When I was growing as a teenager in the early 90s ITV broadcast many Benn, Eubank and then Collins fights. The Sun, Mirror and Star were always banging on about them. They were called world champions. Even though the WBO strap was garbage until the Klitschko era. 1. We never knew about James Toney, Michael Nunn, Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins, Reggie Johnson, Mike McCallum, Julian Jackson. 2. Benn fought Iran Barkley but he power punched him twice when he was down and should have been DQ'ed. He did fight Gerald McCellan. But he rabbit punched him dozens of times and should have been DQ'ed. Then there is controversy of whether Benn was knocked out (of the ring) in the first round. Useless referee. 3. Eubank fought no one from America. 4. Collins did fight Johnson and McCallum and they both beat him. So my point is were Benn, Eubank and Collins really world class. Or did Warren, Hearn, and the British media con the gullible ignorant public.
Benn beat his americans and those worldwide, not a vast stretch but he did it, with a recognised title so theres no question for him. Eubank matched and beat benn (lost the rematch really) so he was genuinely world class even if he didnt win a genuine title in his time, his tie at the top and resume show he was title class for a while. Collins beat them both so of course, arguably the best of the three. But its important not to overrate them as well. Champions but not great ones.
It always baffled me that they were rated much higher than Errol Christie and Herol Graham. Who both came just before them. I think a lot of it was Warren and Hearn milking the new WBO belt and promoting them as genuine world champions. In England most casuals disliked Eubank. And they loved Benn and thought he really was the best in the world. Another point was that they jumped in 1991 to 168. Super MW was a brand new weight division which started in 1988. But I also believe that Benn and Eubank didn't want smoke from Toney, Jones, McCallum, Johnson, Nunn, Jackson. 160 was a brutally competitive weight class in the early 1990s. At least for Heavyweights Tyson was inactive for 4 years and Tim Witherspoon was a top contender but was frozen out by Don King.
of coruse they wouldnt want smoke from jones toney mccallum johnson and nunn, who would? Even one of our top british SMWs gibberin joe calzaghe said he wanted no part of jones and avoided the good americans like the plague, so what do you expect of the others to do? I dont think its any shame to hide in gibbering fear from guys like Jones.
Not many had more time for Errol than me, but he was no Slugger O'Toole, let alone up with Eubank et al. Graham got kudos, Eubank talked very highly of him. Of Course Warren and Hearn would sell their fighters, that is their job, and Hearn was smart enough to get DKP on board to get American exposure for Benn and Eubank. World titles are abstract concepts, with that, you have to be 'boxing smart' to have some idea who the best is, so it is easy to manipulate the casual fan (look at the shiny, shiny). But boxing has always done that, even the first Ring magazine of 1922 had an article bemoaning the amount of titles on offer. Super Middleweight had been around a lot longer than 1988. Buster Douglas' Daddy claimed a title in the 70s and Chong Pal Park was a quality operator for many years in the 80s as Super Middleweight World Champ. Benn and Eubank would have fought the top Americans for the right money. Nunn/Benn was being spoken of as early as 87 and if Nunn had not been upset by Little he would of had a fight with one of them, hence the reason he was fighting in the UK. Jones for whatever reason (probably the Olympic scar) did not want to fight them in Europe, and the fights were only financially viable in Europe. As for Witherspoon, Bonecrusher eliminated him from a Tyson fight, and by the early 90s, terrible performances (no pun intended) against Ribalta and Williams made it easy to avoid him. He would comeback in the mid 90s where an unlucky (IMO) defeat to Mercer on a career best run, cost him again.
They were world class. But, yes, it was hard to make a case that a WBO Champion was the best in the division. Calzaghe also had the same approach until very late in his career. It would have been nice if the best in Britain and the US had faced each other in that era prime for prime. Benn/McClellan was the exception. Here in the US the US guys were hyped as well. We thought Benn would be destroyed by McCllelan. In retrospect, Gerald was somewhat one dimensional.
They were world class .Eubank was a good boxer with power and cast iron chin I doubt any middle weight in History could Ko him .Benn was one of the most destructive punchers ever at middle a danger to any fighter he faced and collins was a good boxer very tough and always in great shape .True fighters like Kalmbay Mccallam were probably better all-around and in Collins case that was proven but on a different night who knows.All three were formidable and is a pity that Collins didn't meet them earlier in there careers.
All were in good fights ,but Eubanks also defended against a lot of dross,some of whom held him pretty close.He avoided the best in his division.
It baffled you that they were rated higher than Errol Christie? Why would that be? Errol was a talent, but as we all know he never had a chin. Could you imagine Errol going in with Benn? They all achieved much more.
Always good to learn a bit about the previous era. You are on point & I agree with the excessive rabbit punching per Benn-Gman, I can't watch that fight more than once. My 2 cents: Both Americans & Your side were haggling for (where to fight). RJJ did this from MW up LHW. Jackson- was at his best at 154. McCallum by the time was aged fighter. Reggie was a so-called boring counter puncher. Nunn & Toney proved they fought whenever, whoever, wherever. Benn got Gman who couldn't maintain MW & chasing RJJ his figjht against Benn was supposed to cement that. Not sure about Bhop. I think you may have missed him because he was hell bent on beating the MW record for title defenses. To which he did accomplish. If you get a chance to a bit of research on RJJ sued for title. Graciano Rocchigiani wins lawsuit against Roy Jones---the point is how RJJ as great as he was....avoided guys all the way up to LHW, (overseas) fighting. IMO it was both sides that prevented you from knowing who these guys were!
160-168 were both absolutely stacked at times in that era. There probably wasn't a point where any of Benn, Eubank or Collins were the number #1 guy in their division, but they were world-class operators and were all major factors in their division. Accepting that the big unification fights were difficult to make, they all did at times venture out of their comfort zone. Benn obviously with his wins over Barkley and McClellan, but Eubank also deserves credit for taking on Rocky on his own patch. Collins of course relocated to the US where he fought McCallum and Johnson. They weren't Artur Grigorian types defending their WBO title in constant obscurity. They did to a certain extent create a division within a division which was separate from the land inhabited by Jones and Toney, but that was basic economics. There was more than enough to satisfy UK audiences fighting multiple times amongst themselves (and Watson); the big one against whoever the top American fighter was at the time was a big risk that needed to make sense commercially. There were steps to set up a unification fight with Nunn, which may well have gone somewhere if Nunn hadn't lost to Little, and/or a clear winner emerged from Eubank-Benn II. If someone came out of that with WBA, WBC and WBO belts, it would have been strong leverage for a superfight with Toney or Jones. There was almost too much talent and star power around at that time, and it was probably never feasible for all the best matches to be made. There were lots of different sub plots flying around on both sides of the pond with fighters going in different directions, and short of a literal elimination tournament if was never going to come together. It wasn't a scenario like Jones/Michaelczewski where the two top guys lorded over the division for years fighting each others opponents but never actually settling it in the ring.
No doubt there was a murderer's row of talent at 154, 160 and 168 in the early 90s. I think all of todays middleweights would have really struggled to make a dent back then.
They were world class but I don't see any beating Toney or Nunn but who knows .. Benn at least took on some tough guys in Barkley and McCellum .. Eubanks wanted zero part of any top American fighters ..
