Sumbu Kalambay vs Michael Watson At MW

Nunn really caught lightening in a bottle when he knocked out Sumbu

 

Watson is a difficult one to assess in fantasy matchups....as firstly we never saw his prime due to his career bring terminated prematurely .............and secondly in his biggest fight he fought the worst fight of his life.

I have no doubt like Benn...Watson would have hit his peak around 1992-1995 had he continued.But its impossible to know how good he wouldve become.

Of his 4 key fights the Benn one was the one most consistent with his general modus operandi ie a adept counterpuncher in a stand up British style.

The McCallum fight he incomprehensibly decided to unveil a new come forward pressure fighter style which was defensivelly sloppy against the calibre of a McCallum level elite.

The two Eubanks wars he managed to merge the 2 distinct styles... to become a more crowd pleasing defensively aware pressure fighter.

Why did Watson follow such a foolish fight plan vs McCallum who had handled aggressive pressure fighters handily in his career and had only lost to a defensive minded slickster in Kalambay...perhaps Watson and his team didnt think he could counterpunch the counterpuncher?

Regardless Kalambay outboxes the Watson we did see hes far fleeter of foot and a far better boxer who could handle elite level boxers (McCallum & Graham) or pressure fighters (Barkley & Collins) alike.

 

I'm not big on the theory of lucky punches.

 

Nice post and well argued.

I dont see Kalambay gassing or needing to bully Watson....Watson would go looking...like he did vs Mccallum as Sumbu would be on his bicycle...Watson was strong but not as strong as Barkley or McCallum who Kalambay outboxed over 15.
Kalambay had a respectable and surprising one punch in spots.....he effectively stopped Doug De Witt with 1 punch and he hurt Graham badly with 1 punch sent him half way across the ring in the 12th round of their 1st encounter which sent shock waves around European boxing

 

He fought the best fight of his life in his biggest fight! He was unbelievable that tragic terrible night. Won every minute of every round, boxing like we never saw him before.

Duff instructed Team Watson to pressure McCallum, feeling McCallum was there for the taking after supposedly struggling towards the end of the Steve Collins fight, and the fact Watson was ring rusty so his timing and distance might be off in a chess match.

 

Watson was stronger than McCallum, Mike will tell you that.

 

Even Lou Duva was solemnly nodding his head at the verdict

 

Yes Watson in the new style he unveiled vs Eubanks was a man possessed.I had him winning the 1st fight and the 2nd fight was two men willing to die...in 40 years of following the sport ive never seen as shocking an ending...not nunn-kalambay or hearns-Barkley .

Say no more about Mickey Duff being involved in strategy....I like Mickey as a ring character...but he had no place in a corner he got the strategies messed up the previous year too in the honeyghan-Starling clash

 

Kalambay couldn't stop Cliff Gilpin, a guy I know quite well, His son John has done some driving for me too. Cliff didn't rate Kalambay as a puncher so I don't reckon he's rattling Watson.
Kalambay could usually out box a Boxer but I don't reckon he could out fight a Fighter.
It's all subjective of course but I think the relative styles favour Watson.

 

Duff is overrated. Throwing Rod Douglas in with 50-fight world #1 contender Herol Graham, after 13 fights was disgraceful.

 

And that punch from Eubank that night was arguably the best punch in boxing history.

 

The beating he took couldve been career changing in many cases...but Watson came back a far better fighter

 

Eubank was a latter day Gene Tunney....he had some of the taste for the finer things in life like a Ray Robinson who'd spend all night in Harlem nightclubs...come home to his mansion and silk pyjamas at 4am, go to sleep ,and still be up at 6am to do his roadwork.

 

I've said this many times Jamal. Back when the World was young, Boxers did learn from defeats and improve after them.