It's strange because he looked out of this world in sparring against Eubank leading into that fight, Christie. Eubank, too. Both throwing clusters of multi-punch combos with speed and accuracy, round after round. Above the Henry Cooper pub on the Old Kent Road. I suppose his punch resistance had gone though.
Bobby Joe Young made his name beating a legally blind Pryor... He was a fringe Welterweight contender and yet beat Noel. Noel dropped a 4/4/3 points decision under 5 point must, in his hometown to Aquino, I would not call that close... Tim Williams was fun, he had a mouth and gave as good as he got pre-fight, shame that did not continue when the bell rang to begin round 1! I always remembered Williams claiming never too of been floored; I would loved to seen how a LKO10 is done without the fighter being floored... Williams was on the fringes of the WBC rankings, because the WBC rated 30 contenders, he was no threat to Benn, and the matchmaker knew it. I still to this day, believe Watson/Benn was made partly as a boxing insiders joke. How could Benn be favourite? The night Watson schooled a genuine contender in Don Lee, it was obvious to even my 12/13 year old brain, there was only going to be one winner. Who's Bad? Only one winner from day one...
Watson was rusty going in with McCallum (who is a favourite of mine) Watson also was getting over a flu and so wasnt close to a 100% the fight had been called off a few times aswell.
No if, buts or maybes, Watson was sold as the new age British fighter, and embarrassed himself that night. So many people were tipping him to topple the old man, but Watson was humiliated, there is no other word can best describe that.
Personally i think if there was a super middle weight who could had given both Jones and Calzaghe the toughest fights of their careers it would have been Watson. Eubank vs Watson I i scored as 115-113 to Watson. Mr Degae could learn alot from his older friend Michael, because when Degale fought Groves he was the Eubank and Groves was Michael Watson The Peoples Champion!
i`m not trying to wiggle Watson out of the loss. a Loss is a loss, he wasnt at his best thats all, he still may have lost but maybe lasted the 12 rds, plus Watson learned alot in that fight.
Great, he learnt a lot, and he did put that to use in future fights. But he was a borderline disgrace against McCallum. If he had problems, he should of call it off and sorted them out, for himself and for the fact he was the face of the future of British boxing.
I think after having the fight postponed about 3 times before, and yet not being at his best he just wanted to give it a go, not the best decision but how many choices do we all make that end up not how we want???
Fair comment, but the truly special fighters seem to get lucky and make the right call... Watson should of had the balls to call it off again. He needed a warm up bout, and was probably not even 100% fit. The Watson who beat Benn should of been able to beat late 80s/early 90s McCallum...
Yes, but this was smack bang in the middle of the "Mike Tyson era", and Benn was like a miniature Tyson. People knew that Benn had been knocking over nobodies to make spectacular KOs on TV ...... but Tyson had been brought along the very same way.
Please explain , im talking about each boxers attitude Degale not great with fans same as Eubank Groves respected by the fans a sportsman to the full as was Watson
But Watson was hardly an unknown, he had received a lot of exposure on the Beeb, including the Lee bout. You did not need to be a rocket scientist to see who was going to win that fight, just a mere boxing fan, who watched boxing on terrestrial TV.
Yeah i guess when your the challenger youve gotta take your chance when its there or it might be gone. But Watsons corner used the wrong tactics too, i was a tricky situation for Watson tactically speaking i.e go all out and take it from the champ or try to outbox him. I just watched it, McCallum only had praise for Watson after the fight