Steve Collins is the only man on the planet to have beaten both Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn.
Former champion Collins is one of the most successful boxers to have come from Ireland, having held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles. While champion, he never lost a fight, and retired in 1997 with a record of 39 fights, 36 wins, 21 of them by way of knockout.
He fought on both sides of the Atlantic but his most famous bouts came on this side of the pond. He fought Eubank twice in 1995, both times in Ireland, and won both on the cards – the first by unanimous decision to win the super-middleweight strap, the second by split decision to retain the belt.
He defended the same title twice against Benn in 1996, both times in Manchester, and won both by stoppage. Nearly 30 years on, it is Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn that are now following in the footsteps of their fathers, as they prepare to do battle for a second time.
The first bout was won in April by Eubank Jr, and now ahead of their next meeting, Collins offered his insight whilst speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, beginning with his assessment of their initial contest.
“The first third of the fight, I had Conor winning. He had a perfect fight plan, and he went off the fight plan. His dad said if he’d stuck to the fight plan, he’d have won, and maybe he could have. Maybe he went off the plan cause Eubank made him and he could have prevented it.”
He then said he can see a victory for both men in the rematch.
“Either one can win it. It’s who prepares the best and sticks to the fight plan cause both guys are capable of beating the other, we saw that in the first fight.”
