Lindell Holmes was a far better fighter than Sugar Boy Malinga or Wharton or Close. And Ronnie Essett a far better fighter than John Jarvis.
Then you are not familar with the division at that time. Rocchigiani was an undefeated former SMW champ (title relinquished) and would go on to become a LHW champ. Many felt he was on the way to winning against Michalczewski and Maske. Malinga would go on to become a SMW champ another couple of times and beat Benn at SMW
Rocchigiani was top-notch. Watson in their rematch was too. Malinga was ordinary. Just a long left arm.
Christopher Livingstone has in fact faced the strongest opposition in the super-middleweight division's short history. He said Close's yelps every time he threw were more bothersome than his punches.
Eubank's long, loopy, cricket-throwing overhand right gave Close most of his scoring opportunities; with it missing Close would throw 3-4 short shots rat-a-tat-tat, reading it well. Had Eubank not even bothered throwing that stupid punch, he'd of won every round comfortably in cruise control, coasting as he did.
Undeniable really. Watson (looked phenomenal in their rematch), Benn (in his post-middleweight/pre-McClellan peak), Rocchigiani (unbeaten backyard, looked like he beat Maske/Michalczewski after), Collins (backyard, looked like he beat Johnson/Kalambay in their backyards years before), Lindell Holmes (did far more damage to Tate than peak Nunn managed), Tony Thornton (did good with a peak Toney), and a young, hungry Calzaghe who nobody else wanted anything of...
I still feel Eubank was at his best at middleweight. The Benn and Watson fights at 160lb were wonderful displays, he didn't take a punch from either in the opening round and bamboozled them at times with his angles and ring generalship, winning both fights fair and square. Watson landed more right hands on McCallum than he did Eubank, at 160. Hugo Corti was another dangerous young talent, playing with a granite all-timer in Hugo Corro before knocking him out cold, and Eubank just played with him before viciously pouring it on to stop him. He knew exactly the right time to open up against talented Stretch too to stop him, punching him out of the ring twice - great killer instinct. And the Anthony Logan fight was an amazing display of boxing skill against a world-rated opponent after only 11 fights! He looked like superman against world-rated Camara, just blew him away easily. Broke Melfah's jaw and split Milo's eye, just messing around.
Eubanks UK debut! [YT]SqeNHNVfolg[/YT] To think Larry O'Connell saw him fight in front of 45 people at some country hotel, to 45,000 at Old Trafford in 5 and a half years or so.