BoxRec

The following is from an article from eastsideboxing.com

The article is about how Calzaghe would have fared against Eubank, Benn, Toney, Jones, Collins when they were in their prime? I have taken just the Calzaghe-Eubank bit.

Calzaghe Vs Chris Eubank

When Calzaghe and Eubank did meet, Eubank was coming out of retirement at only seven days notice and was weighing over 190lbs with under a week to make 168. What would of happened had Calzaghe met the Eubank of five years previous? Eubank was an awkward, slippery fighter who often fought on the backfoot unless he was stepping into his terrific stiff jab. Eubank was a better mover than Calzaghe and used the ring much better, although Calzaghe was far busier than Eubank and far better on the inside. Eubank never liked being pressured, due to his lack of stamina, but with Calzaghe being abit square-on and without much of a guard it would be perfect for Eubank to land his slick lead right that came without warning. Eubank was too good of an outside fighter and Calzaghe would be reduced to knocking him out, stopping him or somehow walking through stiff jabs and lead rights to out-hussle him. Eubank had a chin of granite. Eubank W12 Calzaghe, 116-112.

Bloody hell! Is it really true that Eubank lost all that weight in a week! I have read his book and he documents his weight struggles very well, but the above is taking the piss, surely!

Eubank could look poor against people who made him work, the fight could have turned out a bit like Calzaghe v Reid, a snorefest with neither fighter really being able to engage the other.

Eubank had a lot of fortunate performances, and whilst his heart could never be called into question, or his power when it was really needed, he wasn't consistent round to round let alone fight to fight.

Eubank did shift an enormous amount of weight for that fight, so I've heard many times, and probably wasn't in tip top condition, however, Calzaghe might have nicked it on points if they had fought, with his handspeed and workrate.

Suprised the doctors pass them fit to fight if they lose that much weight so quickly!

Not suprising though as boxers put on too much fat weight in between fights these days and are too stubborn to fight at their natural weights.

whilst i am a huge Eubank fan he was already scheduled to fight at 175 on the same show and says so in his book i believe...
sure he had to drain himself but those numbers make things seem much more drastic than they really were i am sure...
Pre Watson Eubank with the Nigel Benn type fire in his belly would have taken Calzaghe out

Hmm, I don't know...

Calzaghe has a good chin, and Eubank was still a young fighter back then. Watson was all over him in their first fight, and was beating him up in their second. Watson was a bit technically superior to Calzaghe, but he had the same thing Calzaghe had, an excellent workrate, and he just stayed on Eubank like a rash.

Difference is Calzaghe wades in a bit more, but earlier in his career, calzaghe didn't do that.

Calzaghe technically is past his prime now, but I think in their respective primes, Calzaghe v Eubank would have been a very tough fight for both men.

You cannot lose that amount of weight in aweek: well sure, a 250lb lardo could with no food but a reasonable fit sportsman could not drop that.

Fair play to Chris, he has used the latte rpart of his career to show how brave he was and how he would go to the depths to try and win. Frankly, on any technical analysis of punch precision, he was bloody awful against Calzaghe.

Eubank was scheduled to face Mark Prince that night at Light Heavy. Collins pulled out of his WBO title defence, I think it was less than a week before the fight - cause Sky started their countdown shows hyping the Collins fight.

Eubank was very sluggish vs Calzaghe, tried his heart out and it was a good fight - however, whilst Joe fought a similar fight to Collins did to a fully prepared Chris, if you watch the two fights it is clear that Eubank is more lethargic in his movements and less snappy with his own punches (they look slower). Perhaps it was Calzaghe's superior handspeed that made Eubank look slower, but I don't think it was personally.

Also the Ronnie Davies factor was a huge influence, if memory serves me correctly - Ronnie Davies wasn't in the corner, I think it was Maurice Core or maybe Dennis Andries - Eubank was listening to instructions, but the problem was - the instructions were so loud the everyone could hear what the plan was. It was "over hand right Chris, over hand right" - two seconds later Chris would throw an overhand right which Joe would evade.

I would favour Chris in a match between the two in their primes.

FACTS:

Eubank had just short of three weeks notice for the fight.

He was due to fight Mark Prince at 177 and was weighing more than that when he accepted JC.

He lost over a stone in two weeks but, as usual throughout his career, left it late to lose it. Nothing he had not done before, many times.

The first Watson fight was far, far worse.

Eubank made no excuses in regard to weight for his loss.

Even so, losing that sort of weight that quickly is going to effect you more the older you get, probably why he was planning to move up beforehand and did afterwards

Eubank was always very gracious in defeat and made no excuses.

I do think a combination of the rustiness, lets forget the sparring sessions he had in Egypt, and the weight played a huge factor in the fight.

boxingchat wrote:FACTS:

Eubank had just short of three weeks notice for the fight.

He was due to fight Mark Prince at 177 and was weighing more than that when he accepted JC.

He lost over a stone in two weeks but, as usual throughout his career, left it late to lose it. Nothing he had not done before, many times.

The first Watson fight was far, far worse.

Eubank made no excuses in regard to weight for his loss.

And pray tell, how do you know all this?

I think it was 15 lbs he had to lose.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I think it was 15 lbs he had to lose.

Short of sawing off one of your legs below the knee, I’d think it nigh on impossible to lose over 1 stone in just 24 hours!!!

He must have been on a treadmill for all 24 hours whilst gussling laxatives.

Well, a litre of water weighs 2.2 lbs. So he would have had to lose 6-7 litres of water, which is possible.

Wouldn't believe anything you read on eastside, they just make it up as they go along.

Calzaghe would've been too busy for even a prime Eubank I reckon. Defintely another distance fight, as both have excellent chins. And both showed great heart too. But Joe made the weight better, and would've been thowing punches all night long.

That's what I reckon too. Calzaghe early in his career had a fantastic workrate. Eubank would have had to have found a late hail mary punch to win. Unlike Benn, Calzaghe didn't just come wading in, had fast hands, and could hold a shot a lot better than Benn, who was dangerous when hurt, but often got staggered by big shots.

Collins v Calzaghe would have been a cracker. Very very hard fight for both men. Collins may just have been too strong.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Well, a litre of water weighs 2.2 lbs. So he would have had to lose 6-7 litres of water, which is possible.

Possible - except most people don't have 6 or 7 litres of water inside them at any one time to lose...

Loftgroov wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Well, a litre of water weighs 2.2 lbs. So he would have had to lose 6-7 litres of water, which is possible.

Possible - except most people don't have 6 or 7 litres of water inside them at any one time to lose...

Cobblers mate.

Your body is 80% water, if you weight 190 lbs, that means that all but 152 lbs of that weight is water.

Of course if you lose too much water you will simply drop dead so there is a finite limit to how much you can lose.

The water doesn't come from your bladder it is excreted through the pores from the bloodstream and other tissues.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

Loftgroov wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Well, a litre of water weighs 2.2 lbs. So he would have had to lose 6-7 litres of water, which is possible.

Possible - except most people don't have 6 or 7 litres of water inside them at any one time to lose...

Cobblers mate.

Your body is 80% water, if you weight 190 lbs, that means that all but 152 lbs of that weight is water.

Of course if you lose too much water you will simply drop dead so there is a finite limit to how much you can lose.

The water doesn't come from your bladder it is excreted through the pores from the bloodstream and other tissues.

I stand corrected!

It just sounds soooo harsh!

Without a doubt it must be an absolute killer.

I seem to recall that toney was skipping in the sauna in a boiler suit to make the weight limit for the Jones Jr fight.

15lbs in 24 hours is doable but very stupid...
It all depends on what Toney had been doing before he weighed in 15lbs over...
Assuming he had just walked into the gym
He could lose approx 8lbs by doing a normal training session...
Presumably he wouldnt eat anything for 24 hours and pass out anything he had eaten.... that another 3-4 pounds.
Then he jumps in the sauna to lose the remaining 5lbs....

Crazy but not impossible....

I think his performance reflects the stupidity of it....

My favourite quote regarding that fight was from journalists who said you could hear the water crashing around in James stomach during the fight

Whatever excuses Calwhoee-"fans" bring forward, the basic point remains: the Chris Eubank Calzaghe fought had nothing to do with the Chris Eubank who battled Benn, Watson, Rocchigiani etc..

P

This may be so, but if, and it's big IF, Calzaghe beats Lacy, then you and a lot of other dumbasses are going to be eating a lot of crow pie.

To call him Calwhoee is ridiculous, what other fighter at SM has achieved more to date? Lacy hasn't faced a prime dangerman yet, Kessler is still a way off matching Calzaghe's resume, and Ottke, the king of the hometown decision is retired.

I'm no Calzaghe apologist, but to date there is nobody else in the division who boasts a better record, and if he does beat Lacy, then he will have proven a very big point.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

boxingchat wrote:FACTS:

Eubank had just short of three weeks notice for the fight.

He was due to fight Mark Prince at 177 and was weighing more than that when he accepted JC.

He lost over a stone in two weeks but, as usual throughout his career, left it late to lose it. Nothing he had not done before, many times.

The first Watson fight was far, far worse.

Eubank made no excuses in regard to weight for his loss.

And pray tell, how do you know all this?

It's in his book!

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Well, a litre of water weighs 2.2 lbs. So he would have had to lose 6-7 litres of water, which is possible.

Ah, clean water of dirty water, ice or steam?