Froch vs the 90's

I was watching a documentary on you-tube about a certain Chris Eubank the other night.

Got me thinking about how many good middleweights we had back then. Benn, Watson, Collins, compared to now. I like Froch but would he have had enough for Benn and co?

Well I always think that Collins was lucking to get here when he did after the others had been battering each other before hand,
I think Froch would struggle against Watson as his boxing ability and style would trouble him, a fight with Benn would have been a war

Neither Benn or Eubank were natural Super middleweights and Benn natural power never really carried up from Middle. His whiskers weren't great but he was dangerous when hurt however Froch has a great chin and may withstand an early Benn onslaught for a late stoppage. He'd outwork Eubank (or more accurately, Eubank wouldn't do enough) but when they did come together Eubank would be the cuter fighter. Froch outboxed but Eubank out-hustled.

Watson was an infinitely better fighter than he ever got credit for and, if firing on all cylinders, I'd pick him to beat Froch by SD but wouldn't be too surprised to see it go the other way with people preferring Froch's aggression.

Collins would make for an ugly fight...both of them talking about being Warriors for 12 weeks and then stinking the place out come fight night. Couldn't decide who I'd like to see get knocked out more and would happily settle for a double KO but it would go to points with one or the other amassing around 50 points before the judges lost interest and f*cked off home without watching the rest of the fight.

Think Froch would beat all of them in one way or another, Benn would be the standout fight though. What an encounter that could have been.

Calzaghe to beat Froch ten times out of ten though, for me.

Knocks out Oasis, gets a draw v Blur, don't even stick him in with Nirvana, the yanks shut him out.

Froch is a similar but better version of Collins. Collins beat them all.

It's a myth that Collins beat a shop worn 28 year old Eubank. Years later Eubank was giving Calzaghe the fight of his life.

Froch a class above. Collin's, Eubank and Benn not in the hall of fame.

They are similar enough in level. Calzaghe beats them all. The rest scrap it out with a mixture of results.

I think Froch would've held his own against any of the 90's era but i don't think he's better or necessarily worse than any of them. To me the super 6 is something that allowed the fans to see the best against the best rather than paper champions fighting against lacklustre opponents. To be honest he probably had the best con of the lot. I think Froch vs Benn would've been incredible to watch. Could've gone either way. Would pick Calzaghe to beat him 9 times out of ten though

I think Froch would've held his own against any of the 90's era but i don't think he's better or necessarily worse than any of them. To me the super 6 is something that allowed the fans to see the best against the best rather than paper champions fighting against lacklustre opponents.for those of the 90's era this format did not exist making it hard to criticise them in comparison to Froch. To be honest he probably had the best chin of the lot. I think Froch vs Benn would've been incredible to watch. Could've gone either way. Would pick Calzaghe to beat him 9 times out of ten though

John Bloody Wayne wrote:Knocks out Oasis, gets a draw v Blur, don't even stick him in with Nirvana, the yanks shut him out.

Hahahahahhaha!

Brilliant!!!!

catchweight wrote:They are similar enough in level. Calzaghe beats them all. The rest scrap it out with a mixture of results.

Pretty much agree with that.

It's a pity Eubank was past his best when he fought Joe, but on the flip side, Joe was still young.

At 168, Froch is everything Benn was, but with that little bit more on top. Better chin, better stamina, just as good (if not better) all-round boxing ability and is in the same kind of bracket for punching power as well, given that Benn didn’t really wipe people out at Super-Middle the way he did at 160. Froch late TKO for me.

A switched-on Eubank could have given Froch a lot of problems. I think he’s better equipped than Benn to get the win here as he could withstand any torrent that Froch hit him with and could be pretty cute defensively when he wanted to be. Just a case of whether or not Eubank would be fighting with enough of a fire under his backside, which obviously isn’t a given. People bring up Collins, but while I don’t want to discredit Steve, that first win over Eubank was a case of Eubank just throwing it away as much as it was a case of Collins taking it. Eubank sleepwalked through the first eight rounds – when he finally started fighting like a man behind in the last four, Collins hardly got a look in and only just hung on to nick it by the skin of his teeth, albeit in fairness the decision was the right one, I felt.

Eubank’s body might still have been young but his mind seemed elsewhere for much of his career post-Watson. If that’s the case against Froch, then Carl probably runs out a wide points winner, but a more focussed Eubank might be able to nick a contentious one. Froch the favourite, but only just, I feel.

Hard to say with Watson. On purely his record, you’d have to say he fell short (harsh as it sounds) time and again when he got near the top level, but the Eubank fights (contentious verdict first time out, miles ahead before being felled by one incredible shot with the clock running down second time) come with a slight asterisk, I guess. Also a bit of a mystery how he’d approach a Froch fight – his two best showings, Benn and Eubank II, were achieved with completely different game plans. That said, Benn punched himself out, tired and didn’t always take a shot too well when he was in that state, and Eubank retreated under the barrage in those two fights. Neither of those things are the kind of stuff you’d associate with Froch. I think Watson would give Carl a really good fight but get chopped down late on.

Froch against Bomber Graham would be another real intrigue. Looking at the fits Dirrell gave Froch, you’d have to say that Carl is really going to be up against it here. Does Froch do a Jackson on Herol, getting him with the pay off shot after hardly touching him beforehand? Does Graham maybe freeze a little bit like he arguably did against Kalambay (first fight, as I felt he was unlucky in the second one) or late on against McCallum? Or does he just completely confuse and befuddle Carl and run out a safe points winner? Can’t really make up my mind on that one. On record, Froch’s credentials are a reassuring factor if you think he gets the job done here…..But Graham would be just about the worst style match up you could have for him.

Again the caveat is that Graham wasn't really a SM and would be giving away a lot of height and weight to Froch. Froch would undoubtedly try to rush, bully and smother Herol and I think we'd have a bit of a stinker if Herol got on his bike.

Anyway Chris, will you stop saying the same things as me but with more articulation. It makes you look like a plagiarist and makes me look like an not-good-speller-type thicko

I think all the fighters bar Collins were more talented than Froch...........168 though is the great leveller.........As all of them were lesser talents at the weight..

Think Froch could do a Mccallum on Watson....Just outlast him.....Watson never did anything the easy way.....Underachiever for me..

Benn's chin might let him down at 168 and I can't see him getting Froch out early.....Froch by kayo..

Collins was a glorified journeyman so I expect Froch to outbox him..

Eubank is the tough one.............Eubank was very gifted when he wanted to be.....and If the right Eubank turns up he could win a clear decision........Pickem match..

Calzaghe beats Froch by decision............He was the best of the lot..

You should see how much money I've made selling your Peter Jackson and Bradley Pryce articles off to publishers, Dave.....Nowt yet but won't be long I'm sure!

Kind of think that with his speed and elusive style Graham could conceivably make Froch's weight advantage count for very little as the fight unfolds. Bomber had a mixed bag style and didn't always do things in reverse, the Kaylor and Jackson fights being good examples...Fair enough, got sparked for his troubles against Jackson but that kind of shot was the norm for Jackson, whereas it's the exception for Froch.

Anyway, Froch would probably outwarrior Graham when the chips were down....But I'd put Herol at shorter odds than Benn and Watson, personally.

88Chris05 wrote:

People bring up Collins, but while I don’t want to discredit Steve, that first win over Eubank was a case of Eubank just throwing it away as much as it was a case of Collins taking it. Eubank sleepwalked through the first eight rounds – when he finally started fighting like a man behind in the last four, Collins hardly got a look in and only just hung on to nick it by the skin of his teeth, albeit in fairness the decision was the right one, I felt.

I saw the fight a bit differently, my view is that Collins definitely took the fight by the scruff of the neck. Nobody would claim Collins was in any way a skillful fighter but he was very tenacious could churn out a good work rate and over the full 12 rounds had an incredible engine. Collins with the pace he set never let Eubank settle into his rhythm much in the same way Maidana didn't let Mayweather fight at his own pace.

From my reading around the fight there is a general feeling that Collins out foxed Eubank and not just with the hypnotism stunt. This tallies well with what Collins and Eubank have said when they met up to discuss the fight.


I see comparisons between Collins and Froch as both used toughness and work rate to win fights. Froch is a much better puncher and fighter obviously.

Slightly off topic, but I wonder how great McClellan would have been, if it hadn't been for the Benn fight? It seemed to me that he hadn't trained to last more than three rounds for the Benn fight, hence being out on his knees. I may well be wrong, and correct me if I am.

He wouldn't have been great..........

Lose to a Nigel Benn and you'll never be great....Like Mugabi was fed face forward stiffs.....

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He wouldn't have been great..........

Lose to Nigel Benn and you'll never be great..

Was his trainer partly to blame? He was regarded as a potential great at the time, I think?

He had beaten RJJ as an amateur and was being sold as the middleweight Mike Tyson.

Strongback wrote:

88Chris05 wrote:

People bring up Collins, but while I don’t want to discredit Steve, that first win over Eubank was a case of Eubank just throwing it away as much as it was a case of Collins taking it. Eubank sleepwalked through the first eight rounds – when he finally started fighting like a man behind in the last four, Collins hardly got a look in and only just hung on to nick it by the skin of his teeth, albeit in fairness the decision was the right one, I felt.

I saw the fight a bit differently, my view is that Collins definitely took the fight by the scruff of the neck.  Nobody would claim Collins was in any way a skillful fighter but he was very tenacious could churn out a good work rate and over the full 12 rounds had an incredible engine.  Collins with the pace he set never let Eubank settle into his rhythm much in the same way Maidana didn't let Mayweather fight at his own pace.

From my reading around the fight there is a general feeling that Collins out foxed Eubank and not just with the hypnotism stunt.  This tallies well with what Collins and Eubank have said when they  met up to discuss the fight.


I see comparisons between Collins and Froch as both used toughness and work rate to win fights. Froch is a much better puncher and fighter obviously.  

Guess we all see things differently now and then, Strongy. Collins definitely took the initiative in the early goings but wasn't exactly needing to set a great pace or let a constant torrent of shots go to make that happen. Eubank was very cagey and reluctant to engage early on until he was put over, which seemed to make him realize (finally) that he was in trouble and that his title was slipping away. He stepped it up in the last quarter and Collins looked to be running on empty to me, but I don't think Eubank did anything in those last four rounds that would have been beyond him in the first eight if he'd shown a bit more endevour and fire early on.

Still, that ain't Collins' fault of course, and he fought a good fight. Beat Euabnk fair and square. Just don't think he'd have been able to do the same against the Eubank of four or five years before, is all.

Collins is Irish............

Hence the rose tinted glasses..