Eubank

All of them.

 

JAMES TONEY - Depends what Toney turns up. He beats sloppy Toney, 60-40 with good Toney, 30-70 to tip top Toney
BERNARD HOPKINS - Both masters at trying to nick rounds. Would go to the judges, in the UK Eubank wins, in the US Nard wins
JOE CALZAGHE - Joe wins
MIKE McCALLUM - Another close one. Either could take a close decision.
GERALD McCLENNAN - I'd favour Eubank to weather the storm and stop him late, Eubank was much bigger and stronger than G-Man with a great chin, which he would need of course.
NIGEL BENN - 2 fights, a win and a draw just about sums it up. Eubank has the edge
IRAN BARKLEY - Eubank, no question
DOUG DeWITT - Same as the blade.
JULIAN JACKSON - Same as G-man, but stopped earlier.
KELLY PAVLIK - We'll know more after he fights Hopkins, but I doubt he would do well vs someone as awkward as Eubank. I'd pick Eubank now but that might change if he shows the adaptability needed vs Hopkins.
MICHAEL NUNN - I'd have Eubank as favourite but its not a gimme.

 

:shock: Did you see the bouts with Sherry, Malinga, Esset, Holmes, Amarel and Schommer?

To answer your point though:

Toney: WS12 in Britain; LU12 in the USA.

Hopkins: WM12 in Britain; DS12 in the USA

Calzaghe: LU12

McCallum: WM12

McClellan: WU12

Barkley: WU12

DeWitt: WU12

Jackson: TKO10

Pavlik: WU12

Nunn: WM12

 

Freddie Roache stated, pre Hopkins, that Eubanks was Calzaghe's greatest ever win, and that he was an extremely underestimated fighter. Having said that he was never willing to test himself against the real good yanks, at the time, and that somewhat dents his legacy. I was a big fan back in the day though - early on - when everyone absolutly despised him - and loved Benn (who I never really took to).

 

JAMES TONEY - Toney wins via close but clear enough UD
BERNARD HOPKINS - Um....that's tough. I'll get back to you with that.
JOE CALZAGHE - Calzaghe easy UD. Something like 117-111.
MIKE McCALLUM - McCullum in a fight that looks similar to the one vs Toney
GERALD McCLENNAN - Eubank via UD or late TKO
NIGEL BENN - Eubank would win this 7 times out of 10.
IRAN BARKLEY - Eubank via UD
DOUG DeWITT - Eubank via UD
JULIAN JACKSON - Eubank via KO after getting up off the floor.
KELLY PAVLIK - I lean towards a Pavlik UD
MICHAEL NUNN - Definitely a UD for Nunn

Considering that Watson was, on the balance of the 2 fights - quite a bit better than Eubank (despite somehow losing both), I seriously question how good Eubank ever was.

 

When Eubank met Joe (sounds like a show ) - he wasn't totally shot - and had something in the tank, but he was far removed from his best. He was also weight drained. All his defeats (five) came in his last nine fights, one of those to Joe; that indicates his state and level of decline at the time. He was also inactive for two years at the weight, and his only fights during that time were two matches against absolutely diabolical opponents (check them out, they really are truly terrible - more sort of exhibition fights) in the middle east, and at Light Heavy. That depleted version of Eubank gave what Joe says is his hardest fight ever. I understand that Joe was a lot greener then, but he'd still had over 20 pro fights; he'd had as many fights as David Haye has had now in fact.

Both in their respective primes (Eubank prewatson), p4p, personally I really don't see it as a push over for Joe, and I don't think the betting would reflect such. A far removed from best Eubank gave a young Calzaghe with the bit in his teeth, one hell of a fight. Young prime Eubanks is in with more then a chance, imo. He has a mix his styles in his arsenal, one could well catch Joe out. If joe was fighting a young prime Eubanks tomorrow (admittedly Joes perhaps now not prime), I wouldn't stick the mortgage on Joe winning, and I don't think many people would.

That's my 2 cents worth anyway.

 

Why would you question how good Eubank was based on his performances vs Watson?

A green as hell Watson gave McCullum a damn good fight and at his best would probably have beaten him. Watson also gave Benn a schooling he never forgot. Watson was clearly world class. Yes Eubank may have been a bit lucky in the first fight but the guy won the second fight in brutal fashion despite being behind. A close one and a KO from behind tells me theres not much in it, not that one was significantly better than the other.

Remember too that Eubank's kryptonite was always workrate and Watson had that in spades.

 

The so called great American middleweights wanted no part of Eubank.

 

In there two fights, Eubank drew, and also won one by TKOing Benn. Personally I don't really see a huge amount more Pavlik brings to the table then Benn did. If Eubank could weather Benn's onslaught, and power - I'm sure he could deal with a slower handed, less mobile Pavlik; who's also packing good power. Perhaps I'm wrong...

 

I've never bought into this he lost five of the last 9 ergo he wasnt the same. The only thing that was noticable was that it was post Watson and he wouldnt go for a finish, if he had I think he would have been 1-1 with both Thompson and Collins. Hell, many think he won one of the Collins fights anyway and everyone could see he was competitive in both Thompson fights.

To be competitive vs a world champ 30lb above your best weight you have to have a bit more than "something in the tank" Dont get me wrong - I don't think that was the best Eubank in there with Joe, but it wasn't that far off. If anything Joe had further to go to his prime than Eubank was removed from his.

As for being weight drained well he didnt show it and never claimed to be then or since. His stamina appeared to bet he same as in his other fights - able to go twelve but liked to take rests.

The only thing I think he did suffer from was a bit of ring rust in the first.

 

I've reserved judgement on Pavlik-Eubank to see how Pavlik deals with Hopkins. If he can deal well with that awkward ******* he'd have done well vs Eubank. I suspect not though.

 

That's fair enough, and I respect that, but Calzaghe wasn't in his prime either, and Eubank has never, EVER been able to cope with a high workrate. Against Ray Close, Steve Collins, Calzaghe, Watson in fight 2 - he simply cannot cope very well.

 

Eubank got fortunate in the second fight, he was getting outworked AND (importantly here) getting badly hurt before catching Watson in the 11th. Like I said, judging by the 2 fights, I believe Watson to be clearly the better fighter.

Having said that, Watson was world-class, and I have ALWAYS maintained that. I just get pissed off with the continual mention of Eubank and Benn without the acknowledgement that Collins, Watson and Graham were at least on (or in Collins case, nearly on) their level.