Boxing

[Zapater]

I spent a strange few hours in the wembley hilton bar after the Bruno v McCall fight at Wembley. Tony Tucker (the "Essex Boys" gangster who got shot not the boxer) had carried Benn's belt into the ring and still had it wrapped round his waist.
He latched onto us and we had to have a couple of beers with him while he coke ranted about Ambrose Mendy allegedly threatening to kill him and shared loads of frankly unrepeatable boxing gossip.
Didn't know who the **** he was til he was plastered all over the news after getting shot 3 months later.
Strangely that same night also had a drink with Tony Tucker the boxer and met Virgil Hill and Steve the viking Foster.
Virgil was an absolute gent,I'd been talking to Brian Schumacher a few weeks earlier who had lost to Hill in the first bout of the 84 Olympics and he'd said if I saw Virgil say hello from him - well I did and Virgil asked us to join him for a bit and signed our programs before giving me the plastic fight band from his wrist.
Was a cracking night.

That's aboslutely insane.

Yeah, thats a tough watch. Ive not seen that fight since it happened.

That era was easily the most I was into boxing, making plans to watch fights. With that group of middle weights going toe to toe in some awesome bouts over the years.

I always remember a Watson v Eubank fight where Watson was so pumped up by Eubank from all the pre match chat he literally flew at him from the bell.

Pretty tragic times with how unprepared they were with both the Eubank - Watson and Benn - McClennan fights but I feel that they were necessary to put some basic measures in place to make the sport safer moving forward. I can't believe to this day that this was in the 90s and not 20 years earlier that they didn't even have oxygen etc on site. Both McClennan and Watson would in all likelihood have made full recoveries with reasonable medical treatment immediately after the incidents occurred.

Saw the documentary where Eubank discusses and you have to feel for the guy, it’s bleak.

I like all of those fighters along with some of the Americans who were also doing some great things at the time like Roy Jones and James Toney. I think many people forget how good those 2 were because they fought on way too long and have ended up losing fights to journeymen, I can’t believe Enzo Macrenelli knocked out RJJ for example but over time, I’m sure they’ll be regarded of some of the best of their era. Remember seeing a Steve Collins interview around 10 years ago saying that he went to train with Toney when he was in his prime and he'd apparently sip on a 2L bottle of Pepsi as he trained. Collins couldn't believe it and asked him about it and Toney was not bothered. Guess that's the mentality of some people and back then it was probably easier for top athletes to get away with it. I mean, we won the UEFA Cup with our players fueled on beans and toast!

[Buzzo]

That's aboslutely insane.



Pretty tragic times with how unprepared they were with both the Eubank - Watson and Benn - McClennan fights but I feel that they were necessary to put some basic measures in place to make the sport safer moving forward. I can't believe to this day that this was in the 90s and not 20 years earlier that they didn't even have oxygen etc on site. Both McClennan and Watson would in all likelihood have made full recoveries with reasonable medical treatment immediately after the incidents occurred.

Saw the documentary where Eubank discusses and you have to feel for the guy, it’s bleak.

I like all of those fighters along with some of the Americans who were also doing some great things at the time like Roy Jones and James Toney. I think many people forget how good those 2 were because they fought on way too long and have ended up losing fights to journeymen, I can’t believe Enzo Macrenelli knocked out RJJ for example but over time, I’m sure they’ll be regarded of some of the best of their era. Remember seeing a Steve Collins interview around 10 years ago saying that he went to train with Toney when he was in his prime and he'd apparently sip on a 2L bottle of Pepsi as he trained. Collins couldn't believe it and asked him about it and Toney was not bothered. Guess that's the mentality of some people and back then it was probably easier for top athletes to get away with it. I mean, we won the UEFA Cup with our players fueled on beans and toast!

Steve Collins!!! I was getting his name mixed up with Watson.

It was Collins that almost flew horizontally at Eubank at the start of one of their fights. He wanted to kill him. Just watched it now He has no control at all for the first round - just a desire to maim. He literally trys to take Eubanks head off about 5 times in the first 30 seconds

Loads of hay makers at the end also, arms everywhere. Brutal era from a load of guys who were incredibly well matched and never ever went down easy.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htwulGhvehk"]Chris Eubank vs Steve Collins 2 - YouTube[/ame]

[Chazza]

Collins was an animal.

[fidget]

It was Collins that almost flew horizontally at Eubank at the start of one of their fights. He wanted to kill him. Just watched it now He has no control at all for the first round - just a desire to maim. He literally trys to take Eubanks head off about 5 times in the first 30 seconds

“We’re sitting in the hotel, it’s midnight the night before the fight, and Eubank said, ‘I’m going home.’

“I said, ‘What do you mean you’re going home? We’ve sold the show out, it’s on TV.’

“He said, ‘No, no, no, no, Barry you don’t understand, this man’s been hypnotised.’

[ame="https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1152149327743049728"]https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1152149327743049728[/ame]

[Buzzo]

He didn't put Collins down to be fair. Collins was trying to remove Eubanks head from his neck so hard that when he missed completely his momentum took him out of the ring.

But he is right, if Eubank wasnt so spooked he should have won the fight in the first when Collins is all over the place.

[spud_gun]

I like all of those fighters along with some of the Americans who were also doing some great things at the time like Roy Jones and James Toney. I think many people forget how good those 2 were because they fought on way too long and have ended up losing fights to journeymen, I can’t believe Enzo Macrenelli knocked out RJJ for example but over time, I’m sure they’ll be regarded of some of the best of their era. Remember seeing a Steve Collins interview around 10 years ago saying that he went to train with Toney when he was in his prime and he'd apparently sip on a 2L bottle of Pepsi as he trained. Collins couldn't believe it and asked him about it and Toney was not bothered. Guess that's the mentality of some people and back then it was probably easier for top athletes to get away with it. I mean, we won the UEFA Cup with our players fueled on beans and toast!

I'm a huge fan of James Toney.

Donald McRae's the Darktrade features Toney quite heavily.

It's well worth a read if you haven't already.

[Shaggy]

Steve Collins!!! I was getting his name mixed up with Watson.

It was Collins that almost flew horizontally at Eubank at the start of one of their fights. He wanted to kill him. Just watched it now He has no control at all for the first round - just a desire to maim. He literally trys to take Eubanks head off about 5 times in the first 30 seconds

When he misses and nearly launches himself out of the ring

[Buzzo]

When he misses and nearly launches himself out of the ring

I remember watching that in the pub. It was absolutely going off at the start of the fight because the build up had been so epic. I’d actually forgotten how much boxing I used to watch back then. We used to actually build nights out around the UK fights.

I was a student then also.

What a time to be alive..!

[Fosterbloke]

I met Chris Eubank once in London, jodhpurs and all, an absolute gent and had hands the size of dinner plates.

[Zapater]

Steve Collins!!! I was getting his name mixed up with Watson.

It was Collins that almost flew horizontally at Eubank at the start of one of their fights. He wanted to kill him. Just watched it now He has no control at all for the first round - just a desire to maim. He literally trys to take Eubanks head off about 5 times in the first 30 seconds

Loads of hay makers at the end also, arms everywhere. Brutal era from a load of guys who were incredibly well matched and never ever went down easy.

Chris Eubank vs Steve Collins 2 - YouTube

Was a little confused with your initial post because even though I knew there was a bit of needle in the build-up to the Watson fight, Watson was a composed, nice guy and carried that calmness and composure into the ring with him. Can't remember the fight vividly, but pretty sure he battered Eubank with the jab and measured right hands until it went wrong for him at the end.

On that era, I have a soft spot for all of them. Nigel Benn is probably my favourite; fearless and relentless. Even though he was a bit troubled, he seemed like a genuine person and likable despite the angst. Which has been confirmed in his old age now, always comes across as a top guy in his media work. I'm delighted he was injured and never ended up having that silly comeback.

There was a Ringside episode, also the better part of 10 years ago when Eubank opens up about how Collins got into his head, thought it was really interesting, claims he lost the fights outside of the ring. The hypnotist stuff was the start and some of his other press conference stuff got him doubting himself. Something about Collins saying that he fights for the Irish people and despite Eubank representing England, it's not really 'his people' he's fighting for. Eubank said not knowing about his ancestors and where he's from exactly started playing on his mind and his mind was on everything but the fight.

I'm a huge fan of James Toney.

Donald McRae's the Darktrade features Toney quite heavily.

It's well worth a read if you haven't already.

His defensive skills, particularly in his prime were fantastic. Might have had the best shoulder roll in the sport.

I'm not much of a reader and never get around to your boxing book recommendations but would love to see a list of your favourites so I can try getting around to some of them.

[rodo]

[ame]https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1259947445137690625[/ame]

[Fosterbloke]

****ing hell that's scarily impressive.

Sent from my RMX2001 using Tapatalk

[spud_gun]

****ing hell that's scarily impressive.

Sent from my RMX2001 using Tapatalk

Honestly it's not

You, i or anyone else could look like Sugar Ray Robinson working out like that.

I really hope he doesn't make a comeback of any sorts.

[Red_Polo]

Honestly it's not

You, i or anyone else could look like Sugar Ray Robinson working out like that.

I really hope he doesn't make a comeback of any sorts.

You're definitely being generous to me here

I suspect I'd look like the boxing equivalent of when you see someone's arms thrashing around in the pool without them actually moving forward.

[Zapater]

I haven't watched any of the footage, but I can't believe how much hype this is getting. The guy was a world champion, obviously he's pretty decent at boxing. I'm sure Maradona is still pretty good at whacking in free kicks and could put a compilation of him completing skills and set pieces in training... because he was a top footballer. Doesn't mean that Barcelona should be rushing to re-sign him as a 60 year old.