BoxRec

about the time when i first started really watching boxing was when steve collins fought chris eubank and always wondered who would have one if collins and calzaghe fought and wondered who everyone else does.

Joe far to superior.

Collins was tough but Calzaghe's speed would have been too much and would get him a UD.

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

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.

hurts me to vote against Steve Collins, cos I hold him in such high regard, but Calzaghe is th ebest british fighter I've seen

It would have been a heck of a fight, Collins was hard as nails but Calzaghe's speed and work rate would have taken him to a clear UD I think.

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.

Collins was a very good fighter, Im quite surprised he is such an overwhelming underdog in many peoples eyes. I think Collins couldve drawn Calzaghe into a fight and beat him, thats the only way he couldve beat him fair enough but if they fought in 1996/97 as was planned then Id wouldve picked Collins all the way.

Would have been a good fight.

WE'D ALL BE LOSERS IN THIS SNORE-FEST POINTS VICTORY FOR WHOEVER

funso banjo baby wrote:WE'D ALL BE LOSERS IN THIS SNORE-FEST POINTS VICTORY FOR WHOEVER

what planet are you on mate

Calzaghe was far more predictable. Collins could play matador, mover, mauler-brawler, or mid-ring counter-puncher. He played mauler-brawler at the end of his career but if he chopped and changed throughout the fight he could out-think Joe. Calzaghe adapted in a fight only once in his entire career (Kessler). Stevie would find the most effective way to do the one-dimensional Welshman.

Anybody else heard the story about Collins knocking the former Wales Rugby player Richard Moriarty spark out in a pub in Cardiff?

JC wins this IMO.

He's far too speedy & busy for Collins.

Collins would enjoy some success because Calzaghe could be drawn into a war, but ultimately, he wouldn't be able to cope with the flurrymeister general. :P

Lol can't believe anyone voted for Collins.

coghaugen11 wrote:Calzaghe was far more predictable. Collins could play matador, mover, mauler-brawler, or mid-ring counter-puncher. He played mauler-brawler at the end of his career but if he chopped and changed throughout the fight he could out-think Joe. Calzaghe adapted in a fight only once in his entire career (Kessler). Stevie would find the most effective way to do the one-dimensional Welshman.

While I agree that Collins was under-rated and switched styles during his career, you seem to be completely glossing over the fact that Calzaghe was far from one-dimensional. Not only that, Arthur Abraham of all people pointed out how Calzaghe's style was so hard to figure out as he didn't adopt a single pace and in his combination punching mixed in 'soft' shots with harder ones.
You're also missing the point that Joe made adjustments when he needed to (Kessler) and can hardly be blamed for not radically changing style given he didn't need to judging by the fact he retired undefeated. I'd also argue the display against Lacy was far more refined and disciplined than the Calzaghe we saw involved in the 'shoot-out' with Byron Mitchell, for example.

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.

jameswilson wrote:Anybody else heard the story about Collins knocking the former Wales Rugby player Richard Moriarty spark out in a pub in Cardiff?

it was Colin Jones who did that, according to the welsh rugby lore i heard

As much as this pains me to say it, calslappy would of beat steve, i think it would of been a good tear up, but joe was to quick, and his work rate was immense.

Counter-puncher wrote:

jameswilson wrote:Anybody else heard the story about Collins knocking the former Wales Rugby player Richard Moriarty spark out in a pub in Cardiff?

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!

coghaugen11 wrote:Calzaghe was far more predictable. Collins could play matador, mover, mauler-brawler, or mid-ring counter-puncher. He played mauler-brawler at the end of his career but if he chopped and changed throughout the fight he could out-think Joe. Calzaghe adapted in a fight only once in his entire career (Kessler). Stevie would find the most effective way to do the one-dimensional Welshman.

JC used to be a real banger but changed his style completely after bad hand trouble. The fact he changed tactics so efficiently, in top world class against Kessler shows how good he was. A change of tactics against Bika is another obvious one, also Hopkins.

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.

I can't make a case for Collins.

His most success came when he started fighting the British fighters. This was when he appeared to adopt adopt the come forward style of landing two but taking one - Calzaghe would have had a field day with that version of Collins.

In his earlier days when he was more boxer than brawler, he might well have nicked a few rounds, but the speed of Calzaghe would always give someone like Collins fits.

Coco wrote:

Counter-puncher wrote:

jameswilson wrote:Anybody else heard the story about Collins knocking the former Wales Rugby player Richard Moriarty spark out in a pub in Cardiff?

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.

yes, mate. welsh rugby fans- i believe Moriarty was an unpopular so-and-so within the game- used to have a 'Colin Jones knocked you out...' song to taunt Moriarty with at games. i believe Moriarty was a type who liked to throw his weight around and opinion in wales was that he got what was coming to him.

Counter-puncher wrote:yes, mate. welsh rugby fans- i believe Moriarty was an unpopular so-and-so within the game- used to have a 'Colin Jones knocked you out...' song to taunt Moriarty with at games. i believe Moriarty was a type who liked to throw his weight around and opinion in wales was that he got what was coming to him.

I dislike Welsh rugby in General so I was never likely to be his biggest fan either way.