BoxRec

Which was the fight where Eubank dropped Thompson but appeared unwilling to finish him off? Did Eubank drop him in both contests, or was it just the first one? Cannot remember which fight is which.

Anyone?

It was the first one. And Thompson was faking, he was never hurt in that fight and Eubank knew it.

I remember them being brilliant though. Brilliant.

I cant remember specifics. I'd be surprised if Carl got through a fight without being down once

What he faked being knocked down? I seem to recall from viewing it at the time, that Eubank lacked the killer instinct to finish him after the Watson tragedy.

Am I going mad, or are you joking?

I seem to recall Eubank nailing Thompson with a MASSIVE uppercut and dropping him like a sack of shite, but then had him on the ropes for ages and didn't seem to want to hit him any more.

Was Eubank dropped in one of the fights or both?

Great fights, both of them. One thing you have to give to Chris was that he got all the way up to about 13st 8lbs or somthing, but there was still no sight of any flab even in that late stage of his career.

Amazingly, he was only 32 when he retired, I remember him being a lot older.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:What he faked being knocked down? I seem to recall from viewing it at the time, that Eubank lacked the killer instinct to finish him after the Watson tragedy.

Am I going mad, or are you joking?

Thompson went down alright, but only because he lost his footing. Anyone who doubts this watch the video. I remember it like it was yesterday:

Thompson "staggers" back into the ropes looking hurt
Eubank goes to attack him but Thompson roars back (suddenly looking fresh) and smacks him with a horrible right hand
At the same time he loses his footing somehow and goes down
The crowd screams because they just saw Thompson "looking" hurt and think he's suffered a genuine knockdown
Eubank doesn't fall for the same trick again

So many people were fooled. Boxing Monthly were fooled, they predicted Eubank would "finish off Thompson this time inside 6 rounds". While it was absolutely no surprise to me that Thompson never once wobbled in the rematch.

Those are facts gentlemen!

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Which was the fight where Eubank dropped Thompson but appeared unwilling to finish him off? Did Eubank drop him in both contests, or was it just the first one? Cannot remember which fight is which.

Anyone?

Wasnt that against Collins? He stood right off in that one when he had him near finished.

This is all getting confusing, memory is shite for articles when the fights are so long ago...

Actually I'll correct my first line - Thompson didn't "stagger" to the ropes on that occasion he just kind of "froze" and dropped his hands and lowered his head. It was all designed to get Eubank to come steaming in so that Carl could nail him with a booming right hand.

It was a rare old spectacle. On the night I actually thought the reason Eubank "chose" not to finish Thompson off was because he loved being the centre of attention so much that he didn't want the fight to end! How naive. It was only when I watched the fight the next day that I realised what was going on in there.

Remember - watch the "knockdown" and keep your eye on Thompsons body language and foot position. It's clear to see he faked everything, apart from the knockdown which was basically a slip (although Eubank did connect with a shot to add to the effect).

jamesmcdonnell wrote:This is all getting confusing, memory is shite for articles when the fights are so long ago...

Indeed, too many jars in the interim?! I remember him nailing Collins with a massive uppercut, Collins getting up on rubbery legs and Eubank stood off. It was their first fight I think, and the eleventh round perhaps? Someone fill me in!

Perhaps it was Collins then...

I don't remember Eubank deliberately standing off against Collins, but maybe he did.

Eubank wasn't now in either Thompson fight.

Eubank did a lot of standing off in the first Thompson fight, but that's because he was one of the few people in the arena who knew that Thompson was faking, and waiting to land a sucker punch.

Kilburn,

Got the fights on DVD, watch the regularly - as McGuigan said after the first fight if Thompson wasn't hurt then he deserves an Oscar. He WAS gone, he's got amazing recovery power (as shown against Rothman) but he was hurt just as badly. You cannot act the way he staggered with glazy eyes in one of those rounds. I admit the KD wasn't that much of a damaging blow.

He was also rocked in the rematch, and Eubank did try and sieze the moment - but wasn't hurt as nearly as bad.

I don't know that he has great powers of recovery, more like a terrific tolerance for punishment. He seems to be able to stagger around on the verge of dropping to the canvas for entire rounds.

Thompson was faking for sure, like Kilburn says, when Eubank rushed into finish it he got chinned by a full on right hand.

Eubank defo had Collins on queer street but failed to follow up, first fight i think.

Now perhaps you guys can remind me, did Eubank have Calzaghe badly hurt right at the end of their fight??? I read it recently but couldnt remember

Yes I agree with Stu here, Thompson was definitely hurt several times ( not exactly iron chinned is he ) but he also faked it a few times too, so Eubank was probably as confused as everyone else by then.

I was watching it with a friend, who was convinced Thompson was never hurt either, but I'm pretty sure he was myself.

knockout wrote: Now perhaps you guys can remind me, did Eubank have Calzaghe badly hurt right at the end of their fight??? I read it recently but couldnt remember

Yes, Joe was holding on for dear life near the end, more exhausted than anything I think, but Chris landed a big right hand I think.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I don't know that he has great powers of recovery, more like a terrific tolerance for punishment. He seems to be able to stagger around on the verge of dropping to the canvas for entire rounds.

Yes I think Carl is one of those fighters that can be "gone" one second, then make an immediate recovery. Chi was a bit like that the other night.

Charles Brewer is another.

MightyWarrior wrote:

knockout wrote: Now perhaps you guys can remind me, did Eubank have Calzaghe badly hurt right at the end of their fight??? I read it recently but couldnt remember

Yes, Joe was holding on for dear life near the end, more exhausted than anything I think, but Chris landed a big right hand I think.

cheers, it could have all been so different if Eubank didnt have a week to prepare and get the weight off

People often forget Eubank had COllins down and out on his feat from either 9th or tenth. He then failed to follow up belieiving his NAME and the knockdown woul dbe enough to nick the win. As he had so many times before.

It wasn;'t

Eubank is a big favourite of mine and I loved the Thompson fights...sheer brilliance!!

The thompson fights made him more popular than any of his victories ever did. Despite his many annoying habits, Eubank had the heart of a lion in the ring, I don't think he liked the fight game that much, but when he had to, he really fought with grim determination.

I loved him from the moment he did the RING WALK in Germany when fighting Rocchiagna.

12,000 screaming scalped Germans and this one black guy taking ten minutes to get to the ring.

It was TV gold.