If Steve Collins had come along earlier against Benn -Eubank?

I’d give him a better chance against prime Benn than I would against Eubank. Reason being was because Collins had a solid chin and great stamina. This would benefit him more against Nigel Benn. A younger version of Eubank might have boxed well enough to get a decision over Collins

 

What a great post and very truthful. Trevor Berbick can claim he beat Ali but everyone knows why that happened.
Collins had the backing of Goody Petronelli who opened many doors for Collins including numerous TV bouts.
Its just that it became very quickly apparent that while Collins did have skills he wasn't even close to being an elite talent and that he was going to be very limited in what he could achieve on the world stage.
Collins received TWO title shots and fell short no disgrace in that.
Know what fight I would have loved to have seen?
Henry Wharton vs Steve Collins.

 

I lean to Eubanks, but think he beats Benn
Watson? That is a tough one to call, but think Watson might nick

Collins is one of my al time favourite fighters being irish

 

Collins is one of my faves. Tough as old boots. McCallum said he’s the only fighter that actually walked through punches, and the only fighter he decided to move backwards against in the last few rounds. Steve at this time was a 16-fight novice still working a day job! Packed Boston crowd of Irishmen

Eubank beats him. Too smart, too sharp.

Benn would have a torrid time if he can’t get him out of here.

Watson was quite stiff and awkward and wooden, I like Collins to outmove him in general

Reggie Johnson fight was extremely close, and Reggie looked like he had beaten Toney at this time in his prime, slick as slick can be….. thought Kalambay got a hometown gift, Collins was sharp that night with his output.

 

Benn and Eubank were no Duran.
4-0 deal

 

This

 

It goes right over your head. Nobody takes Lawlor seriously because thee two legends he beat were way past their primes and everyone knew it.
Collins can ramble on and on but at the end of the day when they discussed that legendary time in UK history the names Eubank,Benn and Watson are mentioned not Collins and there is a reason for that.

 

Because Collins was in America fighting world level.
There are levels. And it showed when they fought. 4-0

 

Collins went to America and FAILED and parted ways with Goody because he had gone as far as he could.
Both Benn and Eubank fought in the United States genius which really doesn't mean that much.
Collins came back to the UK and reinvented himself after he failed in America.
You can brag all you want about being 4-0 it doesn't matter both Eubank and Benn achieved much more in the pros and it isn't even close.

 

Nobody’s bragging I’m just stating the facts. Collins beat both men and was man enough to grant each of them a rematch and he beat them both again.
And let’s not act like these guys were shot, Eubank was still undefeated when he faced Collins. And Benn was less than a year and half removed from his fight with G-man. This wasn’t Lennox Lewis fighting the ghost of Mike Tyson.

 

Very interesting.

I think that they were all of a similar level, even though they were very different stylistically.

I have a prime Eubank beating Collins in a close fight.

I have Watson beating Collins in a very competitive fight.

I have Collins beating Benn, if Collins could have withstood Benn early, and Benn had exhausted himself.

 

He was psychologically scarred after the Watson fight, which made him fight in a different manner.

He was also burnt out on his Sky/ITV contract, which saw him fight every few months leading up to the Collins fight.

The schedule was too much for him at that point in his career.

He was also extremely lucky to fight Collins undefeated.

The Ray close fights were very close, and he admits himself that he should have lost to Benn and Schommer.

So he was definitely past his absolute best.


When you say that neither Eubank or Benn would have touched McCallum or Reggie, do you mean that they wouldn't have gotten near them in a fight?

Or do you mean that neither of them would ever have fought them?

 

I don't think that Collins could have broken Eubank mentally, pre-Watson.