Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted January 17, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted January 17, 2013 (edited) the Collins 'era' is a little hazy to me, i remember the whole hypnosis thing when it happened and remember the fights with Eubank and Benn but i haven't seen them since they happened. Â Without being arsed to look it up was there any specific reason that Collins retired relatively young? whilst riding a big winning streak? Â I know he was meant to fight Calzaghe and pulled out injured and just never returned to the ring but I can't recall quite why he retired off the top of my head. Â EDIT - just had a quick look about and he was indeed set to defend his title against Calzaghe in late 97. He withdrew at the last minute and got stripped of his title. This was the fight Eubank ended up stepping in against Calzaghe on a few days notice. Just another example of why Eubank was a pimp. Â Collins retired citing lack of motivation. He wanted Jones and saw Calzaghe as a step down. Â "Joe is a good up-and-coming kid, but he wouldn't fill a parish church". Â ...is how he put it. Â Worryingly I found a piece from The Independent saying Collins had to abandon a comeback attempt in 1999 (he was coming back with hopes of fighting Jones then as well) after collapsing during sparring with Howard Eastman. He said he "took it as a warning sign" and retired for good. Â Well, obviously not for good now. Â It's alarming that he was passing out in training at 34 yet thinks he can put his body through the strains of a fight camp at the age of 48. Edited January 17, 2013 by wandshogun09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I will give him some credit, he is having a medical that if he fails he will cancel the fight. Â The collapsing story has been questioned, some think he really did not want to fight Calzaghe, I think I read somewhere he had to fight Joe in 1999 in order to get Jones, or something like that. Â I do actually like Collins, comes across as a nice enough guy, quite smart as well. Â Watching a preview of the Benn ringside I can see why him and Eubank were made for each other. Complete opposites. I love them both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted January 17, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted January 17, 2013 (edited) The collapsing story has been questioned, some think he really did not want to fight Calzaghe, I think I read somewhere he had to fight Joe in 1999 in order to get Jones, or something like that. Â That's right. He was meant to fight Calzaghe before he'd get Jones in 99. So that's twice he avoided Calzaghe. I like Collins but that's pretty blatant. Although I can see why he wouldn't have wanted to take the risk at that point, he was winding down and Calzaghe was a risky fight and not yet a really big name like a Jones. Â I do actually like Collins, comes across as a nice enough guy, quite smart as well. Â Yeah I like Collins as well. I enjoyed his brief stint as an analyst on Primetime (think he did the studio stuff for Pacquiao/Marquez 3, along with Bunce and Kerr). He's a likeable chap and he's not afraid to speak his mind. Â Watching a preview of the Benn ringside I can see why him and Eubank were made for each other. Complete opposites. I love them both. Â Where'd you see the preview Jim? And yeah, I bum the pair of them. The Benn-Eubank rivalry is one of the most vivid memories of my childhood. Just a brilliant time. Edited January 17, 2013 by wandshogun09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 It was a short clip at the end of Ringside, it was set up like the one they had for Sugar Ray as there were loads of people in the studio to see him. In the clip he talked in such a down to earth way, you could see why he was the peoples favorite against Eubank with his fancy speech. The full version is shown on January 31st. Â Another things about Collins was, there was no brain or health reasons found when he collapsed. I can take him for his word, but I would not blame other for not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted January 17, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted January 17, 2013 (edited) Yeah, Benn's a good bloke. Â Eubank is a good guy too but he was so over the top people couldn't relate to him. By the end of Eubank's career he won people around though. I remember even my Dad was cheering for him against Calzaghe and Thompson. And my Dad hated Eubank in the days he was fighting Benn and Watson. I think the stuff Eubank's done since he retired like the Louis Theroux documentary and the At Home With The Eubanks series has shown him in a good light. And I've heard nothing but good things about how he is when people meet him. I think Eubank was very misunderstood during his career. Â Back on Benn, for anyone that hasn't seen it, I'd highly recommend this documentary... Â Nigel Benn: My Childhood; Â That's part 1 of 6 but you can easily get to the other parts. It was on BBC Three years ago and looks at the death of Benn's older brother and the dodgy circumstances surrounding it and looks at the impact it had on him in later life and his career. Including Benn attempting suicide at one point. Really interesting. Â Benn's Dad seems like a cool bastard as well. Edited January 17, 2013 by wandshogun09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Thanks for the Benn video, will watch that at some point. Â I agree on Eubank, he was a bit of a panto villain to the public I think. I mean really how could anyone take him seriously, he was not nasty or anything. I think he is a nice guy also, you could tell Louis Theroux warmed to him, he could not even get annoyed when he was dodging questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted January 17, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted January 17, 2013 you could tell Louis Theroux warmed to him, he could not even get annoyed when he was dodging questions. Â "No, and if I did I wouldn't tell you" Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 17, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted January 17, 2013 This isn't much of a contribution, so apologies, but do any of you follow anime? I'm not a massive fan (despite my constant Japan-bumming), but one of the ones I really got into was Hajime No Ippo, about a bullied kid who's saved from bullies by a pro boxer, and so decides to get into it. It's all about his evolution from a complete novice all the way up to pro and challenging for the Japanese championship, facing numerous rivals on the way and learning new techniques, training methods and Sunday punches. Â It's incredibly stylised and dramatised, but it's a lot of fun, and very enjoyable. Lots of references to real-life boxers, and despite it being set in Japan, there's so self-aggrandising - if anything, the story is at pains to point out how small-time Japanese boxing is compared to Mexico and the US, and the sheer gulf in ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Wand - Me and a friend quoted that as a recurring joke for a while, complete classic  Carbomb - I do not like anime, but I know what you are on about as they made that into a video game for the PS2 I picked up years back. It was pretty fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britishwrestlinglegends Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 the Collins 'era' is a little hazy to me, i remember the whole hypnosis thing when it happened and remember the fights with Eubank and Benn but i haven't seen them since they happened. Â Without being arsed to look it up was there any specific reason that Collins retired relatively young? whilst riding a big winning streak? I remember watching the first Collins/Eubank encounter live. Collins came on straight away like a maniac & stayed at the same relentless pace for all 12 rounds! I said to my mate at an early stage that "There is no way he can keep this up for the duration" I still think to this day that he must of been on something. Not sure if the fight is on Youtube or not, but it has to be seen to be believed.....Very dodgy IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted January 18, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted January 18, 2013 (edited) Yeah I've never been into anime. My brother is though, I'll ask him about that. He did tell me about one called Baki the Grappler though based on MMA which sounded pretty cool.  And yeah Jim it was class. As was the bit on the train about calling Naz a cunt;  around 2:40ish  The "no, and if I did I wouldn't tell you" is there at the start as well.  I love the panick on Eubank's face when he thinks they have him saying cunt on camera. Then the mischievous "what a shame" when Theroux says they don't. Edited January 18, 2013 by wandshogun09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Cheers, that is going on my favorites. Â The bit where he looks at the camera and says "Chris Eubank does not enjoy a drink from time to time" is a classic as well. He says the "no and if I did I would not tell you " again whilst shadow boxing on the train when Theroux asks him if he does drugs in the clip. Â The man is legend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted January 18, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted January 18, 2013 how much of Eubank's persona is put on for the camera's you think? hes definitely a bit out there but at the same time you know he ramps it up for the tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Steve Collins is going to be fighting Roy Jones Jr. some time in the near future , yes that Steve Collins. This is nothing more than a fucking joke in my opinion. Jones is 43 and has been knocked out is disturbing fashion more than once recently, whilst Collins is 48 and hasn't fought professionally for 16 years! Â The fight is due to take place in the UK, and I have to say that whichever licensing body gives this bout the go ahead should be ashamed of itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 (edited) how much of Eubank's persona is put on for the camera's you think? hes definitely a bit out there but at the same time you know he ramps it up for the tv. Will he sort of admits he puts on a bit of front for the camera with "no and if I did I would not tell you" Â He said he is naturally a show off on Ringside, so he defo ramps it up. Â Edit: I agree David, but I am quite sure it won't end up happening. Edited January 18, 2013 by jimufctna24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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