......whatever happened to???? Both quality operators, I think both underachieved. Are they still involved in the sport in any way?
Don't think George fought again after a points loss to Gary Jacobs and a 5 rounds thrashing by Kirkland Laing. Tony was the commonwealth Light middle champ. Had a nice left hook but I don't think he got beyond that level.
Yeah, I think George was bunged in at the deep end far too early in his career. The polar opposite of what they're doing with Khan, in fact!
I absolutely disagree. Being fed the best part of 30 stiffs while you should be learning your trade (with the possible exception of Del Bryan) teaches you absolutely nothing. Conversely, throwing the lad in with seasoned pro's like Jacobs and Laing when barely out of his teens was commercially wreckless and unforgivable. A promising career was wiped out with those two idiotic pieces of matchmaking.:-(
I remember George Collins' long unbeaten run, he was featured heavily on ITV's "Seconds Out" boxing program (Tuesday nights after the news at ten). That was always a good show if i remember rightly.
The quality of the 30 opponents is a different issue to him being thrown in at the deep end against Jacobs. The BBBofC alllowed Collins to turn pro at 17 because he was supposed to be too good to stay as an amatuer, he had 33 fights and was not good enough to win a British title. I saw a lot of Collins' fights and he was never that good, he had a big rep from the amatuers but that was down to the fact that he was one of those kids who was a mature man at 17. Its not being wise after the fact but you could see a mile off he wasn't going to make it past Britsh level.
Maybe you're right. The mists of time COULD have clouded my judgement after all these years. I just remember being gutted at the time, seeing this (hyped?) youngster seemingly fed to the lions, at such an early part of his career.....
I think its fair to say that the jump up from his 32nd fight (or whatever it was) to Jacobs was a big step but I don't think he'd have beaten Jacobs no matter how it was handled. Collins was a big strong lad with very decent basics but that about it, even against hand picked oppostion he got badly wobbled a few times.
George did a truly legendary 'chicken dance' against Laing. 5 or 6 steps bacwards on his insteps into the corner and down.
If I remember rightly he was knocked out in his last amateur fight by Gary Stretch I think he'd gone unbeaten in something like his previous 72 fights.
Too good to stay amateur ........ he was done in 1 by Gary Stretch in his last amateur bout. George and Tony liked the HIGH life. Neither were that good. George had a great fight with Jacobs, but was managed carefully away from hitters like Mickey Hughes. Why, well we found out when Laing nailed him, and also when jacobs got to him in the 12th. Tony was a poor mans version of George.
I know, ridiculous is it? They somehow managed to convince the BBBofC to let him turn pro early beause he was supposed to be THAT good....
Even some of the greats have been caught cold and flattened by 'lesser' fighters. The fact he got belted out in 1 by Gary Stretch doesn't in itself mean George was an inferior fighter. Anyone can have a 'bad day at the office.' Unfortunately, boxing by its' very nature is the most unforgiving of sports, and even the smallest of mistakes can spell disaster.
Thats true, I'm not knocking the loss. Just that he was supposed to be too good to stay in the ams and yet he got flattened in his last fight in a vest. It doesn't really tally....