Early 90s middleweights. Uk vs the world

[davie]

There were a lot of really good middleweights around this time. Lots of good rivalries either side of the atlantic but there were often accusations of guys unwilling to travel.

So I've threw together some combinations for considerations.

Nigel Benn vs Sumbu Kalambay
Chris Eubank Sr vs Julian Jackson
Michael Watson vs Michael McCallum
Steve Collins vs James Toney
Herol Graham vs Michael Nunn


Feel free to mix and match for any cross atlantic combo you would like to have seen.

You could of course throw in RJJ (but I didn't include him as he wipes the floor with everybody IMO) or Reggie Johnston, John David Jackson, Gerrald McClellan or Bernard Hopkins as we approach the middle of the decade.

[Counter-puncher]

Watson already got tooled by McCallum

[Counter-puncher]

Nunn beats Graham
kalumbay beats Benn
Toney murders Collins

[Kalan]

Nigel Benn vs Sumbu Kalambay
Chris Eubank Sr vs Julian Jackson
Michael Watson vs Michael McCallum
Steve Collins vs James Toney
Herol Graham vs Michael Nunn

Hmmm... let's see

Toney, Nunn, and McCallum beat everyone else, Brit or not.. Jackson knocks Graham stiff.. Kalambay beats Graham.. At least they did the 1st time.

Graham fought one of the dirtiest fights I've ever seen against McCallum in England... Still got his ass kicked... Hagler ducked Graham. I think he loses to him.

[davie]

Watson already got tooled by McCallum

I fvcking knew I was going to end up doing that

[davie]

Nunn beats Graham
kalumbay beats Benn
Toney murders Collins

Do you fancy Eubank against Jackson?
I think his chin keeps him on his feet and wins an ugly and cautious points win.

Are there any other combinations you could make where you see the British fighter winning?

[Bodyshot3]

Benn and Eubank have the best shouts...but both seriously tricky nights for them, but who knows if they were London fights?

I might actually go for Eubank being tough and smart enough to upset Jackson - maybe weathering the storm like he did against Benn - and then inching his way back into the fight and then causing big problems in the later rounds.

Eubank had a hell of a chin and usually came in with a good gameplan and when faced by a real threat he was not found wanting when it came to determination or overcoming rough patches.

By and large his Lordship looked lousy and had a few close calls against guys he was supposed to boss; but when in with Watson and Benn he went-up several levels and even found something when chucked-in with Calzaghe as a veteran.

Kalambay has a seriously decent resume but if Benn - as he often did - fancied the job and was not so pumped that he could not think straight, it is a seriously tight one. Graham went 1-1 with Kalambay and I think Benn is more than in the mix.

[cfang]

Nigel Benn vs Sumbu Kalambay
Chris Eubank Sr vs Julian Jackson
Michael Watson vs Michael McCallum
Steve Collins vs James Toney
Herol Graham vs Michael Nunn

Benn would beat Kalambay on pts
Eubank would stop Jackson
Toney beats collins on pts
Nunn stops graham

Toney and mcallum would prob beat all on their best night.

[Bricks]

Nigel Benn vs Sumbu Kalambaysumbu shutsout benn of 88-92...against the more refined defensively adept benn a close but clear pts win
Chris Eubank Sr vs Julian Jackson brilliant matchup jackson knocks eubanks out in 9 but it takes 4 graham like haymakers spread thru the rounds to do it
Michael Watson vs Michael McCallummike schools watson stops him but we never saw a peak watson who may have been better than any brit
Steve Collins vs James Toney toney stops him in 11
Herol Graham vs Michael Nunn graham best brit but beaten on pts.

[nobleart1978]

If Benn/Eubank & Collins had fought either James Toney or Roy Jones then all 3 would have been in serious trouble.

Benn, Eubank & Collins had some very easy defences during their respective reigns. They were domestic/ European clashes really.

Jones and Toney would have schooled all 3 of em

[Bodyshot3]

If Benn/Eubank & Collins had fought either James Toney or Roy Jones then all 3 would have been in serious trouble.

Benn, Eubank & Collins had some very easy defences during their respective reigns. They were domestic/ European clashes really.

Jones and Toney would have schooled all 3 of em

Not so sure about Benn on that front and why I always respected him more than Eubank.....Barkley and the G-Man were pretty formidable and DeWitt (not a defence) was also a tough overseas assignment.

I would not rule out that beating Galvano to take the WBC crown in Italy - a hell of a place to go - was well above a Euro-level clash. I still think that may have been Benn's best night.

The fight was stopped on cuts according to Boxrec but as far as I can recall Benn was absolutely beating the brown stuff out of Galvano at the time.