from the heart - you're greatest hero boxer and why - 1 line

[sweetviolenturg]

Great. Sparred a few times with some low level pros, and couldnt believe how good and tough these mf were. Pretty much ended my dream of turning pro lol. Do you mind if i ask what your real name is

No, I don't mind at all & I completely understand your curiosity but I won't divulge that info anymore because of an incident a few years ago with some trolls from here who got into my Facebook account & harassed my wife for a day or two. It was a big nuisance that I'd just rather avoid ever happening again. Not that I think you'd do anything like that, of course. My first name is Jim though.

 

[Dr brakestick]

Nigel Benn... I was a a teenager when he was in his prime. He was always up for the fight and as I got older and read articles and watched interviews with him he seemed a genuinely big hearted guy who just put his heart and soul into everything he did.

 

[Street Samurai]

No, I don't mind at all & I completely understand your curiosity but I won't divulge that info anymore because of an incident a few years ago with some trolls from here who got into my Facebook account & harassed my wife for a day or two. It was a big nuisance that I'd just rather avoid ever happening again. Not that I think you'd do anything like that, of course. My first name is Jim though.

Cool i can understand. There's a few weirdos out there.
What is the best fighter you ever fought, sparring or real fight?

 

[Jonny Ninja]

It’s good to see so many fans of the dark destroyer, and a little surprising as well!

 

[Jonny Ninja]

Nigel Benn... I was a a teenager when he was in his prime. He was always up for the fight and as I got older and read articles and watched interviews with him he seemed a genuinely big hearted guy who just put his heart and soul into everything he did.

I met him in ibiza smashed off my nut at a pool party where he was DJing. Really nice fella, not a great DJ, though noone really cared

 

[aries]

Overrated doesn't means he sucked. Benn was a great victory, but Nigel at that time wasnt that hard to beat. Fought way too aggressively and stupidly (was a bit of a kamikaze, bit that's why he also was amazing). And he got a gift against Watson the first time around, and was getting beaten all over the ring before he caught Watson coming in for the kill (seconds after getting up). That fight was pretty much the definition of fluke. I might be a bit too hard toward him, but his bum tour really made me soured on him. And he had way too many ckose calls/gifts against these second class fighters

Again, I'm not saying Eubank sucked, and in fact i liked the guy, but some put him among the best sw ever and i think that's crazy. Hell, ive seen slme people claims he would destroy froch, and i think thats total nonsense

The thing with Eubank, is he was never the same fighter after the Watson tragedy. I agree that he could have fought better opponents. He never pushed himself to fight the top Americans, like Watson did with McCallum and Benn did with McCellan. But Eubank went from being a heavy-handed puncher to being a fighter that wouldn't commit if it looked like the opponent was hurt. He was really scared of letting his punches go. And without that he was just a low output poser with a great chin. But the fact is he beat both of his greatest domestic opponents at the time in Benn and Watson. To me he was the clear best of that era.

And I get what you are saying about flukes but Benn himself was gifted in the McClellan fight. Many refs would have waved the fight off when Benn went through the ropes like he did. The fact is that Eubank had one of the greatest chins in the business and heavy hands so that always left him in with a chance. Carl Froch was similar, he was losing fights and it was his tremendous toughness and big punch that kept him in the fight right until the final bell.

And speaking of Froch, a fight with Eubank would be an epic fight but I'd give the advantage to Froch. Eubanks output was just too low and he's not KO'ing Froch nor the other way around. It would be a war of attrition and I think Froch's work rate would win him the fight.

 

[sweetviolenturg]

Cool i can understand. There's a few weirdos out there.
What is the best fighter you ever fought, sparring or real fight?

Ray Leonard, hands down.

I was actually in the Leonard camp to spar with Dan Sherry, a middleweight contender that he was managing at the time. But then Leonard decided to go a few rounds & he asked me if I'd spar with him. Which was the opportunity of a lifetime as far as I was concerned so of course, I agreed to do it.

 

[borntoloseNOT]

Ray Leonard, hands down.

I was actually in the Leonard camp to spar with Dan Sherry, a middleweight contender that he was managing at the time. But then Leonard decided to go a few rounds & he asked me if I'd spar with him. Which was the opportunity of a lifetime as far as I was concerned so of course, I agreed to do it.

Wow! That must have been one hell of a experience!

 

[RabbitPunch36]

The thing with Eubank, is he was never the same fighter after the Watson tragedy. I agree that he could have fought better opponents. He never pushed himself to fight the top Americans, like Watson did with MacCallum and Benn did with McCellan. But Eubank went from being a heavy-handed puncher to being a fighter that wouldn't commit if it looked like the opponent was hurt. He was really scared of letting his punches go. And without that he was just a low output poser with a great chin. But the fact is he beat both of his greatest domestic opponents at the time in Benn and Watson. To me he was the clear best of that era.

And I get what you are saying about flukes but Benn himself was gifted in the McClellan fight. Many refs would have waved the fight off when Benn went through the ropes like he did. The fact is that Eubank had one of the greatest chins in the business and heavy hands so that always left him in with a chance. Carl Froch was similar, he was losing fights and it was his tremendous toughness and big punch that kept him in the fight right until the final bell.

And speaking of Froch, a fight with Eubank would be an epic fight but I'd give the advantage to Froch. Eubanks output was just too low and he's not KO'ing Froch nor the other way around. It would be a war of attrition and I think Froch's work rate would win him the fight.

He did challenge himself with the Steve Collins, Calzaghe, and Thompson fights at the end of his career though. Why he went from fighting 2nd rate fighters in his prime/title run to elite killers at the end I'm not sure. Maybe somebody more knowledgable about that era and weight divisions can explain for me.

 

[RabbitPunch36]

My submission is Aaron Pryor. His crazy frentic energy, pace, recklessness, and creativity are mesmerizing to watch.

 

[aries]

He did challenge himself with the Steve Collins, Calzaghe, and Thompson fights at the end of his career though. Why he went from fighting 2nd rate fighters in his prime/title run to elite killers at the end I'm not sure. Maybe somebody more knowledgable about that era and weight divisions can explain for me.

Calzaghe, at that point Eubank didn't care. He'd already lost twice to Collins. Collins was no killer, and he wasn't in the same league as Prime Eubank, but by that point he was past it. I think it is telling that Eubank's biggest worry is that he thought he'd killed Collins when he knocked him down in the 10th. He wasn't in a good place mentally.

Thompson was a daring fight but Eubank had already lost to Calzaghe and Collins but he always had his chin. I think the biggest factor was Eubank didn't care if he lost at that point, as long as he didn't hurt his opponent. And he always had that chin. Just look at how many decisions Eubank went to after the Watson tragedy. I think he had 1 KO and 1 TKO in 15 fights. Before that it was 11 KO from 14 fights. He really lost his will to hurt people after Watson. (Nearly) killing someone can really fuck you up, just look at Emille Griffith.

 

[sweetviolenturg]

Wow! That must have been one hell of a experience!

Oh, it definitely was. It was surreal trying to punch my idol in the face & getting punched in return by him. But after the first round or so the jitters faded for the most part & I just went about doing my job. By that point in my career, I'd already worked with guys like Hector Camacho, Aaron Pryor, Simon Brown, & a slew of other big-name fighters for years so I was well-seasoned.

 

[RabbitPunch36]

Oh, it definitely was. It was surreal trying to punch my idol in the face & getting punched in return by him. But after the first round or so the jitters faded for the most part & I just went about doing my job. By that point in my career, I'd already worked with guys like Hector Camacho, Aaron Pryor, Simon Brown, & a slew of other big-name fighters for years so I was well-seasoned.

Got any Aaron Pryor stories? I'm a big fan if you couldnt tell from my AV.

 

[BangBang]

Calzaghe, it's tricky because I've heard of multiple times when he was an absolute bastard out of the ring, but in it he was a master, and if you were overlooking him or getting all the hype he just dragged you through the full 12 battering you completely.
Also later in his career proved be could get up and come back harder after getting floored.
Excellent fighter, strategist and consummate professional. Just a bit of a twat allegedly.

Edit. Or Nigel Benn, because he was no nonsense and ridiculously entertaining. Zero fear of anyone.

Don't doubt his greatness. I grew up watching him, Benn, Eubamk and Collins etc etc. I saw him v Lacey. One thing nags me though, and it nagged me then, he fought fighters out of prime, RJJ, Hopkins..

I always felt he could have done more...small details I know but when you're talking about degrees of greatness.

 

[BangBang]

Froch

Loved his balls to the wall style and duck no one mentality. Was at Kessler 2 and Groves 2 which were two of the best sporting experiences of my life.

His Bute performance is probably my favourite.

Did he mention 90, 000?

 

[Boxiana]

Oh, it definitely was. It was surreal trying to punch my idol in the face & getting punched in return by him. But after the first round or so the jitters faded for the most part & I just went about doing my job. By that point in my career, I'd already worked with guys like Hector Camacho, Aaron Pryor, Simon Brown, & a slew of other big-name fighters for years so I was well-seasoned.

That’s crazy that you’ve been in with Leonard. Did he get nasty and try to hurt you at any point, like that famous ‘exhibition’ performance?

 

[Boxiana]

Did he mention 90, 000?

I was one of them and it was an amazing night, so I give him a pass on that. Unfortunately he talks a lot of other shit these days on top of that.

 

[BangBang]

Lennox Lewis - Beat every man he ever faced.

 

[StewDogg11]

Marvin Hagler

“Tennis shoes are for sissies”

Say what you want about about Teddy but he summed up why Marvin was my favorite fighter better than I ever could:

 

[borntoloseNOT]

Marvin Hagler

“Tennis shoes are for sissies”

Say what you want about about Teddy but he summed up why Marvin was my favorite fighter better than I ever could:

Crazy that considering Haglers mentality about testing himself that years and years later McCallum still seething he felt he was avoided by Hagler.