Your Take On Steve Collins ??

Hard as nails, good boxer, would give anybody a tough fight but not hall of fame. He was more of a Roy Keane than a Paul Gascoigne. Brains, guts and dedication over raw talent.

 

Tough ****, granite jaw, no fear, beat Britain's best in that division pretty handily, not once but twice, which is why loads of the english cant take it...he beat them both, was the same age as Benn and older than Eubank, and gets **** from english fans as they cant accept that he was simply better than 2 of the most popular and supposedly "toughest" fighters that were born there.

Collins spent years chasing Roy Jones, and Jones had no desire to fight him, Calzaghe or any of the rest. Collins didnt duck Calzaghe for ****s sake, Joe had skills but hadn't a hope in hell of hurting Collins throughout his career....the sad fact is, Steve had been in battles throughout his whole career and was told if he fought again he could die....end of.

 

I thought he was lucky to get the dec against Thornton (where he nearly lost his ear!), but unlucky not to get the dec against Johnson (where he hinted at retirement post-fight).

 

Average fighter, came along at the right time to exploit elite fighters on the way down.

A guy with an amazing chin, heart and determination which made up for his lack boxing ability.

Never really liked him as he beat fighers I held in high regard towards the end of their careers- Benn and Eubank.

If he had met either Benn or Eubank before they were on the way down, he would have been beaten very badly. Benn would have savagely destroyed him IMO.

 

I'm struggling to figure out the bigger myth, Eubank's boxing ability or Benn's power.

 

:good

 

Eubanks boxing ability.

 

He was a good solid fighter who held his own against everyone he faced.I think he lost to Mike Mcallum and Reggie Johnson in his 2 biggest fights before becoming champ,both on points so no shame in either of those loses.He just did not have the skills to beat guys like that.He was still at middle weight when he beat Chris Pyatt(another decent Brit)for his first belt.His size played a part in that it looked like a super middle facing a light middle.After that he beat a fading Eubank twice in very hard fights which were good to watch and Benn in 2 farces.I think he should be hof,he was a good fighter who left the sport with a good record,he was unlucky in that his breakthrough fights came at the end of a very good era for Brits in that division.His fights against the top guys in the states went largely un noticed which is a shame.

 

This is what Brits need to tell themselves to deal with their two best super middles getting beat TWICE by Collins.

If Benn's left hooks had no effect on Collins when they fought and we all know that power is the last thing to go, how do you figure Benn would "destroy" him had they fought earlier? You all seem to miss the point that Collins was also past his prime when they fought. I've never seen a more open and shut case of sour grapes.

 

In a Benn/ Collins after dinner thing I went to Collins said he thought Benn was on the slide when they met and that Eubank hit him harder because Benn had stopped being able to get everything into his punches by the time they met.

 

What ever helps you sleep at night. Whats Steve going to say in front of a Eubank and Benn crowd?
The facts are he beat both twice because he was the better fighter.

 

I think only the most ardent Collins fan would try and claim Benn was anything but ''done'' by the time the fights were made.

I mean, Benn was banged up pretty badly by Malinga.... who at the time wasn't as good as Collins was.

Not taking anything away from Collins, but let's be honest here.

The Eubank wins..... dunno, Eubank was always lazy and inconsistent.... if he was that far past it he wouldn't be able to give Calzaghe a good argument two years later, and two years after that arguably beat a world class cruiserweight and be winning a rematch before his eye went.

 

You would think Eubank and Benn were like a modern day Meldrick Taylor when they fought Collins, going by the constant belitting Collins' achievements in beating the two of them. They were past it, but not that past it. Eubank went onto give Thompson and Calzaghe two very good fights.

Benn was still a competitive man and that rematch was the perfect opportunity to get his juices going again and at least put up a real scrap, but Collins was just too strong. Collins was to Benn what Holyfield was to Tyson in some ways. I think Collins may have always had his number.

 

****ing hell, like I have a stake in this little pissing contest...atsch

Collins and Benn were there, Eubank wasn't. Collins was asked who hit him the hardest, he gave the answer and the reason that I just gave you. If he was going to give the answer the crowd wanted he would have just said "Benn".

I'm just passing on the info, I thought about putting a "take from that what you will" disclaimer at the bottom of the post for all those taking this a bit too seriously. Guess I should have.

 

I think only the most ardent Benn and Eubank fans would think steve collins was a lesser fighter to them especially after he beat both twice.