BoxRec

Would Steve Collins have beaten Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn in their primes, or did he get them at the "right times"?

No.

No way, a prime Benn would have stretched him.

I can understand the arguement that Benn was not the fighter he once was when he fought Collins. But Eubank certainly wasnt shot when he fought Collins, in fact Eubank put up a better showing in the two Collins fights than he had previously done in many others, upon which Eubank was often given very generous decisions having fought in fits and starts.

Collins simply had Eubank's number. Collins always worked at a frenetic pace whereas Eubank was too used to coasting along. Regardless of when Collins would have fought Eubank, Collins would always of outhussled and outfought Eubank.

liamlion wrote:Collins simply had Eubank's number.

You may be right there, perhaps I should have split the poll down a little further to differentiate between Benn and Eubank. Personally I still think they both would have beaten Collins at their peaks but Eubank would have always had more trouble with the Collins work ethic.

liamlion wrote:I can understand the arguement that Benn was not the fighter he once was when he fought Collins. But Eubank certainly wasnt shot when he fought Collins, in fact Eubank put up a better showing in the two Collins fights than he had previously done in many others, upon which Eubank was often given very generous decisions having fought in fits and starts.

Collins simply had Eubank's number. Collins always worked at a frenetic pace whereas Eubank was too used to coasting along. Regardless of when Collins would have fought Eubank, Collins would always of outhussled and outfought Eubank.

I'd agree completely with that. As for Benn I think that would have been much harder to call but I don't agree with the poster who said Benn would have stretched him. THe last thing to go is a fighters power and Benn hit Collins flush on plenty of occasions in both fights. When he saw it was having no real effect on Collins he pretty much gave up.

I think the only difference with a prime Benn is that he would have been hungrier and had more desire for a tear up which in my opinion he lost after the McClellan fight. I don't think he'd have stopped Collins though (certainly not the big strong super middleweight version who walked through Eubank and Benn's best shots) so the late rounds would have been very interesting.

Out-boxed by Eubank, out-powered by Benn.

He definitely came along at the right time. Both should have retired earlier.

Those were the days of British Boxing

Eubank still makes me smile with his antics

1) Eubank
2) Benn
3) Collins