Nigel Benn V Sakio Bika

[MasterG]

What do you make of this?

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/5980 ... arl-froch/

[Noxy]

Call me a cynic but I don’t buy it. He looks sharp though.

[Glass Joe]

Benn would never get a License to box under BBBOC rules. Who was the oldest fighter to fight in the UK under BBBOC rules? Terry Dunstan?

[Steveh583]

Great to see my fav fighter fit and active as he ages, but there's one thing being gym fit and another being fight fit. His balance is gone. Carl froch would have been too big, strong and tough then, and would still be today. People forget Nigel was a small SM. and he's my fav ever.

[Glass Joe]

Chris Eubank Jr needs an opponent as he will end up fighting once a year this rate

[Covfefe]

Great to see my fav fighter fit and active as he ages, but there's one thing being gym fit and another being fight fit. His balance is gone. Carl froch would have been too big, strong and tough then, and would still be today. People forget Nigel was a small SM. and he's my fav ever.

Then?

Not exactly sure how old Froch would have been during Benn's pomp but I’d fancy Benn.

[Noxy]

Chris Eubank Jr needs an opponent as he will end up fighting once a year this rate

Yes! What’s he doing? It’s been a while now.

[samwbr]

Must be broke. Sad and embarrassing.

[bigjack]

Won't happen in this country

[samwbr]

Must be broke. Sad and embarrassing.

Or he can’t give the game up

Cobblers

[margaret thatcher]

Feels good to be a golfer or something. Can play and compete pretty much for life

[Steveh583]

Great to see my fav fighter fit and active as he ages, but there's one thing being gym fit and another being fight fit. His balance is gone. Carl froch would have been too big, strong and tough then, and would still be today. People forget Nigel was a small SM. and he's my fav ever.

Then?

Not exactly sure how old Froch would have been during Benn's pomp but I’d fancy Benn.

When did froch ever not fancy a fight?

Too big. Too strong. Too long. People forget that Benn and eubank (god bless them) we're basically world-class domestics. At no point could any of them really claim to be the best in Britain, let alone the world. (Both avoided Graham, Watson bested both in reality, Collins in their winter years). Carl mixed it with the best of the best (of his day) and more times than not came out on top. At no stage could they be considered in the best two of their division. Remember guys like Toney, rjj, Nunn, McCallum, I could list a host and other's if I wasn't pissed. they are both my favourites but they are overrated and romanticized because of the rivalry.

[black panther]

I think Benn at middleweight was wolf class.

Not as effective at SM. Hope he doesn’t fight again he’s fit for his age but looks slow and old compared to a prime boxer.

[tobyh5]

Then?

Not exactly sure how old Froch would have been during Benn's pomp but I’d fancy Benn.

When did froch ever not fancy a fight?

Too big. Too strong. Too long. People forget that Benn and eubank (god bless them) we're basically world-class domestics. At no point could any of them really claim to be the best in Britain, let alone the world. (Both avoided Graham, Watson bested both in reality, Collins in their winter years). Carl mixed it with the best of the best (of his day) and more times than not came out on top. At no stage could they be considered in the best two of their division. Remember guys like Toney, rjj, Nunn, McCallum, I could list a host and other's if I wasn't pissed. they are both my favourites but they are overrated and romanticized because of the rivalry.

They both fought Dan Sherry though.

[MasterG]

I think Benn at middleweight was wolf class.

Not as effective at SM. Hope he doesn’t fight again he’s fit for his age but looks slow and old compared to a prime boxer.

Benn was better than wolf class, he was snow leopard class at the very least.

[bigjack]

I think Benn at middleweight was wolf class.

Not as effective at SM. Hope he doesn’t fight again he’s fit for his age but looks slow and old compared to a prime boxer.

Benn was better than wolf class, he was snow leopard class at the very least.

Benn was nothing more than a big,soft pussycat

[Autobarn]

Benn stopped Barkley and McClellan for Christ sake. He took it to the Americans in wild, savage and insane fights. He had done this at Commonwealth level with Logan and after a couple of painful learning experiences did it against future 3 weight champ Barkley and the best p4p puncher in the world McClellan. Also he was superb in the Eubank rematch and unlucky not to win. He showed that he actually could stick to a plan and be effective - and I felt he was a better 168 than 160, despite being more exciting as a totally reckless middleweight.

Eubank also had some exceptional performances such as Benn 1, Watson 2 & Thompson 1 - perhaps the best fights ever in a British ring. Plus, wins over Malinga, Thornton, Rocchigiani may have been frustrating (no more so than the usual Jermaine Taylor or Canelo Alvarez fared but were no joke. Only Joe Calzaghe beat him decisively and that was when Eubank had to drop a weight class and take the fight at short notice.

Both won titles in two weights during stacked eras. I wouldn’t call them domestic level at all. Theyachieved at world level, at a time when our domestic level was perhaps the best ever - Watson, Collins, Close, Graham, etc etc. These guys established the platform for names like Calzaghe & Froch, as well as Degale, Groves, Callum Smith. Boxing is more sophisticated now, it’s more technical and the promoters and managers know more about building fighters. I kind of miss these Wild West days of Benn and Eubank. The drama, rivalry, and also the randomness.

[Steveh583]

Benn stopped Barkley and McClellan for Christ sake. He took it to the Americans in wild, savage and insane fights. He had done this at Commonwealth level with Logan and after a couple of painful learning experiences did it against future 3 weight champ Barkley and the best p4p puncher in the world McClellan. Also he was superb in the Eubank rematch and unlucky not to win. He showed that he actually could stick to a plan and be effective - and I felt he was a better 168 than 160, despite being more exciting as a totally reckless middleweight.

Eubank also had some exceptional performances such as Benn 1, Watson 2 & Thompson 1 - perhaps the best fights ever in a British ring. Plus, wins over Malinga, Thornton, Rocchigiani may have been frustrating (no more so than the usual Jermaine Taylor or Canelo Alvarez fared but were no joke. Only Joe Calzaghe beat him decisively and that was when Eubank had to drop a weight class and take the fight at short notice.

Both won titles in two weights during stacked eras. I wouldn’t call them domestic level at all. Theyachieved at world level, at a time when our domestic level was perhaps the best ever - Watson, Collins, Close, Graham, etc etc. These guys established the platform for names like Calzaghe & Froch, as well as Degale, Groves, Callum Smith. Boxing is more sophisticated now, it’s more technical and the promoters and managers know more about building fighters. I kind of miss these Wild West days of Benn and Eubank. The drama, rivalry, and also the randomness.

I didn't call them domestic level, I called them 'world class domestics'. Big ticket sellers in a small pond. Both skilful, but equally never the best. Eubanks career is particularly viewed with rose tinted glasses, he got a few gifts (post watson 2) and often stunk the place out.

Regarding benn, yes, all credit to learning your trade in america, but he basically beat up a blind old man in Barkley (for a trinket that had zero credibility at the time as the WBO was newly formed). Obviously the G Man performance was Herculean,but it must be remembered that a) Gerald was in his first fight stepping up a weight and b) benn caught him at the perfect time, under prepared and without a corner.

As for being two weight champs... the fact that the WBO was held in such low regard tarnishes that, it held no real stature to the Americans. Basically it was 'our' world title. It should have been called the FWBO. The allegedly Boxing Organisation belt

[Verdi]

Benn would never get a License to box under BBBOC rules. Who was the oldest fighter to fight in the UK under BBBOC rules? Terry Dunstan?

Steve Ward was almost 61.

Edit - not BBBCO

[lillywhite14]

He’d beat Connor

[lillywhite14]

Must be broke. Sad and embarrassing.

I don’t feel too much for people who’ve frittered away serious dough

Plenty of other jobs he could do too

[polecateddy]

Having watched both Benn and Eubank during their career, I think it's fair to say both could operate well against world class fighters, but also were carefully matched at other times. I think it's a lot easier to visualise Joe Calzaghe having that workrate and handspeed edge. But I think with Carl Froch, the right kind of disciplined performance from Eubank or Benn would have made it very close. Probably a split decision either way that would be open to interpretation. Froch certainly had his share of close calls on the way up.

[skanksta]

Peeps thinking Benn would be Froch ??

[cormack]

charity gig ?

[Roco]

Then?

Not exactly sure how old Froch would have been during Benn's pomp but I’d fancy Benn.

When did froch ever not fancy a fight?

Too big. Too strong. Too long. People forget that Benn and eubank (god bless them) we're basically world-class domestics. At no point could any of them really claim to be the best in Britain, let alone the world. (Both avoided Graham, Watson bested both in reality, Collins in their winter years). Carl mixed it with the best of the best (of his day) and more times than not came out on top. At no stage could they be considered in the best two of their division. Remember guys like Toney, rjj, Nunn, McCallum, I could list a host and other's if I wasn't pissed. they are both my favourites but they are overrated and romanticized because of the rivalry.

If Froch had been active during the time of Toney, Jones jnr, McCallum etc. he too would have not being considered the best. The best of Froch day was not as good as the best from Benn and Eubanks day.