Did anyone else think billy joe could've made that fight a lot easier?

I agree to an extent but I've always thought Saunders struggles with pressure and that's when the fight changed in the 2nd half as eubank got desperate and started charging forward.

 

I think Jr screwed the pooch by not throwing any straight punches. I think inexperience cost him the fight as there was no reason to allow the first 6 rounds to slip into one-sided 'points' rounds all scored for BJS. As it is, I agree that BJS made it hard for himself with his own inexperience showing by over-working in rounds which he'd already 'won' 10-9... To use a boxing ****ogy you're better off at times having your opponent miss by an inch than miss by a mile. He burned up too much early energy in rounds where he already was on course for 10-9 and could only ever get a 10-9. Down the stretch he was one, two, three punches away from being dumped on the canvas.

Eubank Jr did look a bit ragged but I think he is the type of fighter who will always look that way. In short, that fight came too early for him but will probably do him a massive amount of good as a fighter. It has (and I'm sorry to say it) diminished him as box office though. I know that the '0' is over-rated these days, but it does matter when it goes. Look at Frankie Gavin who admittedly is a boring fighter... how much MORE boring now he is no longer undefeated? Skeete was the only reason to watch that fight, and most people find Skeete boring!

 

i thought eubank would have too much power and strength for saunders, but i agree with the OP. Saunders could have boxed his way to a massive wide UD but got dragged into a fight he didnt need to. Eubank was awful Imo, all he did was throw 1 punch (the uppercut) over and over again, saunders actually made him look better than he is!

His attitude in the corner was shocking, and after the fight his arrogance was embarrassing. He thinks he knows it all when in reality he knows nothing. I predict he will beat up a few more journeymen before coming unstuck again against the first decent fighter he meets.

If saunders fights him again he will beat him much easier unless eubank leaves his dad and his attitude out of his career. Unless he makes massive changes to his mindset he is going nowhere in the sport.

 

I disagree, I wanted Saunders to win and thought he would easier than he did.

He looked ****ed in the last few rounds, and in the interview at the end looked to me he was about to collapse from exhaustion and Eubank looked ok to me, and if Eubank had gone for it a little more and earlier, I think he would have won.

I think Eubank will go on to be a better fighter and if they fight again my money would be on Eubank.

 

No, he couldn't have made it easier. He is an overall average fighter, and while he is a good boxer, he doesn't deliver it with enough conviction or devil to keep opponents honest for the full duration. Any decent box/fighter with pop will get to him at some point.

 

Agreed, what was seemingly lost in all the rabid Eubank hate was how did BJS perform?

The truth is not well.

He didnt move well enough, didnt throw enough jabs and couldnt control the range. BJS allowed Eubank to come in on him way too easily and throw with reckless abandon. You cant allow your opponent to do that. He also gassed real hard.

IMO both Eubank and BJS underperformed to their potential on the night. Pressure and adrenaline dump mightve got to them, both looked very tense, nervous and sluggish. Learning experience for both.

 

Look, when youve just fought the biggest and hardest fight in your life your judgement might be off just a little bit lol. He'll watch it back and see where he went wrong, which is pretty much everywhere so lets see what adjustments he makes in the future, before writing him off.

 

He looked like he was gassing. Probably overtrained as he's never been in that shape before.

From the 7th onwards he stopped moving as well as he had for the first half of the fight and got lazy by being in places he shouldn't have been (on the ropes, in the corner etc). Considering Eubank Jr is not someone who punches in volume and instead looks to load up, that was pretty stupid of him.

 

This is true, but I think Eubank deserves credit for closing the distance and forcing him to work inside. BJS didn't just stop moving well. He could not keep Eubank at arms length from the 7th anymore and that was when the fight started to turn.

 

Yup, that's how I see it too.

 

hard to say that he could have made it easier , his game plan was A1 for the first 5 rounds but as the fight goes on a lot of different factors change in a fight and what may have been easy early on are no way as easy later on .

 

Good post.

Lucky for Eubank that Saunders hasn't got heavy hands because he was landing at will for most of the first 6 rounds, and certainly stung Eubank with the straight left.

Against a puncher i think Eubank will be found wanting, his skill set is non existent, he is totally reliant on his size and strength.