The Eubank Snr myth

Genetically faster and more explosive.

 

Won both fights clearly against a tapper and mover. Should've been his Krypto

 

It's a scientific fact?

 

The robbery was against Dan Schommer, who won nine rounds against him in Sun City. His skin looked grey at the weigh-in, crazy weight-making.

 

Also the most boring fight ever seen. Perhaps only rivalled by Eubank's fight with slippery Franky Moro at York Hall, which put a promoter called Keith Miles out of business.

 

Then that's his fault for staying in the super middleweight division for so long.

 

Yep, but he still kept winning with three fights in advance lined up, stepping into packed arenas that were venomously against him. The pressure must've been unreal, especially knowing first-hand he might not come out with his well-being. Benn, Wharton and Thornton and Lindell Holmes all had many highlight reel ten-count kayos in the 80s and early 90s. Its scarey. The hostility in Germany, Belfast, and Dublin on St Paddy's Weekend was scarey. A normal fighter would've cracked many times over.

 

He suffered whiplash, scratches and bruises after being attacked by fans on his way back to the dressing room after the first Watson fight. He'd be stopped at traffic lights and spat at through his car window. He nearly killed Watson, and DID kill that roadworker and yet still fought Sugar Boy Malinga one week later!!

Show some respect for the man, there's no myth, he was real.

 

Fighters aren't left in this state (vid below) after a fight. It was a throwback to the days of horse hair gloves in the 40s, the true fighters. And a £1M live gate was unheard of back then, ticket prices double what they were for Bruno-Bugner. It changed the game from small hall mediocrity on tape delay on BBC1 with a funeralistic atmosphere to what we've known since that special Sunday night in Birmingham live on ITV, 12000 baying for Eubank's blood.

Benn left him with bruised ribs and hands, a split tongue, jaw pain for 2 weeks, excreting blood for 3 weeks and urinating blood for 4 weeks. Ronnie Davies had to wash him in the shower because he couldn't raise his arms.

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Couldn't be further from a myth.

 

I think it's because outside of the ring he's such a bizarre, anachronistic, larger than life figure. He's not really left the national consciousness since. So his exploits in the ring may get overinflated in time as we look back though rose tinted glasses.

Having said that, give him his due. He got absolutely every ounce out of his talent and then some. He was a very tough customer and a natural self promoter.

 

He certainly could've done more with himself in terms of unifying against the top Americans, with that kind of talent. But let's not forget the top Americans at that time at those weights were the best we've pretty much seen in boxing.

The McCallum-Toney fights for instance are the greatest boxing 101's in history, Michael Nunn was looking as close to unbeatable as you could get at his best and Roy Jones was head to head maybe the best ever.

Bad luck in that respect. To say the least.

 

Watching the Wharton fight, Henry's eye is closed before the end of just the second round from jabs with the knuckle part of the glove, Eubank is throwing 6+ punch combos to body and head as early as the second, his success rate is 69% after 12 on the debut of Sky punch stats (not been exceeded since) and at one point he lands a 19-punch combination (again not been exceeded since). Wow.

At this point he is boxing's longest reigning unbeaten fighter/champion breaking all kinds of records in his 43rd fight, his sixth defense in 10 months after coming back from South Africa seven and a half weeks before. Plus he originated boxing arena entry that night, lowered on that crane.