BoxRec

Steve Collins was waning by 1997, and his punch resistance was departing. I'm not a Calzaghe fan but JC would've whacked him at this point - as Collins well knew.

jameswilson wrote:

Coco wrote:

Counter-puncher wrote:
it was Colin Jones who did that, according to the welsh rugby lore i heard

Yeah it was in Swansea also, in the Top Rank, now Oceana, one shot left him cold too!

To be fair the bloke who told me it wasn't a boxing fan so it's conceivable he mixed those two guys up. But basically the story I heard went that Moriarty kept grabbing the Collins' girlfriend/wifes arse and Collins kept asking him to stop, and after about 3 times he told him fairly forcefully and Moriarty said 'I'm Richard Moriarty, I play rugby for Wales I can do what I want' to which Collins lifted him off his feet with a punch leaving him flat out in front of his rugby playing mates. He then walks up to them and says 'Tell him I'm the Super-middleweight champion of the World.'

No doubt from now on I'll have to substitute Colin Jones' name into that tale.

That is quite close, but they knew who each other were. Remember Moriaty is a 6'6 18 stone fella, Jones at that time was walking around less than 11 stone and 5'9.
Moriaty banged into his missus on the stairs to see if Jones would do anything about it, words were exchanged, and bang!!
Colin does not need to be asked 3 times!!

Shit post this

Calzaghe beats Collins, Eubank or Benn IMO

I think Benn would of been his toughest fight.

the truth wrote:Shit post this

fornicate off u mug

Collins retired to avoid fighting Calzaghe. When asked in recent years why he didn't fight Joe, Collins replied: "I may be Irish but I'm not stupid."

yiddo14 wrote:

Ketchel wrote:I think ths is a game of two halves. The version of Calzaghe at the time he fought Eubank would have lost to Collins if they had've fought at that time. Calzaghe was all out in that fight and has admitted so. A past it Eubank took the fight at short notice, losing tons of weight at the last minute and still had Joe in deep water. Collins would have beaten that Joe.

The later seasoned Joe of the Brewer, Lacy, Kessler fights would have been too much for Steve. Though lets not forget the Reid & Starie fights to see that on some nights Joe was not infallible.

The past it Eubank also gave Collins all he could handle remember. The first fight could have been scored a draw.

I think Collins made the right choice by not fighting Joe when it was all set to take place. Collins himself was on the wane then, hence why he retired. Didn't Howard Eastman knock him out in sparring around that time?

Prime for prime? It's not even close. Calzaghe by wide UD.

So if Eubank was past it when he fought Collins how much do you think he would have slipped between the Collins fight and the fight with Calzaghe 2 years later? Collins virtually chased Eubank out of the ring that night yet Calzaghe struggled mightily with a weight drained Eubank. Eubank lost well over a stone in weight in the few days before that fight.

Eastman did not knock out Collins in sparring at that time. Collins contemplated on making a comeback well after the Calzaghe v Eubank fight but blacked out in the ring. Eastman hadn't hit him. It was Herol Graham that Eastman sparked.

Prime for Prime I agree that Calzaghe would have beaten Collins but at the time they should have fought I think Collins would have taken it.

Eubank was comprehensively out boxed when he fought Calzaghe - 'Struggled mightily' is a complete fabrication to suit an argument.

Eubank gave Calzaghe grief in the last couple of rounds from memory, although its been a while since I watched it. Joe beat him clearly though.

Eubank was fresher when he fought Collins obviously, but the first fight was very, very close. If it had been on Eubanks home turf and had it not have been his 7th world title fight within 12 months ( ah, the glory days! ) then he probably would have prevailed ( remember, Eubank had already been on the right end of some very, very tight decisions )
The rematch was all Collins though, no doubt.

Eubank was comprehensively out boxed when he fought Calzaghe - 'Struggled mightily' is a complete fabrication to suit an argument.


Calzaghe has admitted in his own bio that Eubank took him into deep water in that fight. No way did he beat Eubank as comprehensively as Colins did 2 years earlier.

My point is that Calzaghe was not the finished article at this time and on that basis I think Collins would have beaten him.

People seem to forget that at the time Calzaghe was a relative unknown quantity in the terms of world boxing. Collins retired because the big fights he craved and was promised never materialised. After beating Eubank & Benn he was then being fed the likes of Chris Cummings. He couldn't get up for these type of fights and that is how the Calzaghe fight was viewed at the time. Warren though was wanting to keep the title "in-house" and was building up Calzaghe to take his title. Much in the way that Nelson was pushed aside for new boy Enzo.

Though Peak for Peak Calzaghe every time.

Calzaghe every day of the week. I can't believe Collins is getting so much credit. He was overated after beating great fighters like Eubank and Benn way past their prime. He got his name off of them. He would not have beaten them at their peak.

Of all the great middle/super middleweights at that time I think Calzaghe was the best but Watson would have pushed him the closest out of the rest.

Calzaghe had the great ability to change tactics, style during fights and would figure out a way to win, but Watson would have been close.

dan28uk wrote:

the truth wrote:Shit post this

eff off u mug

Who do you think you are you little prick

dtjenkins wrote:Calzaghe every day of the week. I can't believe Collins is getting so much credit. He was overated after beating great fighters like Eubank and Benn way past their prime. He got his name off of them. He would not have beaten them at their peak.

Of all the great middle/super middleweights at that time I think Calzaghe was the best but Watson would have pushed him the closest out of the rest.

Calzaghe had the great ability to change tactics, style during fights and would figure out a way to win, but Watson would have been close.

Collins don't get credit because he fought in the states for much of his career. People forget that Collins gave Mike McCallum a very tough fight whereas McCallum took Watson apart 2 months later. That at least puts Collins on a power with Watson, Eubank & Benn at their relative peaks. He lost only to McCallum, Reggie Johnson(narrowly) and Kalambay all three of whom would give Eubank & co all they could handle.

Again my argument that seems to be lost on people is that Collins would have beaten Cazaghe when they were first sheduled to fight. The later Calzaghe wins every time.

nobby_nobbins wrote:Collins retired to avoid fighting Calzaghe. When asked in recent years why he didn't fight Joe, Collins replied: "I may be Irish but I'm not stupid."

Yeah but to be fair he also states he was having health problems too.

Calzaghes the greatest fighter to come out of the UK imo he wins this fight for sure.

I'm not going to comment much on this, because I'll be accused of being Anti Joe again - just IMO Joe's power was never proven. Yes, he had injuries - no one can dispute this. Sure it did hamper his power. However, it also coincided with when he stepped up into world class..... there isn't really the evidence that Joe could carry the power when he was beating up the bums of the month coming through into world class.

Herol Graham floored Brewer twice.

stujones wrote:I'm not going to comment much on this, because I'll be accused of being Anti Joe again - just IMO Joe's power was never proven. Yes, he had injuries - no one can dispute this. Sure it did hamper his power. However, it also coincided with when he stepped up into world class..... there isn't really the evidence that Joe could carry the power when he was beating up the bums of the month coming through into world class.

Herol Graham floored Brewer twice.

yeah but herol graham wasnt a bad puncher himself. Eubank himself said calzaghe was one of the hardest punchers he had been in the ring with.

Ketchel wrote:

dtjenkins wrote:Calzaghe every day of the week. I can't believe Collins is getting so much credit. He was overated after beating great fighters like Eubank and Benn way past their prime. He got his name off of them. He would not have beaten them at their peak.

Of all the great middle/super middleweights at that time I think Calzaghe was the best but Watson would have pushed him the closest out of the rest.

Calzaghe had the great ability to change tactics, style during fights and would figure out a way to win, but Watson would have been close.

Collins don't get credit because he fought in the states for much of his career. People forget that Collins gave Mike McCallum a very tough fight whereas McCallum took Watson apart 2 months later. That at least puts Collins on a power with Watson, Eubank & Benn at their relative peaks. He lost only to McCallum, Reggie Johnson(narrowly) and Kalambay all three of whom would give Eubank & co all they could handle.

Again my argument that seems to be lost on people is that Collins would have beaten Cazaghe when they were first sheduled to fight. The later Calzaghe wins every time.

Agree with this part. If they had fought back when this fight was a possibility, it would have been a very close fight and I'd lean towards Collins. Prime for prime though, it's a wide UD for Joe.

As much as I dislike the guy's style and think he is very overatted, Calzaghe wins this fairly comfortably. He would be too fast and busy. That's the difference, really.

Deserter wrote:

ThereByTheGrace wrote:I'd go for Collins - that guy was tough......wish it had happened.

What's your rationale for that? I'm a fan of both fighters, but as the others have already stated, he wouldn't have been able to cope with Joe's speed. I think it'd be pretty similar to the Calzaghe vs Saiko Bika fight in that Collins would try and draw Joe into a brawl and would have some success in that regard, but would ultimately lose clearly.

I also think if the fight took place in 1997 that Collins would have prevailed.

I dont think Collins would have been caught with his hands down like Eubanks. Joe actually struggled badly with the strength of a weight drained ill prepared Eubanks. Collins would have put unbearable pressure on him and won a decision....

At any other time post 99 Calzaghe would had too much skill and strength and speed, but he was still raw in 1997 and Collins was a tough champ on a roll.

Steve Collins.

calzaghe

Joe Calzaghe

If i recall Collins gave up his SMW WBO title rather than face Calzaghe ,he then said something about fighting at cruzer weigh ? he dint tho and then retired !?
Love him or hate ,you cant get from it that Calzaghe could fight and has gotta be up there as one of the best if not the best fighter to eva come out of Briton .

mrpedigree wrote:If i recall Collins gave up his SMW WBO title rather than face Calzaghe ,he then said something about fighting at cruzer weigh ? he dint tho and then retired !?
Love him or hate ,you cant get from it that Calzaghe could fight and has gotta be up there as one of the best if not the best fighter to eva come out of Briton .

I thought he was in training for a fight with Calzaghe, and passed out, leading to a brain scan, which forced retirement?

I think his arse collapsed.