Send in either a MW/SMW to KO Eubank...

Michael Watson was on 'Gerald's level', going toe-to-toe and skill-for-skill with a more skilled middleweight champion than Julian Jackson (Lindell Holmes too, over Frank Tate), in McCallum, and already beat more dangerous head punchers than McClellan (Don Lee for example who KO'd Hearns a few times in sparring - McClellan could never take Tommy off his feet...Nigel, etc).

Eubank thoroughly outboxed Mike W first time around in the first six before weight issues kicked in. And didn't Ron Essett and Lindell Holmes have 'much better amateur pedigrees' than Eubank, too? Many national titles between them and both losing by one point in Olympic Box-Offs to Frank Tate and Michael Spinks respectively. In fact, didn't Eubank outbox and beat Dennis Milton in New York? The same Milton who outboxed and beat Gerald (as well as Barkley, Nunn and Tate before turning over)?

Surely Nigel Benn was on 'Gerald's level', considering he, kind of, beat him? Eubank totally outboxed Nigel in their first fight without even using a jab. Graciano Rocchigiani was surely on 'Gerald's level' too? Multiple world titles and scalps like Nunn and Hamsho (one-rounder), and his 'losses' to Maske and Michalzewski were robberies against him.

 

Watson gave a very good account of himself considering his timing was clearly off from the ring rust and that he was given poor tactics to outhussle McCallum. The first four or five rounds were nip-and-tuck before the effects of McCallum's body shots kicked in.

McClellan was extremely dangerous, extremely heavy hands and most of his KO's were from a left hook downstairs (either off the jab or if the overarm right missed). He had great footwork to get into punching positions, and great timing, and was even dexterious. But the rules are you're allowed 30 seconds to get back into the ring (Benn fight).

 

Michael Watson would have stopped Eubank had he not landed that tragic uppercut there's no doubt about that IMO.

 

If Eubank completely outboxed Benn in the first fight then why was he ****ing blood for days afterwards?

 

It would have to be truly elite fighters to knock him out, Robinson and Hagler possibly could with their body punching, combinations, and the way they picked their opponents apart. The key word is possibly though I still wouldn't bet on it though. Good combos and and flurries would have a better chance at stopping him rather than one big punch.

 

Benn got in some body shots in and out of the clinches.

 

Benn hit Eubak with plenty of shots all fight long, it was a back and forth brawl all the way.

A real example of a boxer outboxing another is Whitaker/Chavez.

 

Nigel didn't land much, not one punch in the opening round. The second or third saw a couple of shots when Eubank got cheeky trying to lead with uppercuts, and the fourth was the big Benn uppercut out of the clinch. Generally Benn really struggled to nail him down and possibly should've been stopped at the end of the second and in the seventh, and if not for the body blows in and out of the clinches would've been stopped fairly early.

 

First name I thought of.

A stoppage more likely than a countout with Eubank.

Watson had him on the verge of a stoppage, I'm sure several others were capable. I remember Acton LHW Greg George flooring him.

 

I remember that on BBC with no commentary, George looked more like a cruiser. Eubank was telling Duff at the time that he would win a world title (supposedly light-middle at the time) before Michael Watson, Duke McKenzie or Jim McDonnell.

 

Johnny could hit a bit though...great lad Johnny Melfah, I remember having a couple of £ 10 bets with him at the 1990 ABAs (I backed Tim Taylor & Jim Pender (I think) to beat John Culwick & Adrian Stone respectively; Taylor won, Pender got the decision but Stone was robbed imo.

I didn't see Johnny again until the 1991 finals...he saw me first, came up & put the £ 20 in my jacket pocket before I could say a word...a real gent.

 

It seemed a bit of a shove into the ropes though from George - balance (ALL of Eubank's KD's were more about balance apart from Watson's millionth overarm right that night).

 

Greg George was a LHW; he boxed as a novice LHW in the amateurs, he only had a few fights on club shows before turning over...he wasn't known as a banger in the amateurs.