Such a shame Michael Watson doesnt get as much credit as Eubank snr he was so better

True he was a fantastic fighter and better than Benn and Eubank. That uppercut from Eubank was vicious and you have to give Eubank credit for somehow turning the fight around but I bet he wishes he never threw that punch, that punch haunted Eubank for years, he totally lost his killer instinct after that fight.

 

Wason was without doubt a talent but there are obviously a lot of unanswered questions because the way it all ended.

Watson did beat Benn and beat him well and although Benn was 22-0 (22 KO) he was very raw, nowhere near the best Benn we saw and after that Benn went away and improved massively and went on to world titles.

Also has to be remembered Eubank Sr went on to beat a much better version of Benn.

Anyway After that Benn fight Watson was beaten up and knocked out by Mike McCallum.

A few fights after that he ran in to Eubank, the first fight was close, I thought Watson edged the first fight but I had no problem with Eubank getting the decision, for me it was one of those types of fights.

The second fight up at Super Middleweight was Watsons best night and worst nightmare all rolled into one.

Yes, he beat Sr from pillow to post, it wasn't even competitive for 10 and a half rounds but Eubank Sr threw a uppercut that was so savage Watson did amazingly just to get up from it and we all know what happened afterwards, Eubank stopped him and Watson had life changing injuries.

The fact is although Watson (on his day) was an excellent boxer and could be a real handful for anybody, he never won a world title and had 3 shots at world titles and was knocked out in two of then.

I might sound harsh and cold and I really don't mean to but I think we give Watson a bit of a pass and look at him more fondly because of what happened to him and the way it ended.

 

I actually agree with you on this. Michael should've ended up the greatest of that trio of standout British MW/SMW's. Not only was he the most roundedly skilled of the bunch, he was just as compelling a character as Chris and Nigel in his own mild-mannered, quietly confident, slightly brooding way. I believe he would've gone on to be a big domestic star if not for his collision with that ring rope.

The documentaries, Michael Watson: Fighting Back and Michael Watson: The People's Champion, are essential for serious boxing fans.

Those were halcyon days for British boxing, a perfect alignment of stars. We may never see another crop like that again.


I'll return to this when I have a few more moments to expand on my thoughts.

 

Watson reminded me of a yank the way he fought. Just had that classic style.

Watson vs Toney would have been something!

 

It was a great (and incredible) shot, but it was the ring rope that did the real damage. If the punch had been landed a foot nearer the other side of the ring, Watson gets up and finishes the fight, winning by wide points margin or even rallying in the 12th and stopping Chris. You make your own luck in boxing to a large extent, but let's just say Mike got no favors from fate.

 

Eubank certainly took lessons on how to defend against Benn from Watson's cupped guard, and admitted as much on film.

 

Watson was improving by the bout, and that's evidence of his keen fighting intellect - he came away from his only true defeat, to Mike McCallum, and used it as an advanced instruction manual to make himself an even better fighter.

Great thread, my man.