In 2013 Sky Sports ran a The Gloves Are Off special where they invited some of the best middleweight boxers from the division’s golden age of the 1990s to come and sit round a table and discuss their careers together.
Chris Eubank, Roy Jones Jnr, Joe Calzaghe, Steve Collins and Richie Woodall attended. Nigel Benn did not. What followed made for enthralling viewing where the now retired cast relived their fights against each other, with Eubank at his usual controversial self in his attempts to goad his fellow fighters into a war of words. However, as they recalled those incredible nights where Britain really did dominate boxing, it felt disappointing that every time Nigel Benn was mentioned he was not there to offer a riposte.
Collins – as is his right – was in no mood for Eubank’s mind games and repeatedly pointed out that he beat both Eubank and Benn; twice each. While Calzaghe watched on, occasionally interjecting to point out that of all those sat at the table he was the only one who went his whole career unbeaten, it became increasingly obvious that Collins issue was not with Eubank, but with Benn.
At the end host Johnny Nelson asked Collins if he would fight Benn again after he had heard that Benn was up for a rematch. Collins didn’t flinch. “Yes” he said.
Four years later it has been announced that Collins and Benn will fight each other. Now aged 53 &52 respectively it makes you wonder what they expect to gain from it. Benn claims it is about closure. Collins says it is purely financial. Whatever the reason behind it, the fight should not go ahead. Only weeks after the farcical match-up between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor has been announced it seems there is now licence for anybody to face off against each other.
Collins and Benn were two exceptional fighters from Britain’s greatest era of boxing. But that is where they should stay – in the past. No matter how hard they train the fight will be a circus act as two old men try to cash in on nostalgia.
What will follow will be weeks of re-runs from their heyday and aged trash-talk. Clips from Benn’s great fights will run alongside those of Collins two knock-out wins over Benn.
What will happen come fight night will be far from great. At best neither fighter will disgrace themselves and at worst……well that isn’t worth contemplating.
Benn particularly should be all too aware of the lasting damage that can be done when stepping through the ropes. It is all too possible that either fighter could be seriously hurt. They both don’t need that.
No boxing association should licence this fight. Both fighters were genuine greats and should remain so. If they face off in a rematch now they will throw all that away.
