Canny fight the night been looking forward to this for a long time. I really can't call it its that close. Benn's gonna come out all guns blazing and could end this before it starts but I think that's how he only wins. the longer the fight goes Eubank will come on strong. Proper grudge match they both really wanna beat each other up. who's ya winner? who you want to win? I've always been a Benn fan but he's tarnished his progress with his out the ring antics. but my god he looked a beast at the weigh in yesterday. This one's gonna be tasty.
Stupid fight. Eubank has had to cut too much weight. If he hasn't managed to do it safely then Benn might permanently damage Eubank. The flip side is if Eubank has done it safely then he will be much much bigger and stronger than Benn and it could end Benns career. Its a really dodgy fight for both of them. Eubank Sr seems to be the only one interested in the lads safety. The promoters should be held responsible if either boxer doesn't come out of this one safely.
Can’t stand Benn or his promoter that’s stacked everything in Benns favour, including submitting the wrong brand of gloves for inspection and the 10% rehydration clause
That's why the fight is so dangerous. They had to put those clauses in to protect their smaller man in Benn. Problem is that it's put Eubank in danger. Eubank is much much bigger than Benn. Fight is a complete mismatch. That's why there is such a thing as weight classes. Its madness that this is allowed tbh. I genuinely hope both fighters come through safely. I won't be watching. Promoters should be jailed.
Though I agree completely with you, they’ve both taken the money so have made their own decisions and chosen greed over safety (and agreed to a second fight). Grown men who could say no.
I agree but their trainers, teams, advisors and promoters have a duty of care for their fighter. I've been around that scene although albeit over 20 years ago. Promoters used to have matchmakers (advisors) to give their man the edge in fights in order to keep the fighters not only safe but to navigate them through the division so they could make as much as they could. This has none of that about it at all. This is a money grab by everyone involved AT THE COST OF FIGHTERS SAFETY. It never used to be done that way. It's negligent. Matchmakers 20 years ago would have advised against this from both sides. There is too much risk attached. It's not a level playing field.
Nope. Both could just say no. They’re happy to take the money so live with the consequences of their decisions. I’ll repeat it they are Grown men, they don’t have to have to do what their promoters tell them. And if no one watches it also wouldn’t be happening.
As I said, I was loosely involved in the sport for about 3 years between 2001 and 2004. I often gave a second opinion to a matchmaker when he asked for one. I got to know alot of people involved in British boxing. I suppose it's just a question of morals by those involved. 20 years ago, this would have been immediately shelved. I stand by my viewpoint on this. It's dangerous enough and if this goes wrong, there will be alot of people carrying that with them forever. You don't jump a fighter like Conor Benn up two weights against a top tier fighter like Eubank Jr without warm up fights and a slow build up to that weight. He's not fought anyone of Eubanks skill at his own weight yet.You certainly don't have rehydration clauses costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in the contract to even up the fight. It could be deadly. I like to watch a fight. I don't like to watch a risk to life changing injuries. These are grown men, but they have families. I genuinely hope both fighters come through safely and enough money in the bank to not take these risks again.
Thanks for your input emu, good to hear from someone who knows more than the average boxing fan. Although these two are pros it does have a youtuber boxing event feel about it.
Kell Brook moved up two weights divisions to fight Gennady Golovkin. Kell Brook was a world class fighter and won world title in U.S.A in one of the best wins by a UK fighter in America. He fought a world champion in Golovkin and had his face smashed to pieces and never really recovered. Khan vs Canelo. Khan was a multiple world champion. That was Khan moving up two divisions. Khan was unconscious for a while once Canelo caught him. Khan never really recovered. Its too big a jump for world champions let alone Benn who hasn't proven himself anywhere near that level. Eubank is ****ed if his body hasn't recovered from cutting weight.
Has been v never will be. Nonesense ‘fight.’ This is what has come of boxing in this country since Eddie Hearn got his sleazy oily hands on it. Scripted bullshit press conferences. Fake rivalries. Tomato cans served up as champions. But I’m so glad Chris senior and junior have made up. I so didnt see it coming. One long Pantomime to cover up for the main event being a catchweight nonesense wwf pantomime.
I wouldn't say i know more but the guy who was a matchmaker for Frank Warren somehow thought i had an eye for picking a fighter. I remember a fighter called Jan Bergman. I was given a few DVDs to watch with a view to him fighting James Hare. I got to know James Hare and watched him live multiple times. He used to spar Naseem Hamed. Now Jan Bergman had fought Zab Judah and had knocked him down before losing in the 4th round. That was for a world title and he was still ranked high. He looked the weakest of anyone in any top 10 at welterweight. Zab had ****ed about and got caught. I was of the opinion that Bergman was winnable (i thought on points because Hare couldn't really bang). He was cheap too. That was exactly what the others had seen. They set the fight, in Huddersfield, and James TKO'd him in the 2nd or 3rd round. Put himself in the top rankings and got a 250k contract for sky. Think it was a 3 fight deal.
It’s always been a sleazy business but it stopped being a sport a long time ago. The day it officially died in this country was bellew cleverly 2. Eddie’s first foray into pay per view for a nothing fight. People bought the sales pitch grudge match bullshit and the model was formed. Boils my piss. Been a huge boxing fan all my life, I don’t follow it any more. Done with it… bit I still like to bitch about it obviously
The politics of it all ruined the sport for me. When you just watch it as a fan it's great but once you understand the real workings behind the scenes you realise that it's really not competitive at all apart from when titles are on the line. Even then, most of the time it's 'tomato cans' fed to good fighters in order to make easy money. My advice is to leave the 'Benn vs Eubank' stuff alone and get down to the lesuire centre stuff where the British titles and area titles are being fought for. That's the real stuff. Once you get to tv money it becomes false and political. Too many people need paying.
good spot. I watched Judah Bergman. I remember Ricky Hatton been kept away from anyone with a pulse for years before they took their chance with an aging Tszyu. They were clearly then wanting to milk their cash cow for a bit. Meanwhile I watched Vivian Harris, rival belt holder, who was considered a handful turn up what looked like drunk/doped and lose his title to one of the worst fighters I’ve ever seen in a wild title fight… Carlos Maussa. I won a few bets on Ricky’s next opponent… as sure enough He suddenly got interested in a unification fight. Timing and matchmaking is everything. Or it was. Celebrity is everything now.
Didn't take a genius to see Bergman didn't belong in the top 10 in the division. Prolly not even top 50 at the time. Funny you should mention Hatton. He was one of the names in the hat in and around the Bergman match-up. The guy who i knew was convinced that James Hare had the beating of Hatton and tried to convince me that he had the elusiveness and defence to pick Hatton off for 12 rounds. Hatton was looking to maybe move up in weight and we could catch him off guard. I think Hatton had gone to points a few times and he thought his power wasn't carrying up the ranks. I told him he was ****ing mental and to leave that one well alone. I told him to leave David Barnes well alone but that was a few years later, he went ahead with it and Barnes stopped Hare in the middle rounds. That was at Halifax and was Manchester vs Yorkshire. There was a huge riot, sky nearly cancelled the show 10 minutes before it went on air. Matthew Hatton was the main event that evening and the riot erupted around Ricky who was ringside. He promptly hopped in the ring for his own safety. I **** myself and went back in Hares dressing room until security sorted it out. Ironically it was a lad in an Arsenal shirt who started it all. Anyway, Hare lost and never really did anything again. His matchmaker retired and that was that.
Best fight i saw live was Brodie vs In Jin Chi 1 at Manchester. Brodie got arrested later that night. Think he fell out with his wife. What a fight. Jamie Moore was always entertaining.
Brodie chi was a corker - Jamie Moore was always good value - the macklin fight was a cracker. I was at the benn McClellan fight, which was amazing, surreal and sobering all at the same time. Amazing undercard too.
