Steve collins...

Thanks Bodi.Great post.I'm delighted to hear that he's a top class individual as he's one of my favorites.

 

Jones stopped Thorton in three rounds. That was when Collins was a contender not a world champion. Also Toney was taken the distance with Thorton as a World Champion. Jones was just way to quick for Thorton.

 

Right before the Bryan Brannon fight, RJJ was asked about his selection of opponents publicly and in the ring by three journalists. Two of them were Ron Borges and Steve Farhood, can't remember the third and it was live on HBO with Lampley being there, even the crowd got a chance to ask Roy questions.

Collins was offered since he beat Benn at the time, Benn, Lyle and others. All were offered career high paydays and turned it down, HBO approves of this and was mentioned publicly as I already stated.

 

In those old style fightreels,he would look like he belonged in that era.Funny how no one mentioned him in the iron jaw thread.

 

They were all offered career high paydays as Lampley approved of that night with the rest. These guys didn't do a good job showing interest to make the fight either.

 

Always liked Collins. His wins over Benn and Eubank were solid, but Benn was an empty shell both times they fought.

Always liked to watch him, very entertaining

 

I did, and I did.

 

Then how come Collins was openly calling for an RJJ fight to anyone that would listen? He retired stating that he couldn't get a fight with him and wasn't interested in fighting anyone else.

 

If Benn or Eubank were offered 6 figure sums it obviously wouldnt have been career high anything for them.

 

I‘ll fight him [Roy Jones] in a phone box in front of two men and a dog. --Steve Collins

Doesn't sound like he was ducking him to me.
don't get me wrong i don't think Collins would of won but it wouldn't of been a walk in the park for RJJ

 

Didn't Collins go to one of Jones' press conferences calling him out, or do i have that story wrong?

 

I'm sorry mate, but it's a tad disingenuous to suggest Benn posed anywhere near the threat he had posed pre-McClellan. I find it bewildering that anybody could try to argue that Benn wasn't shot. He lost the last three fights of his career. Watch Benn-Malinga and tell me he wasn't done.
As regards Eubank not being over-the hill because he was 'undefeated', I find it strange that some seek to think that just because a fighter is 'undefeated' that he can't have deteriorated - In Eubank's case mentally as well as physically. Ricky Hatton decline seems to have begun the moment Tsyzu quit on his stool at the end of the 11th, and yet he managed to find a way of scraping by at world level, until an elite fighter at his peak beat what remained of Hatton's punch resistance out of him. Devastatingly I might add. Current unbeaten champs who have appeared to be on the slide of late include Zsolt Erdei (don't laugh) and Chris John.
The fact that Eubank proceeded to be 'competitive with Calzaghe and Thompson (in the 190lb cruiserweight division no less), just proves (to me anyway) that he could no longer win at world level; that being 'competitive' was all he could hope to achieve.
I feel my point is proven by the circumstances surrounding Collins's own retirement - why would he have retired if he felt he was able to continue winning at world level? It is not as though he had a '0' to protect. He retired because he heeded the medical advice he received, and acknowledged that his decline was irreversible, this despite a fifteen fight winning streak which had seen him win two world titles.
And speaking as a Eubank fan i'd also have to mention is that his '0' was pretty fraudulent - he'd had more than his share of fortunate decisions.
And finally as regards Steve Collins himself, having met him myself, I find it hard to believe how anybody could speak of him negatively. I found him humble, charming and more than willing to answer any questions I posed.
And as many have pointed out his win over Pyatt is seemingly always overlooked.

 

Yeah so they say, you was there was ya? he gave up the belt rather than face joe, plain an simple. and i said he lost MY respect, which is MY ****ing choice aint it? calm down, i'm sure he still had plenty of fans :good

 

Yeah well thats just your opinion aint it, i was a eubank fan so i'm entitled to mine too