Eubank SR tears BJS, high praise for Dean Francis

[coghaugen11]

Chris Eubank Snr on Pressure, Sparring Partners, Sponsors & Best Wins

Britain's veteran superstar of 24 WBO title contests, Chris Eubank Snr, gives behind the scenes insights to his legendary rope-leaping career.


Snr on Pressure

Boxing is a thing like this - you do your best work when you're nice and relaxed, when you're calm and loose in there.

I never really had that in my career apart from my first six or seven fights under Barry Hearn. Look, I moved to New York at 16 and a half and started boxing, then had my first amateur fight in front of 100 people at Apollo Boxing Club, South Bronx at just turned 17. Mike Tyson is watching my early novice bouts. At 17 and a half I have my first open level fight against the greatest of all time in Mark Breland. At 18 and a half I am fighting in front of nearly 20,000 at Madison Square Gardens at the Golden Gloves. At just turned 19 I am turning professional and making my pro debut in Atlantic City.

I haven't had chance to relax yet. From 20 to 21 I am bouncing back and forth between Brighton and New York, studying and working and sleeping rough when needed. From January 1988 to April 1988 I am living in a bedsit with a local Brighton promoter called Keith Miles, then in May 1988 I am sleeping on my brother Simon's sofa and taking fights on a few hours notice - relaxed? Forget it. I don't have any money.

It's not until May 1989 that I actually get some money, Barry Hearn gives me some money and I am finally able to relax and box; displaying the craft and art I had practiced for four or five hours a day for four or five years straight, after learning it. But by 1990 I am facing Nigel Benn, and you want to talk about pressure? I have a baby, a pregnant fiancee and I have no other trade and if I'd of lost to Benn I'd of lost our house; he is the most dangerous man on the planet.

The pressure going into Watson 2 was insurmountable also. The public at large have been told by the press that I am this nasty, horrible man! I simply was not that - quite the contrary. If I lost, I'd of been bumped off and it would be believed forever that I was a nasty, horrible person and so would likely have to of immigrated or become a hermit. When you're under this kind of intense stress, you can be forgiven for forgetting to jab until halfway through or late on, at which point it's too late almost.

Same thing with Old Trafford, if I happen to lose then I'm bumped off by Don King and there's just this mass of faces - I had never attended a football match with more than about 20,000, and here was over 40,000 in one place. I had never seen anything like it, and it throws your gameplan off.

The eight-fight, one-year tour with Sky for a world championship fight every six weeks was indeed an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual pressure experienced by no other fighter. During this, I even went to Ireland on St Patrick's weekend to face an Irishman. I felt invincible before that but I still thought I won that night. I was beaten fair and square by this mediocre journeyman Collins in the return match we had, where he displayed a resolve the likes of which we have never seen in boxing.


Snr on Sparring Partners

The best sparring partners I had in the 1980s included Johnny Banks Walker in the Bronx, New York, Aaron Davis and Glenwood Brown in Gleasons, New York, and in London Errol Christie and Rod Douglas, and Herol Graham in the steel city of Sheffield.

When I was champion I liked to use tough tough men from the Welsh valleys in left hookers Simon Collins and Denys Cronin. Chris Pyatt was sharp, but Dean Francis was tremendous - I used Dean on and off from about 93 to 95 and I could never really get the best of him.


Snr on Poor Behavior

It baffles me that fighters today don’t conduct themselves with dignity and decorum. It always was a gentleman’s sport, not a trash sport.

Bad language or poor behavior on television or social media simply repels and repulses sponsors, meaning fighters are earning less money.

For the life of me I can’t work out how many of these fighters of recent times - Billy Joe Saunders and the like - can’t grasp this simple concept. Rolling around or turning tables and other things - this is pushing the sport we put on the map into the gutter and alienating the public.

When did you ever hear Sugar Ray Leonard, Hagler or Ali say a swear word? Even Nigel Benn, not once.


Snr on Best Victories

Benn 1 was thee complete performance. Watson 2 was thee biggest turnaround. I fought a German in Germany - 6ft2" and southpaw, unbeaten and a former and future world champion.

[coghaugen11]

[coghaugen11]

I think that's Buncey by Barry Hearn very close to the ring - big frizzy hair, beard, slim, etc

[Frostieballs]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

[coghaugen11]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

[mickey1975]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

That worked out well when they boxed.

[coghaugen11]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

That worked out well when they boxed.

Wow, in the amateurs when Francis had only just started boxing?

Come on, even David Starie beat Francis in the ABAs (94 quarters) and look what happened in the pros.

DF was suited to the pro game with his jab and timing. Not all that rush-rush crap that Calzaghe did.

[mickey1975]

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

That worked out well when they boxed.

Wow, in the amateurs when Francis had only just started boxing?

Come on, even David Starie beat Francis in the ABAs (94 quarters) and look what happened in the pros.

DF was suited to the pro game with his jab and timing. Not all that rush-rush crap that Calzaghe did.

He got to the ABA final after just starting? Calzaghe did him in about a minute. There’s only Eubank I’ve seen him floor earlier.

[Deserter]

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

That worked out well when they boxed.

Wow, in the amateurs when Francis had only just started boxing?

Come on, even David Starie beat Francis in the ABAs (94 quarters) and look what happened in the pros.

DF was suited to the pro game with his jab and timing. Not all that rush-rush crap that Calzaghe did.

Francis was a great talent (got the chance to watch him spar Glen Catley a few times at The Empire in Bristol), but there's no way he'd have beaten Calzaghe. Different levels.

[tonyevs]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

I know Calzaghe beat him in the amateurs - but Dean had gotten bigger & better since. There was a very good crop of supermiddles at that time: Woodhall; Reid; Starie; Delaney; Catley, and of course Dean ... I always thought Dean was the one who would beat Calzaghe.

But of course the injury scuppered that and Dean was effectively one handed thereafter.

[mickey1975]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

I know Calzaghe beat him in the amateurs - but Dean had gotten bigger & better since. There was a very good crop of supermiddles at that time: Woodhall; Reid; Starie; Delaney; Catley, and of course Dean ... I always thought Dean was the one who would beat Calzaghe.

But of course the injury scuppered that and Dean was effectively one handed thereafter.

Behave, Tony.

[coghaugen11]

Dean Francis was an outrageous talent.

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

I know Calzaghe beat him in the amateurs - but Dean had gotten bigger & better since. There was a very good crop of supermiddles at that time: Woodhall; Reid; Starie; Delaney; Catley, and of course Dean ... I always thought Dean was the one who would beat Calzaghe.

But of course the injury scuppered that and Dean was effectively one handed thereafter.

I know a lot of people did mate. He looked far better against Carr and Starie than Collins and Calzaghe did.

Eubank himself rated Francis as the best British and Irish super middleweight of them all (ever) in an interview around 04/05.

He was a boy in the 92 ABAs.

[coghaugen11]

People forget that Joe was a wide open banger/brawler for most of his career.

[tonyevs]

Admittedly - Maybe a bit biased.
I had met Dean and the other Bristol boys at a number of shows early on in his career, and when he moved down to supermiddle he was the only one of the UK prospects I seen as a genuine threat to Calzaghe. The 97/98 pre-injury Dean Francis had me convinced he`d beat the 97/98 version of Calzaghe.

[mickey1975]

I think he'd of beaten Calzaghe.

I know Calzaghe beat him in the amateurs - but Dean had gotten bigger & better since. There was a very good crop of supermiddles at that time: Woodhall; Reid; Starie; Delaney; Catley, and of course Dean ... I always thought Dean was the one who would beat Calzaghe.

But of course the injury scuppered that and Dean was effectively one handed thereafter.

I know a lot of people did mate. He looked far better against Carr and Starie than Collins and Calzaghe did.

Eubank himself rated Francis as the best British and Irish super middleweight of them all (ever) in an interview around 04/05.

He was a boy in the 92 ABAs.

Did he lie about his age? You had to be at least 17 and open class to enter.

[coghaugen11]

I know Calzaghe beat him in the amateurs - but Dean had gotten bigger & better since. There was a very good crop of supermiddles at that time: Woodhall; Reid; Starie; Delaney; Catley, and of course Dean ... I always thought Dean was the one who would beat Calzaghe.

But of course the injury scuppered that and Dean was effectively one handed thereafter.

I know a lot of people did mate. He looked far better against Carr and Starie than Collins and Calzaghe did.

Eubank himself rated Francis as the best British and Irish super middleweight of them all (ever) in an interview around 04/05.

He was a boy in the 92 ABAs.

Did he lie about his age? You had to be at least 17 and open class to enter.

Sorry, what?

He was clearly a late developer. And had only been boxing a little while compared to Calzaghe.

And amateur boxing is a completely different sport.

Etc.

[Deserter]

People forget that Joe was a wide open banger/brawler for most of his career.

What a ridiculously one-dimensional perspective of one of the best fighters to come out of the UK in modern times.

[Boxerbeetle]

I loved both Francis and Calzaghe, was proper gutted when Dean did his shoulder. Still can’t really believe he passed away so early.

[coghaugen11]

People forget that Joe was a wide open banger/brawler for most of his career.

What a ridiculously one-dimensional perspective of one of the best fighters to come out of the UK in modern times.

Excuse me? Are you forgetting he was a big betting underdog against the massively limited Jeff Lacy? That was for a reason.

[coghaugen11]

I loved both Francis and Calzaghe, was proper gutted when Dean did his shoulder. Still can’t really believe he passed away so early.

The pair of them were certainly terrific talents, especially Francis (RIP).

[Deserter]

People forget that Joe was a wide open banger/brawler for most of his career.

What a ridiculously one-dimensional perspective of one of the best fighters to come out of the UK in modern times.

Excuse me? Are you forgetting he was a big betting underdog against the massively limited Jeff Lacy? That was for a reason.

Yes, and that reason was that he was under-rated and Lacy was over-rated. As per normal you are trying to twist the facts to fit your Eubank-obsessive nature - going into that fight Lacy was being talked about by many as.a Super Middleweight Tyson, so please don't try and reinvent history by claiming he was regarded as "massively limited" prior to the Calzaghe fight.

Prime Calzaghe beats prime Eubank all day, every day, which is presumably why you are so keen to play him down. Joe's workrate, variety of shots and chin would have given Eubank absolute fits. Complete kryptonite for him.

[mickey1975]

What a ridiculously one-dimensional perspective of one of the best fighters to come out of the UK in modern times.

Excuse me? Are you forgetting he was a big betting underdog against the massively limited Jeff Lacy? That was for a reason.

Yes, and that reason was that he was under-rated and Lacy was over-rated. As per normal you are trying to twist the facts to fit your Eubank-obsessive nature - going into that fight Lacy was being talked about by many as.a Super Middleweight Tyson, so please don't try and reinvent history by claiming he was regarded as "massively limited" prior to the Calzaghe fight.

Prime Calzaghe beats prime Eubank all day, every day, which is presumably why you are so keen to play him down. Joe's workrate, variety of shots and chin would have given Eubank absolute fits. Complete kryptonite for him.

He did give him fits, and dropped him.... that’s why Cog is getting so upset! And Joe wasn’t a massive underdog against Lacy, he was 11/8, I had a good bet on him. People thought Lacy was the best thing since sliced bread.

[Deserter]

Excuse me? Are you forgetting he was a big betting underdog against the massively limited Jeff Lacy? That was for a reason.

Yes, and that reason was that he was under-rated and Lacy was over-rated. As per normal you are trying to twist the facts to fit your Eubank-obsessive nature - going into that fight Lacy was being talked about by many as.a Super Middleweight Tyson, so please don't try and reinvent history by claiming he was regarded as "massively limited" prior to the Calzaghe fight.

Prime Calzaghe beats prime Eubank all day, every day, which is presumably why you are so keen to play him down. Joe's workrate, variety of shots and chin would have given Eubank absolute fits. Complete kryptonite for him.

He did give him fits, and dropped him.... that’s why Cog is getting so upset! And Joe wasn’t a massive underdog against Lacy, he was 11/8, I had a good bet on him. People thought Lacy was the best thing since sliced bread.

100% agree Mickey, just made that point because we both know that the Eubank fan boy/obsessive will come back with the claim that Eubank was past his best then, so just wanted to make it clear that even a peak Eubank couldn't have dealt with JC (who let's not forget was very green and untested when he stepped up to face Eubank).

[mickey1975]

Yes, and that reason was that he was under-rated and Lacy was over-rated. As per normal you are trying to twist the facts to fit your Eubank-obsessive nature - going into that fight Lacy was being talked about by many as.a Super Middleweight Tyson, so please don't try and reinvent history by claiming he was regarded as "massively limited" prior to the Calzaghe fight.

Prime Calzaghe beats prime Eubank all day, every day, which is presumably why you are so keen to play him down. Joe's workrate, variety of shots and chin would have given Eubank absolute fits. Complete kryptonite for him.

He did give him fits, and dropped him.... that’s why Cog is getting so upset! And Joe wasn’t a massive underdog against Lacy, he was 11/8, I had a good bet on him. People thought Lacy was the best thing since sliced bread.

100% agree Mickey, just made that point because we both know that the Eubank fan boy/obsessive will come back with the claim that Eubank was past his best then, so just wanted to make it clear that even a peak Eubank couldn't have dealt with JC (who let's not forget was very green and untested when he stepped up to face Eubank).

It’s actually worrying this guy’s obsession with Eubank. I get accused of it with Wharton but I don’t go on like this. And I’m with him most days.

[coghaugen11]

Lacy looked absolutely awful in most of his fights pre-Calzaghe. Terrible.