Benn or Eubank ...

Oh and I preferred Watson. Eubank when reaching or chasing or Benn whenever throwing, were off-balance. Watson was never off-balance. He was was very smooth and steady, with a sublime guard and would inch forward without being caught. He was lovely to watch, and built like oak, Watson. That performance against Don Lee was something else.

Lee was #1 contender at the time of Hagler-Hearns and floored Hearns in sparring two weeks before the fight - he destroyed Sibbo, hit him "much" harder than Hagler did Tony said. Lee had the best highlight reel KO's of anyone (Julian Jackson, Benn and McClellan and Tyson and GGG included!). And Watson was 22 years old and a late replacement - he completely dominated Don!

Mike's performances in the Benn and Eubank II fights were something else - people rave about Toney-Barkley, Jones-Toney, Calzaghe-Lacy and Mayweather period; but these performances were something else, against a 25-year-old Benn and 25-year-old Eubank!

I think he was struggling to make 160 against McCallum and Eubank the first time, as well as ring-rusty against Mike M and employing terrible tactics in both contests (trying to pressure McCallum instead of countering him ie wide open to McCallum's long body shot counter shots, and holding back against Eubank allowing Chris to rake in most of the early-to-mid rounds before coming on only slightly stronger!).

 

Do you feel Eubank could've troubled Roy Jones greatly?

 

I liked Benn and Eubank.
Watson was my favourite though.

And Herol Graham probably would have beat them all.

 

Eubank all day long for me, I will always remember as a kid him going over to Germany to fight Graziano Rochigianni who was 35-0. the crowd was very racist and Chris stayed cool as a cucumber to win in a hostile environment!!

I always loved watching Benn too but Chris just had something i liked a bit more, I also though Nigel could be bullied and lose heart. I know before everyone says what about the McLellan fight but that was almost an exception to the rule, on more than 1 occasion he looked like a bully that could be beat mentally. Eubank 1, Watson and the 2 fights with Collins (late in his career) but imo Nigel could be put off if someone stood up to him.

I also believe that the 2nd Watson fight really deprived us of seeing the best Eubank, after that fight very rarely did Chris ever pull the trigger and look to take someone out! Steve Collins 1 always springs to mind when I think back, Steve was out of it when Eubank dropped him around the 10th round but you could see Chris pose and not let the shots go when he could have got Steve out of there.

I also admire him for running Calzaghe close when he was called in late and had to take off silly amounts of weight because he was training for a fight at light Heavy, and then to step up to Cruiserweight and give a world level, natural cruiserweight 2 of the hardest fights of his career shows that he had big cojones.

Brilliant rivalry though and I feel privileged that i got to watch loads of their fights as I grew up!!

 

I thought Benn just nicked the 2nd fight against Eubank when they got a draw. Think Benn had a point docked from him if i remember rightly for a low blow which made it a draw on the scorecards.

Michael Watson was more naturally talented than both of them IMO. Such a shame what happened that night.