties, with the exception of Evander Holyfield. Evander could have competed in any era.

Smartest: Ali.

I hit Ali with a huge body shot and normally a punch like that would make someone fire back and leave themselves open. Ali didn’t care about the pain and covered up because he knew he couldn’t punch with me. After three or four rounds he took control and my chance was gone. I remember Angelo Dundee shouting “Muhammad, don’t play with that sucker!” I was tired in the fight but right until the end I thought I was going to knock him out because I had always found that big punch. I kept saying to myself, I’ll get him in a minute. I was exhausted, could barely breathe but all I needed was one shot. There were occasions when I was almost throwing myself over the ropes trying to nail Ali.


Ricky Hatton

Best overall: I would say Manny Pacquiao. Just his speed. Southpaw. Obviously he hits very hard. Floyd Mayweather also was very good but the more and more I see Manny Pacquiao, maybe I’m shifting to him. And Kostya Tszyu, he was a deadly, deadly puncher.

Best boxer: Oh, Floyd Mayweather. Technically, he was very, very good. Defense. Boxing. Choosing his moments to step on the gas. Defenseively, he is a genius, really.

Best puncher: Quite obviously I would have to say Manny Pacquiao. He just seems to be getting stronger as he moves up in weight.

Best defense: Floyd Mayweather.

Fastest hands: I thought Floyd was very, very quick. Pacquiao was very, very quick too but the fight was over before I could really know. I would say Floyd.

Fastest feet: Floyd was fast on his feet. But he planted his feet; that’s his natural defensive stance. Probably Pacquiao had the fastest feet.

Best chin: Tszyu. I would say probably Tszyu. I hit him with some good shots and he stayed in there. In the end, I had to put out quite an effort to take him down.

Strongest: Kostya Tszyu. Juan Urango was physically very strong but he didn’t have the speed, really. He was just strong.

Smartest: Floyd Mayweather. No doubt.

[coghaugen]

This. Is. Bliss

[D4thincarnation]

A Great Read.

Now I am late for work

[coghaugen]

Everyone's respect for McCallum's ability!

[coghaugen]

Common theme is Benn power and Eubank chin

[hugh grant]

Common theme is Benn power and Eubank chin

And Collins chin. Eubank said Collins had toughest chin? But eubank had even tougher chin which is saying something.
But McCallum was real good. I never reasliused how good. I always thought the only reasl reason he beat Watson was because Watson was covering g up like he diud against benn and that defecvnse wasn't appropriate for McCallum.
But at time didn't give McCallum credit. I just thought wastsdon did it wrong rather than what McCallum did right

[coghaugen]

McCallum wasn't gifted with speed or power or strength or fleet feet. He was just a master. He doubled and trebled the jab and punched off it, countered to the body, dipped and rolled and weaved, could switch from head to body and body to head and throw a duck in there between punches, and he never stayed in the same spot or ever touched the ropes; he caught shots, parried jabs effortlessly and timed his right hands over, even doubling the right hand. He was just ridiculous, made it all look easy, and to the untrained eye didn't even look particularly good, he was that good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w58KO09kfWs


Sumbu Kalambay was better than Floyd Mayweather.