Benn, Collins, Watson, Eubank, Calzaghe...rank them definitively explaining why.

Going to, but didn't. And was thereafter given another hard night. Stupid man, that Eubank.

 

Firstly, Hagler/Hearns was basically Hagler all the way, unlike Benn/Barkley were Benn was badly rocked before stopping Barkley. Fist round KOs annoy me because they never actually show who was better on the night, more often then not the fighter KO was caught cold, and the result wouldn't be replicated again if they were to fight another 19 times.

Second, just because something is reported as such, doesn't make it true. Biggest case in point - Jeff Lacy.

 

You must have missed the first minute when Tommy nearly took Hagler's head clean off about three times

 

And yet, he was never as visibly hurt as Benn was against Barkley.

 

He struggled slightly with the southpaw stance, height and reach but what was impressive was how he really just coasted, barely breaking a sweat. He was taking the **** with his head movements. Just walked Stretch down. Some of those single shots were sensational, leading with counter left uppercuts from a stand-off. The finish convincing, sensational combination.

 

i think mclelland would have destroyed jeff lacy...jeez, he sparked julian jackson, and i think had victorys over rjj in the amatures??..(i know that dont mean jack **** in the pros, but just to illustrate the point i think he was a far higher class of fighter than the overated lacy who, in truth, was MADE for jc...)

my point is, as ever, benn FOUGHT these guys...in their primes...unlike eubank, colins, jc..these guys just dont have two marquee names like that on their resumes, at least not when they were still so dabgerous....benn could have fought bums in defence of what was, a worthless title back then..butm he won it IN AMERICA against a tough sob, doug de witt, then defended agaisnt barkley, only mand to beat hearns twice....

mclelland was a huge favourite, favoured by the cognosenti, almost all the trade, he was purported to be a destroyer and his record shows this t be true.....i always think it speaks volumes about benn that with his suspect punch resiastance he signed to fight guys like this....i think thats a huge difference in attitude and does have an effect on nhow i rank them...

 

He always looks like he's taking the ****, and in that fight he knew Stretch didn't pose any sort of threat, which he didn't - hence the being underwhelmed. By the way, his right hand in that fight (and some others) is one of the ugliest, slowest punches I have ever seen. Ever. The man literally stomps his foot down and telegraphs the punch nearly as badly as Herbie hide does nowadays, and with Eubank it was slower still and thrown at a hilarious arc.

He can throw a good right hand though, like the finish against Benn in the first fight. It's like there are two versions of the man, and we see the joke more often.

 

eubank is the prime example of a man who fought to the level of his oponent.introduce a healthy dose of fear and respect and you saw a dffereint chris...

 

McClellan beat a past-prime, chinny, one eyed Julian Jackson, proving that he probably has a chin but proving very little in terms of actual boxing ability. The man lost against two journeyman in a row and beat no-one other than this version of Jackson in the pros, apart from an equally past prime, overrated Mugabi, so how good was he really?

But yes, Benn fought better opposition than Eubank, that's for sure. However, Collins best opponents were vastly superior to Benn's, and I'd argue that in defeat, they represent better performances. As for Calzaghe, his overall body of work + in ring adaptability is why I put him above Benn, not the wins against Hopkins and especially RJJ, which no-one can take seriously.

 

No, he's an example of a fighter that could only fight well against one or two types of opponent.

 

fair points....i would actually agree about calzaghe...he seemed to find a way to win every time out, but never fought anyone with benns combination of power and aggression....mclelland was like so many big punchers..he just knocked everyone oever, so how would he have done in a really give or take fight, which is what we need to see a fighter in to judge him....

eubanks, watson and benn were in real, no sick joke intended, life and death bouts....cal and collins werent....its a fascinating topic, some great points made

 

benn wanted to fight rjj in his prime too..the guy woukld have fought an elephant...

 

collins was it was just a different time frame. look up the punches he took and why he retired

 

No arguments there, I admire Benn's ambition.

 

if you can finbd the pre fight interview with benn when he fought mclelland, it is very creepily prophetic....he has been brought over here to bash me up....but iv been down...i know he will knock me down...but il get up..whats gonna happen when i knock him down..iv had more knockouts than he has had fights.......

think it was with gary newbon or rosenthal.....

props to BOTH guys in that fight, it was a brutal beating both ways, huge bollocks showed by them both, regardless what some may think of gman as a human being, he had big, big heart too