EUBANK VS BENN
A week that saw the arrival of superstars, writes Matt Christie
And other classic bouts to enjoy again
5 PAUL SAMUELS w rsf 3 CELLO RENDA
November 13, 2009; Fenton Manor, Stoke-on-trent
CELLO RENDA and Paul Samuels became part of British fighting folklore when, on the undercard of Lovemore Ndou-matthew Hatton, they landed simultaneous left hooks to score simultaneous knockdowns in round two of their eight-rounder. The punches and resulting falls were so in-tune, commentator Ian Darke excitedly announced, ‘This could be a new sport - synchronised boxing!’ Both got up on wobbly legs before Samuels, who also survived a knockdown in the opening round, forced the stoppage in round three.
DID YOU KNOW? Two months later, on another undercard (Rob Norton-david Dolan at Altrincham Leisure Centre), Samuels and Renda went hell for leather again. They shared knockdowns before Samuels got the nod on points.
WATCH OUT FOR: Besides the obvious double knockdown (which, whether you’ve seen it before or not, you’ll find yourself watching over and over again), a special mention must go to the glorious hairstyle of Paul Samuels. Rarely has a man appeared so proud of a receding hairline.
4 ROY JONES JNR w pts 12 JAMES TONEY
November 18, 1994; MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
“HE didn’t have that look in his eyes, his punches were flat,” the great Sugar Ray Leonard said of James Toney after watching Roy Jones dominate “Lights Out” over 12 rounds. Toney didn’t have that look in his eyes because he’d boiled himself down to 168lbs after starting his training camp at 207lbs. His punches were flat because he’d spent too much training to lose weight and not enough time training for Jones. Would it have been any different if Toney had prepared correctly? Probably not, so great was Roy on this night. But this fight matched two fighters of such mindboggling brilliance, one wishes more than just one of them had the fire in their eyes.
DID YOU KNOW? Only 7,000 fans watched inside the MGM Grand and it sold 300,000 pay-per-view buys. At the time, this was not a huge crossover fight.
WATCH OUT FOR: Roy Jones in full flow. The knockdown in the third. The swagger throughout. This was a man at the height of his powers, knowing he was dominating almost every moment against an opponent many had tipped to win.
3 MANNY PACQUIAO w rsf 11 MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA
November 15, 2003; Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
THOUGH many pinpoint the thrashings of Oscar De La Hoya as the moment when Pacquiao announced his talents to the world, this thrashing of Marco Antonio Barrera was when the hardcore knew the Filipino was for real. Going into this clash, Barrera had won eight in a row, including five at featherweight that had seen him prove himself as the best in the division. Pacquiao was having his first fight in the weight class but, as was his custom, he eased into his new surroundings. Barrera, after scoring an incorrectly ruled knockdown in the opening round, simply had no answer to the fury in front of him. This is one of Manny’s greatest showings.
DID YOU KNOW? Barrera signed with Golden Boy Promotions before this bout in what was seen as a huge coup for the fledgling promotional group. They would split in 2008.
WATCH OUT FOR: How much smaller Pacquiao looks than Barrera. It would have been truly insane at this point for anyone to suggest that Manny could go on to win world belts all the way up to 154lbs.
2 RIDDICK BOWE w pts 12 EVANDER HOLYFIELD
November 13, 1992; Thomas & Mack, Las Vegas, NV
ONE of the greatest of all heavyweight rumbles. One where winner and loser saw their reputations enhanced. Holyfield, the champion, had been forced to endure criticism since he stepped out of the cruiserweight division four years before and straight into the shadow of Mike Tyson. Even when Tyson was in prison that shadow loomed large. The criticism intensified (predominantly due to his perceived lack of punching power and durability) with each passing outing; he failed to put away old men (George Foreman and Larry Holmes) and had trouble with a late, late substitute (Bert Cooper). Bowe, unproven as a pro and the underdog, was also on a mission to prove himself. What followed was a thrilling slugfest that kick-started a fabulous decade for the division.
DID YOU KNOW? Holyfield picked up a cool $17m after his $5m guarantee rose considerably thanks to his percentage of revenues. Bowe earned $5.5m. The fight attracted 900,000 pay-per-view buys in the USA and around 18,000 tickets were sold.
WATCH OUT FOR: Round 10 - what else?
1 CHRIS EUBANK w rsf 9 NIGEL BENN
November 18, 1990; NEC, Birmingham
THIS punishing battle for the WBO middleweight title was named the greatest ever fight to take place on British soil by Boxing News earlier this year. It’s easy to understand why when watching it again. The fight is ferocious in every way. Benn would later say he was fighting from round four, not necessarily to win, but simply not to lose. Eubank later insisted he was on auto-pilot after the third round in an effort not to get stopped. Winning eventually came the way of Eubank in the ninth round. But what effort put forth by both warriors.
DID YOU KNOW? Contrary to popular belief, Chris Eubank told BN this year that he feared Nigel Benn from the moment he laid eyes on him. He noticed the way Benn carried himself immediately. He called Benn “the most terrifying person I have ever met.”
WATCH OUT FOR: Watch this from the start, listen to the commentary of Reg Gutteridge and Jim Watt and chuckle as Eubank spends 30 seconds of the minute break between rounds one and two strutting around the ring. A true ring classic.