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00:00:00professional in terms of knowing his lines even though he was very much into it emotionally as
00:00:03you can see
00:00:30Birmingham England November 18th 1990 Nigel Vann and Chris Eubank met for the first time
00:01:00and in trouble but fights back this is a war
00:01:04trying to come back I think this is a desperate round for the champion
00:01:13he's going to have been hurt
00:01:17oh right hand and down
00:01:19even when he's taken
00:01:25right hand
00:01:27and then
00:01:30and the left eye completely closed now
00:01:33the champion in desperate trouble
00:01:36on the ropes
00:01:37you guys have got to take this opportunity
00:01:44here we go
00:01:45it's all over
00:01:46what a fight
00:01:50brilliant
00:01:51absolutely lethal
00:01:52out there with the best fights I've ever seen
00:01:55coming up from Manchester England via same day satellite coverage it's the rematch between Nigel Vann and Chris Eubank for the WBC and WBO super middleweight title on Showtime championship boxing
00:02:12hello everybody I'm steve Albert welcoming you to another edition of Showtime championship boxing
00:02:32championship boxing tonight's telecast will be a co-production with itv a british television
00:02:38network itv will provide the fight coverage from old trafford stadium in manchester england the
00:02:43site of this championship bout reg gutteridge and jim watt are ringside to call the ben eubank
00:02:49rematch i will be hosting this via satellite co-production from our new york city studios
00:02:54now back in 1990 fighting as middleweights nigel ben and chris eubank met for the first time the
00:03:00site birmingham england the atmosphere supercharged in an electrifying bone jarring seesaw battle with
00:03:07no clear-cut leader heading into the eighth ben's right eye was shut and eubank was bleeding from a
00:03:13large cut through the bottom of his mouth ben sent eubank to the canvas for the first time in his
00:03:18career in round eight eubank recovered however and in a compelling ninth round he finished ben off
00:03:24with a barrage of punches that left him wilting on the ropes since that epic battle both fighters
00:03:30have moved up in weight to the super middleweight division ben and eubank are part of what many
00:03:36believe is the most intriguing division in boxing today the 168 pounders with that let's take a
00:03:42closer examination of the four world champions in the super middleweight category each of these
00:03:48champions was formerly a world title holder in the middleweight division before winning their super
00:03:53middleweight championships we begin with the ibf super middleweight champion james lights out tony
00:04:00undefeated at 39-0 with two draws and 26 knockouts tony one of the fiercest competitors on the planet
00:04:07considered by many the fourth best pound for pound fighter in the world today the power in both of his
00:04:13hands plus a ferocious fighting spirit overshadows a great ring technician and very subtle skills james tony
00:04:21clearly the man everybody wants to beat in the super middleweight division and then there's the wba
00:04:28super middleweight champion the once beaten but munch malign michael nunn with a record of 41 and 1
00:04:33with 27 ko's none the elusive southpaw has certainly had his share of criticism over the years
00:04:39for his defensive non-aggressive running style although he's displayed more aggressiveness of late
00:04:45once regarded as the hottest middleweight in boxing especially after a stunning first round
00:04:50knockout of sumbo columbay in 89 his career got sidetracked in 91 when he made a critical error
00:04:56against james tony in his hometown of davenport iowa ahead on all cards none dropped his gloves in the
00:05:0211th round and tony caught him with a nasty left hook that sent him down none couldn't recover and lost
00:05:09the ibf middleweight title in dramatic fashion since that setback though he's 5-0 all as a super
00:05:15middleweight and now to tonight's combatants first wbc super middleweight title holder nigel ben a
00:05:22record of 37 and 2 with 32 knockouts his only losses to fellow brit michael watson in 1989 and chris eubank
00:05:30in 90. ben packs a powerful punch winning his first 22 fights by knockout 19 ko's came on the first or
00:05:38second rounds always an exciting brawler ben's boxing technique has improved since the loss to eubank
00:05:44known as the dark destroyer ben has a bad boy image created from his harsh upbringing in the tough
00:05:50streets of east london and finally wbo super middleweight champ chris eubank undefeated at 35
00:05:58oh and one with 18 knockouts very aggressive likes to work off the jab a skilled counter puncher with a
00:06:04granite chin eubank has been described as enigmatic and somewhat arrogant he is undoubtedly on the
00:06:10eccentric side refusing to wear the same pair of 300 shoes twice and he'll never be photographed in
00:06:17the same outfit more than once he enters the ring by jumping over the top rope eubank who learned to
00:06:23fight in the south bronx before returning to england claims his only taste of the canvas at the hands of
00:06:28nigel ben was a slip well that is debatable but one thing's for sure chris eubank and nigel ben genuinely
00:06:35dislike each other although eubank says he does respect ben's punching power on that note let me
00:06:42bring in my two partners who will be joining me in the studio the fight doctor ferdy pacheco along with
00:06:47the former wba cruiserweight champion bobby chez and ferdy how about your personal overview of the super
00:06:54middleweight division can this be the most exciting and competitive division in boxing today i think it
00:06:59has the potential to be and i think the way we rated them just a moment ago is the way i rate the
00:07:04the contenders i think tony is no question about it the best champion going out none right under him
00:07:10he got beat by tony and then whoever wins between eubank and ben number three but in the deep water to
00:07:15make things interesting lurking out there is roy jones jr is he going to hop in there maybe tory
00:07:20terry norris eventually is he going to hop up there i think they've got the potential to be
00:07:25the most exciting division in boxing in the next decade all right now are the rivalries of the 1990s
00:07:30with regard to these former middleweight champions similar to the heated rivalries of the 1980s those
00:07:36of leonard hearns duran and haggler bobby how would you compare the two decades in terms of rivalries
00:07:43well certainly now the super middleweight division is getting a lot of play early in the 80s it was in
00:07:47its infant stages so there were not many rivalries there but as middleweight tagler hearns duran etc
00:07:52that was great company there was greatness there we've yet to find true greatness yet but we have
00:07:56fighters here with the potential these four could make the 90s the the war zone of the 80s all right
00:08:01well chris eubank and nigel ben are certainly world-class fighters they really want to show that they can
00:08:06beat the likes of a james tony or a michael nun the american title holders in the super middleweight
00:08:12division in their minds that would prove to the world that they are the best at 168.
00:08:19upcoming here on showtime championship boxing it will be ben eubank to the rematch wbc super
00:08:26middleweight champion nigel ben looking to avenge his loss to chris eubank back in 1990 now eubank is
00:08:33the wbo champion and tonight's fight is for the unification of both titles the fact that the british
00:08:40can boast of two champions in the super middleweight division is a source of enormous pride in england
00:08:46as the action heats up in the 168 pound division the winner of tonight's rematch could have an
00:08:51opportunity of international stardom to date the careers of nigel ben and chris eubank have been
00:08:57intertwined as they climbed up the middleweight ranks now their paths will cross once again as super
00:09:04middleweight let's retrace the steps that have put nigel ben and chris eubank on their multiple collision
00:09:11course in 1867 when the marcus of queensberry introduced the leather glove to the brutal sport
00:09:25of british prize fighting the modern era of boxing began yet since then england has produced relatively few
00:09:32champions that is until now
00:09:47for england now has not one but two world-class champions in the very competitive super middleweight
00:09:55division and while these long-time rivals respect each other on a professional level
00:10:03the streetwise ben and the ethereally intellectual eubank do not share the most cordial of personal
00:10:09relationships i respect him as a box i respect everybody because i know what i got to go through
00:10:14by him i detest him um don't like him as a person very arrogant and he needs to be knocked down a couple
00:10:21of pegs nigel um has insisted that he detests me even though he doesn't know me he has insisted that he he
00:10:30loathes me um this again it's ignorance i can't justify it i don't know why i think it's a lack of
00:10:39intelligence nicknamed the dark destroyer nigel ben with his brawling win at any cost style beat 25
00:10:48out of his first 26 opponents 20 of them before the end of the second round and in the spring of 1990 he
00:10:57became the first english fighter in a decade to win a middleweight championship
00:11:04finishing off doug dewitt in the eighth round of their wbo title fight
00:11:11in august making his first title defense against the heavily favored iran barkley in reno nevada
00:11:20ben knocked barkley down three times before the fight was stopped
00:11:25and three months later came perhaps the greatest fight in british history as ben faced his flamboyant
00:11:33arch rival the cerebral and eccentric chris eubank i've always appreciated the martial art of of
00:11:40pugilism and i wanted to uh learn the craft and i've done that and that is gratifying
00:11:49uh it's self-gratifying learning how learning the art form because it is beautiful
00:11:56the art form obviously when you go into combat it can become and it usually does become brutal and ugly
00:12:06but the art form itself the martial art of it is beautiful
00:12:08you bank who began fighting professionally in 1985 has never lost a fight yet it is his smooth
00:12:18fighting style and strange ring behavior that has made him one of england's most well-known athletes
00:12:26and on november 18 1990 in the electric atmosphere of birmingham's nec he met fellow countryman nigel
00:12:35beng for his wbo middleweight title
00:12:44the full friend my age has come out but someone's pricking me with a needle in my eye
00:12:49i mean it was really really soft
00:12:51this is a war and everything sent to the world
00:13:00standing in pose and walk away but he gave me time to breathe in get himself together
00:13:06i tried i kept on trying he tried he kept on trying his warrior quit before minding
00:13:11the wbc title from mario galvano yet despite all of his success he has never stopped wanting to
00:13:27avenge his loss to eubank being here would be the most happiest day of my life even second place to
00:13:34watching my kids being born that's how i i put it eubank also continued his winning ways he too moved
00:13:42to the super middleweight division winning the wbo title from michael watson the only other man to beat
00:13:49nigel bent watson was knocked out in the 12th round and tragically lapsed into a month-long coma
00:13:57and while eubank has defended his title seven times since then he refuses to talk about that incident
00:14:05now nigel benn and chris eubank meet again and although both will enter the ring as champions
00:14:12this fight is about something more than just mere titles with me and him it's nothing to do with
00:14:18titles it's very personal i could find without titles it doesn't mean nothing to me when he's
00:14:26involved with the titles you could put the titles aside it's just him to me he made more than in
00:14:33titles i'm the champion the belt is not the champion i am the champion i'm the person who beat
00:14:39nigel benny 1990 i'm the person who has defended my world titles successfully 12 times i am the champion of
00:14:46the battle after seeing that you get the distinct feeling that chris eubank may be in dire need of a
00:14:59humility transplant and nigel ben thinks he is just the man to perform the operation let's get back to
00:15:06the fight doctor now and freddy what are you expecting in the rematch explosions typical explosions
00:15:12when one guy knows he can knock the other guy out or hurt him as eubank does ben as ben knows he can
00:15:18get the other guy in trouble then both have the confidence to go in there and say let me bang this
00:15:21guy out i almost did it last time so i think it's explosive i think in the middle rounds we'll see
00:15:26the finish to this fight but it's going to be heck all the way through what about uh glad you cleaned
00:15:31that up for the uh family audience uh what about national pride how much does that factor in well as we
00:15:37just saw when frank bruno fought lennox lewis for the title uh they don't think the rest of the world
00:15:42is watching they're fighting for themselves for england it's almost like two neighborhoods fighting
00:15:45i mean they they go at each other only for themselves and for their own pride enormous amount
00:15:50of pride in england over this fight over winning and so i think that's a very big factor in this fight
00:15:55very big bobby chez your expectations for ben eubank too well steve with the tremendous emotional
00:16:00involvement within this rivalry i think it has to heat up early and stay that way throughout i think it's
00:16:04going to be a blood feud from start to finish eubank's going to do what he's always done he box
00:16:08he works he looks a counter-attack nigel bent comes out to be the dark destroyer i see that for the
00:16:13entire fight until a mid to late round knockout one way or the other does eubank have the advantage
00:16:18by virtue of the fact he won the first fight well many times when we're in a gym we talk about fighters
00:16:23fighting other fighters in a rematch the man who has won has an emotional edge just a little piece of
00:16:27the other fighter he feels he owns but as we've seen in many rematches the tide gets turned so
00:16:31i think if the advantage is there it's for eubank very small if at all all right at this point let's
00:16:37see how the two stack up on paper as we go to the tail of the tape now in the age department chris
00:16:44eubank at 27 is two years younger than nigel ben a slight three quarters of an inch height advantage
00:16:49for eubank eubank weighed 168 ben tipped the scales at 167 and ben with the one inch reach advantage
00:16:58and to the rules according to the wbc for this world championship bout 10 point must scoring system
00:17:05three judges scoring the fight no three knocked out rule no standing eight count only the referee can
00:17:10stop the fight a fighter cannot be saved by the bell except in the last round and since this fight is
00:17:16taking place outdoors there are special rain rules we'd like you to take note of if the bout has rained out
00:17:22after three full rounds the winner is decided by the scorecards if the bout has rained out before
00:17:28three full rounds the fight is declared no contest rain delays could be enforced at the discretion of
00:17:34the promoters and the wbc supervisor and for the fighters this has to provide some extra incentive to
00:17:39turn up the intensity early incidentally the forecast calls for light showers cloudy misty and foggy
00:17:47so the stage is set for ben eubank to wbc super middleweight champion nigel bent looking to even
00:17:55the score against wbo super middleweight champ chris eubank and before we join itv's reg gutteridge and
00:18:02jim watt let's get some final words from arch rivals nigel ben and chris eubank
00:18:07when i first fought eubank um he i've never seen a style like it and um the first time it's very
00:18:22weird very very awkward very first time i thought guys guys weird and i didn't know his style never seen
00:18:30like a guide box like him but um now i know his style very well free ever prepared for this time
00:18:42i'm saying that i will be the one with the power this time i don't believe it's going to be anything
00:18:47like the fight people expect it's not going to be anything like the last one he won that fight he
00:18:54prepared like the champion that night and i take my hat off from and this time i will prepare like the
00:19:03champion my skills are far superior to his is one my mentality is far superior to his is two my chin
00:19:11is far superior to anyone anyone's chin in this business i don't care what weight you care to look
00:19:17at and no one can put me down by hitting me here i've got 12 rounds to do it in at the end of the day
00:19:22i've still got the wbc belt and the wbo belt and i'm a happy man very happy man this particular fight
00:19:30for me although it's a very important um it will be a very important landmark in my career
00:19:37i don't think the fight is going to be anything like what people think and
00:19:44and i intend to prove what i believe
00:19:53ladies and gentlemen in attendance boxing fans joining us across the uk on the itv sports network
00:20:01and sports fans joining us around the world we welcome you to the home of the legendary football
00:20:07club and reigning english champions the old trufford stadium in manchester england it is time for judgment
00:20:18day the main event of the evening brought to you by berry heard and matchroom boxing in association with
00:20:25don king productions along with the sports network and sponsored by the daily mirror this bout is
00:20:33sanctioned by the world boxing council and conducted under its rules the president jose
00:20:38suleyman supervisor ray clark along with the world boxing organization and ringside executive
00:20:46secretary mark sheckner in conjunction with the british boxing board of control the steward in charge tom
00:20:55pendry mp introducing the physicians at ringside as appointed dr graham sted dr david sim
00:21:02timekeeper at the bell frank capewell introducing the judges for this title bout carol castellano harry
00:21:11gibbs and chuck hasett introducing to you the referee in charge he will be giving instructions after the
00:21:19introductions larry o'connell all right fans here we go with the main event of the evening the rematch you've
00:21:28all been waiting for and now ladies and gentlemen in attendance and boxing fans joining us around the
00:21:34world it's showtime the wbc and wbo super middleweight championship of the world scheduled for 12 rounds of boxing
00:21:44we'll be right back in the morning introducing to you first on my left fighting out of the red corner
00:21:51he is wearing solid yellow trunks and fighting out of brighton england his weight and even 12 stone or 168 pounds
00:22:03his outstanding record includes 35 wins no losses one draw with 18 wins coming by way of knockout
00:22:12please welcome the colorful former wbo middleweight and current wbo super middleweight champion of the
00:22:18world known as simply the best introducing the undefeated chris jubin
00:22:32and his opponent across the ring on my right finding out of the blue corner he enters the ring wearing
00:22:39white trunks with white trunks with blue trim and he hails from beckingham kent by way of ilford
00:22:46he weighed in at a ready 11 stone 13 pounds or 167 pounds his tremendous record includes 37 wins only two
00:22:58losses with an impressive 32 wins coming by way of knockout he is the former wbo middleweight world
00:23:04champion and current wbc super middleweight champion of the world tonight making his fourth defensivist
00:23:10title please welcome the hard-hitting champion known as the dark destroyer introducing niger
00:23:18wbc super middleweight champion of the world to be in the world to be in the world to be in the world
00:23:26once again your referee in charge now to give instructions larry o'connell
00:23:32well there it is all the talking's done now the rundown by larry o'connell
00:23:36amateur international in his time remember very well the fit for a large club in london
00:23:41so there's there's a millions of viewers now being seen around the world and uh showtime in usa are
00:23:48taking us
00:23:59there it is now it's the red alert time jim and i'm glad he's got normal corner men here because you
00:24:06rank with the jumpers and the monocle from the build up this week i thought maybe geez would appear
00:24:12in his corner it looks a bit like birdie worcester at times well there's the focus engine that you
00:24:19were talking about there now if the fight is half as good as the last time three years ago in berningham
00:24:25and having the close shaved haircut for the first time now well we're going to want to help him to slip
00:24:36punches a little bit
00:24:49remember both world champions
00:24:55see i think from the first meeting reg eubank is the one who's been doing most of the improving
00:25:09i don't think ben's really get any better at all but eubank now has the confidence of being a champion
00:25:15and he started far more positively than i would expect it conditions tremendous to him isn't it the
00:25:22extra boundaries that they put on since the last time they've carried it well well especially eubank
00:25:27i think that's going to have a big bearing on what happens tonight eubank will be closer to 13 stone
00:25:32here ben will just be around about the 12. yeah it's so much bigger and stronger jim is 28 hours
00:25:38now since the weigh-in i know you don't particularly agree with that the day before so that medical rule
00:25:43will stop them dehydrating to make weight
00:25:53see ben's attitude just seemed a little bit casual as he came into the ring smiling and bobbing about
00:25:59not as though he was coming to do battle
00:26:00little little ticking off there for eubank don't hit on the break the referee was pulling in the
00:26:10part he didn't it didn't announce break of course it's a bit obvious
00:26:13it's though ben's trying to go looking for him more isn't trying to well not cut the ring size down
00:26:28to him but to stop eubank going walk about well ben has to come forward race to be you know in any way
00:26:35positive or look for success but he can't do it in a reckless manner he's got to have a bit more control
00:26:40than he normally shows and i haven't really seen much control not a tight defense as he moves forward
00:26:47he loves what he calls a terror doesn't he the old soldier four years 256 days in the royal fusion is
00:26:55and he counted every one of them but at least he's not wasting punches in the first round one of ben's
00:27:02problems it runs out of steam because he wastes punches in the first few rounds puts too much power
00:27:06into punches that are missing so at least although he's not tight he's uh he's controlling his punch
00:27:11rate a little bit in the first round
00:27:17i'll tell you what we've done some good shots landed in this opening round as we come up to the close
00:27:21there slightly low not too much of a moan there from you back
00:27:31and there it is giving it the old pose again the handle back to the corner
00:27:36and back to the cares of the office this fellow he really is an incredible guy
00:27:40but we may not even bother to go and sit down there and uh trying to runny davis that keeps a straight
00:27:50place as i said he's he's the g's of the outfit he calls him the the pitbull terrier
00:27:57there's the corner and maximo prairie is actually the new york cab driver areas from the dominican republic who
00:28:03first trained eubank and he had five fights in atlantic city just in the little prelims
00:28:11now juban there jimmy tibbs who's worked against eubank now i this is the fifth time uh yeah the
00:28:17fifth time now he's going to try and get a win he still hasn't beaten him
00:28:25a bit of a calm confidence going on jimmy in both corners really i thought there round two
00:28:29yeah a fairly quiet opening round but uh you can see the sharpness and eubanks moves he has total
00:28:37concentration everything tight and then fully concentrated you know full concentration he's
00:28:44admitted in the past that his early road work has not been that good but uh he's really fired himself
00:28:49up and worked himself very hard on the road for this one ben of course very diligent trainer anyway
00:28:59you see ben always has trouble against awkward cagey opponents and the eubank is certainly that
00:29:10ben's not getting his punches off quite enough red he's moving forward bobbing and weaving but not
00:29:15getting the punches off amazing part with the eubank really he's only had one knockout or stoppage since
00:29:21in the last four then that's an amazing red john jarvis the american south african sugar boy malinga
00:29:29bon esset tony thornton the postman roncarlo chimenez who went of course and lindell holmes
00:29:37you banks are a lot of poor performances reds but you always get the feeling he can do better if he
00:29:42decides to do better it just seems to do enough i think the ben will have him fired up
00:29:47oh dear those are the rabbit punches have to be stopped
00:29:56eubank also right away the thought of that
00:29:58kind of dreary draw that he got the irishman way close in uh in scotland last time up
00:30:03ben's getting off a bit quicker now yeah the manchester crowd are enjoying that too
00:30:17what a turnout it is all the celebrities ex-champions current champions
00:30:22the newspaper liberality of course yeah ben's doing better in the second round here minute to go
00:30:41it's the sharpest we've seen you back now probably since he last fought this fellow
00:30:44right yeah well as i say i think the bend fight made him realize just how tough this business was
00:30:50so there's no way he's not got himself properly prepared for this
00:31:03it does absorb a punch so well jim eubank doesn't it's true he's been down although the last time i
00:31:08agree with him i thought it was a bit of a slip on water on the canvas has well followed the punch he
00:31:13tripped over her left hook as well
00:31:20see eubanks never comfortable leading off attacks he likes to pull a man forward onto him and hit my
00:31:24counters
00:31:32steve albert back here in our new york city studios we want to get impressions of the first two rounds
00:31:36from the fight dr ferdy pacheco and bobby ches ferdy let's begin with your thoughts well i thought ben
00:31:41came in the first round and was trying to take command couldn't and then the second round the uh
00:31:46eubank came in very strong and looked like he was on the verge of taking commands only the second
00:31:50round already looks like he's the boss it looked like ben got a little sharper there in round two
00:31:54bobby well you know i think eubank actually started the box a little better in round two but
00:31:57ben is being aggressive while being a little bit defensive too he's watching last time he got hit
00:32:02a little too much on the way and now he's trying to watch that he's uh pressing the fight with
00:32:05all he has but eubank may have a little too much i think he's leading just a little eubanks way now
00:32:10the weather is certainly holding up a tremendous crowd they are into it it is a spirited first
00:32:15two rounds between ben and eubank let's go back to our satellite coverage right now in manchester england
00:32:19round three round three i can tell you it's uh pretty chilly here now in manchester
00:32:34these fellows have warmed up well they got finger off to a pretty bright start
00:32:48got the feeling doing the bulk of the crowd behind ben when he throws bombs like this
00:32:52yeah i think that a lot of people there i mean i quite enjoy the arrogance that eubank brings into
00:32:57the ring i think it's all part of the showmanship but some people don't like it so they want to see him
00:33:01maybe knock down a peg or two but a good right hand lead from eubank see ben has to pay more
00:33:07attention to the defensive but look up now he gets clipped instead of covering up he goes on the attack
00:33:13you know he likes all the blasting stuff he likes living on the edge all the time doesn't he ben
00:33:18that's a little bit of danger i mean he did he's done it the hard way he's the only britain that's gone
00:33:26a road like that in one two world championships in america doug de witt around barclay yeah well
00:33:33honeycomb did it as well i suppose it's not quite as intense as the first battle yet but with every
00:33:50round that passes it's heating up more ben a bit more positive now trying to move forward with the
00:33:55punches that's a dangerous looking right hand eubank's throwing
00:34:03i don't have that cauldron heat of course in indoor arena jim i wonder you caught in the open air
00:34:08does it make that much difference yeah it does actually especially in october it's
00:34:15not so bad in the summer months a little pleasant breeze but uh in the month of october
00:34:20can feel the cold up there in between rooms
00:34:28oh that's a low punch quite rightly i don't know whether he's going to take a point away
00:34:34it hasn't signified that in area but oh no well not too many of them that could interfere with the family
00:34:39allowance
00:34:44yep ben's been caught low as well now there both been one well that's that's fair
00:34:51quite right i know they've got their foul proof of technique but the damage can be done you can get
00:34:55some pain with that doing can't hurt
00:35:04we're not really seeing good clean punches landing a little bit scuff i think they're both paying each
00:35:08other an awful lot of respect ben's beginning to take some chances but uh eubank been very very careful
00:35:20that's what we're going to do
00:35:33the bleachers as they say in this paper he stands here in the back of this uh old traffic ground it's
00:35:40cheering everything
00:35:43steve albert back in our new york city studios will return to the ben eubank rematch momentarily but
00:35:48first let's bring you up to date on a championship fight that took place on but first let's bring
00:35:53you up to date on a championship fight that took place on the undercard wba welterweight champ
00:35:58crisanto espania took on donovan boucher let's check out some of the action from that fight espania
00:36:03outfought and outboxed boucher throughout in round two espania who beat meldrick taylor for the title
00:36:09put boucher to the canvas for the first time then espania a venezuelan native who now lives in northern
00:36:15ireland sent boucher down for the second time in the bout in round seven with a crunching left hook
00:36:21right there the 32 year old boucher rated number nine by the wba simply overmatched as you will see
00:36:29in round number 10 espania jumps all over the challenger landing a number of vicious combinations
00:36:35boucher was just defenseless here in the corner as espania continued to pour it on it was a barrage by
00:36:41crisanto espania and finally the referee had seen enough and he stopped the fight for santo espania
00:36:46makes his second title defense of the wba welterweight crown and runs his impressive record to 30 and 0
00:36:52with 25 knockouts more welterweight championship action coming up here on showtime october 23rd when
00:37:00undefeated ibf champ felix trinidad makes his second title defense against tough and durable anthony stevens
00:37:06in fort lauderdale now let's return via satellite to manchester england ben eubank two
00:37:15second out round four and we're out for round four wbc wbo versions of the 12 stone or 168 pounds
00:37:28championship of the world
00:37:34and uh well as you've lived in a cave the last few years eubank in the yellow trunks and ben in white
00:37:47oh yes another low punch there i think you might take a point away there second warning he says no
00:37:52he's been a bit lenient there larry o'connell maybe the fact that the both have a warning is
00:37:57is making a coin a little bit more lenient but another one and he'll take a point
00:38:05two american referees i'm sorry judges carol castellano
00:38:09first woman actually to judge the world championship in britain with lloyd hannigan in the second fight
00:38:13with will be valka chuck hassett from anaheim california and the old veteran from england harry gibbs
00:38:25referee larry o'connell wouldn't score if it went the 12 rounds
00:38:36oh good right hand punch there jim right above us here he's hurt eubank he looks as though
00:38:40you don't have the nerve to call him on there i don't think it was hurt reg there wasn't a change
00:38:45in his eyes he stumbled after the punch it was a good shot but he was actually waving ben on yeah
00:38:50he's been a bit cheeky there wasn't he yeah but a good right hand punch it was i would have knocked
00:38:54his monocle out jim i'll tell you that see this is where ben must keep himself under control and get
00:39:01the punches flowing you see he's marching forward but he's taking too long to get the punches off
00:39:05no question it's the best we've seen you don't you agree yeah the sharp pitch i thought he missed
00:39:13quite a bit in the previous round but you can see he's thinking and his movements are sharp
00:39:18but ben's getting through with the shot it's the right hand lead again landing
00:39:26but ben just seems a little bit ragged to me and as the pace slows down he's going to pay for that
00:39:31because that's when eubank will begin to catch him cleanly so this is really ragged stuff from ben
00:39:38not a great deal of control yeah you remember jim he said he didn't prepare properly last time and
00:39:43he was overweight the day before the fight and i think he's in the best shape he could possibly be
00:39:47and maybe he won't have those stamina doubts that he had last time i don't think it's so much stamina
00:39:53does reg he blows himself out he does too much work in the first six rounds of a fight he doesn't
00:39:58think about a campaign as a 12 rounder he trains hard enough but you have to pace yourself and he's
00:40:03certainly pacing himself better he's not wasting so many punches but the action really yeah it's really
00:40:11picking up now reg but he's still very open taking a lot of chances
00:40:15well now that's livening it up a bit now isn't it and uh well he's still getting the slow walk back
00:40:29to the corner there you think there's only he can and only 60 seconds now for these fellas to
00:40:35tell him what it's all about runny davis on the outside of the ropes jim the overhaul look at that
00:40:41again that was a nice shot punch yep see his legs they're not stumbling reggie he's looking back and
00:40:46this is what he called uh ben on he was never really badly shaken by that punch but nevertheless
00:40:51it was a good shot yeah see back he goes he was actually pulling away from the punch as it landed
00:41:02let's have a look at barry mcguigan the four world featherweight champion unofficial scorecard there
00:41:07well up there actually he's considered the the bustling punches of ben just put him a point ahead
00:41:13jim yeah he's not far out you you banks looking sharp moving sharp but he's not getting his punches off
00:41:18too well at least ben being a little bit of aggressive and throwing more punches round five
00:41:27oh now it's really lively up now they had to do that love to tear up nigel ben now that's so
00:41:34good to him he wants to draw eubank at the swapping punches with him
00:41:40well exploded into life there reg all that carefully nurtured height is coming out now is it
00:41:46see eubank never sustains an attack reg and all the fights i've seen him i wonder if you're trying to
00:41:51sustain this one ben reckless again i mean this is suicide this is crazy when the fellow stopped him
00:42:01before he knows he has the power to hurt him why is he doing this
00:42:10now nodding to the corner as well there certainly listening faithfully i think to
00:42:15corner man jimmy tibbs's advice and they're showing up to him as well again
00:42:23minute gone in the fifth
00:42:25it really is living up now to expectations yeah this is what we expected
00:42:32ben is the one doing all the silly things here i mean he knows himself he doesn't have the greatest
00:42:38chin in the world he's been shaken badly a couple of times he's been stopped a couple of times
00:42:42you think it would keep it a bit more protected
00:42:59everywhere then through the round
00:43:01oh right above the third you might tell you i had to draw in my breath there with that body punch
00:43:10that eubank landed but he's as strong as anything actually here in the stomach pain
00:43:22see i feel but this has been a good round excitement wise but a lot of missing we're not
00:43:26really getting the punches home cleanly
00:43:37well inevitably it has to slow down a bit they that's too many punches go too soon in that round there
00:43:47well i have to say i don't think michael nunn will have seen anything to worry him so far i mean it's
00:43:52not really been classic boxing
00:43:56well same goes for games tony but he's not quite in the picture yet the man who has insulted both of them
00:44:07so you have to give it to benny it has total commitment i mean once he sets off on an attack
00:44:11no matter what comes back his way he sticks with it right right to the last whereas eubank likes to
00:44:16back off and start again he really likes to walk in and have a bang up is it an exciting part of
00:44:22nigel ben i wonder what michael nunn does think about that here's gary newbaum with him
00:44:28michael what have you figured a fight so far well you know the fight is very exciting you know i
00:44:32mean i'm getting excited sitting at ringside watching both of them go at it though i'm just
00:44:36looking forward to fighting the winner do you think nigel ben is being rather reckless
00:44:40well no not really i mean what he's doing he's giving uh he's given a lot of hard shots he's
00:44:43taking he's taking some good shots too i mean the fight's pretty uh pretty even right about
00:44:47now and what about you back he seems to be pacing himself well no doubt about it that's what chris
00:44:52is trying to do he's trying to let uh nigel come out and uh exert himself there and try to pick up
00:44:56the later rounds and uh try to get him out of there late from what you've seen so far who do you fancy
00:45:00to win this well i believe that i don't know who's gonna win if like i said i'm gonna leave it up to
00:45:03those two individuals i just want to fight the winner so there he is getting a real seeing two there
00:45:10isn't he the jimmy tibbs the corner man in the opposite corner the changings the trainers are
00:45:17changing there each round maximo perre comes in one and then ronnie davis for the other
00:45:25round six
00:45:30so the the replay jim looks as though it's going to live up now to the first fight doesn't it this
00:45:35yeah it's catching fire now regimen there's been some untidy punching not too many good clean shots
00:45:41landed but they've both been each other so much respect although ben far the far the more reckless
00:45:46of the two but the excitement level has really lifted and now it started living up to the to what we
00:45:52expected
00:46:02eubank not being able to pinch those rests that he likes to do in a fight there's a
00:46:07he's being forced to trade
00:46:08well you bank knows he's the stronger of the two
00:46:23been has some mouth damage yeah
00:46:25warning for a low punch there one point taken off so that's that's a blow for ben
00:46:37yeah it didn't seem that low jim that it's
00:46:40well it's just the fact that he's been warned a couple of times already red so i mean what's the
00:46:44point in warning if you're not going to carry out your threats that's what's happened
00:46:47early on they were well they're only south of the border
00:46:51that's another one actually he's just like he's just landed another punch low then
00:46:55yeah you might actually complained about it he's going to have to take a bit more care
00:46:58good right hand from ben but you're looking for some power on the right hand now
00:47:15see once the pace slows ben could find himself in trouble because his defense is very loose
00:47:23so there's a minute to go in the sixth round now
00:47:28well that's a good extent jace he's certainly sharpened up his boxing a lot
00:47:38you think he's said at some press conferences this week you're going to be surprised with my
00:47:43but oh shoved him out of the ring there well to give him all the time he wants to get back
00:47:49i would think he's got to get back unassisted and he's managed that okay good job there's a wide
00:47:54apron to this ring otherwise he'd have been on our laps there
00:47:58for ben go through with a left hook i don't know if that one's troubled eubank
00:48:05no he's taking it well again it's a bit spotful isn't it
00:48:10well this is now where ben should fancy the job when he has to go looking for opponents he struggles a
00:48:16little bit but eubanks there all the time so it's a type of fight that suits ben
00:48:20good right hand again from ben but jimmy absorbed himself well you're back i'm waiting for him to go
00:48:33over from those punches he just waves his arms as if to say nothing's happened well he could have fooled me
00:48:40looks as though jimmy tibbs is a bit pleased with his man there and now then let's have a look at this in
00:48:45replay now see if we can see the slow punch oh oh yes south of the border south of the equator almost
00:48:52and this is a bit jim where he pushes him through the rope thick
00:49:01well as i said right above the sky whoop there he comes
00:49:05i don't know if you can see the tail flap and certainly on a cold night like this i tell you
00:49:16there's a little nip in the air and with this fight mob around here this if there's a nip in the air
00:49:20they drink it that's a bit of an old-fashioned there from maximo perry
00:49:27i don't know a bit about that because my father and uncle were quite well known in seconds
00:49:36round seven
00:49:44oh well well done to you back there he pulled away he noticed that he slipped uh
00:49:48he could have easily taken advantage of that jim point up for your bank
00:49:52eubank's not delivering his punches very well reg his timing seems slightly off i mean ben's given
00:49:58plenty of chances i know ben's moving his head from side to side as he comes forward but eubank's
00:50:03time and just that little bit off cnn's getting caught he's missing with his own leads and getting
00:50:08caught with the counters i expected the opposite eubank to be the one with the sharp counter
00:50:22the second one
00:50:40when it's gone on the seventh
00:50:42they don't trust each other close in like that they're not infighting too good
00:50:52still trying to use the apricot facing now Eubank
00:50:58see it's I mean it's really obvious how poor Eubank is at coming forward when he misses with
00:51:04one punch Reg he's got nothing else to do he's got to start ducking towards the floor and pulling
00:51:09away he's he's attacking boxing is really very poor he depends on an opponent leading off so he can
00:51:16counter and the old squad's called milling on the retreat in a way that was
00:51:23but a couple of times Eubank has gone on the attack if the first punch misses
00:51:30then he has nowhere to go he has to start ducking diving and grabbing hold minute to go
00:51:39see there he goes again misses with a punch nothing else to do just covers up no scrappy
00:51:44around this isn't it
00:51:46and in the ninth round the first fight remember Ben certainly paced his campaign a lot better this
00:52:03time he hasn't wasted quite as many punches taking chances but not throwing a lot of silly punches
00:52:08I'm going to keep out of the picture as much as possible here
00:52:15and I was just lucky that was just what
00:52:34Steve Albert back here in our New York City studio.
00:52:44They are seven rounds complete.
00:52:45Ben Eubank, too.
00:52:46The pace really picked up in that fifth round.
00:52:49And Eubank really fighting an intelligent fight, I think.
00:52:52Except he let Ben right back in the fight this last round.
00:52:55I've got a dead even 66-66.
00:52:57As the British announcers are pointing out, it's a one-punch fight for Eubank.
00:53:01He punches and he grabs.
00:53:02He punches and he grabs.
00:53:03Ben took that round and got himself back in the fight.
00:53:06How do you have it scored through seven, Bobby?
00:53:07We'll have Eubank with just a one-point edge, 67-66.
00:53:10That one-point deduction could turn out to be very big in the scoring
00:53:13as it comes down to a decision.
00:53:14All right.
00:53:15Ben Eubank, too, continues.
00:53:16Our satellite coverage from Manchester, England.
00:53:19We go to the announcers, Reg Gutteridge and Jim Watt, ringside.
00:53:23Ten seconds.
00:53:28Seconds out.
00:53:31Round eight.
00:53:33So, round eight, then.
00:53:35And remember, these fellas have both been in the melting pot a few times.
00:53:38Now, this last quarter of the fight could really decide the winner.
00:53:43How have you got it, Jim?
00:53:44I've got Ben in front, Reg.
00:53:45I think Eubank has a lot to do here.
00:53:47He's not boxing well at all.
00:53:49Moving around sharp.
00:53:50They're looking good.
00:53:51Pulling plenty of dangerous-looking faces.
00:53:54But his punches are not as sharp as they should be.
00:53:57And a lot of the action's been scrappy.
00:53:59But Ben has been just that little bit busier.
00:54:02You know, inside, he's been throwing little clips around the ears.
00:54:05I thought Eubank was boxing exception well.
00:54:10But as you say, it's got a bit ragged now.
00:54:12He started well.
00:54:13He had a good first round.
00:54:14He looked very sharp.
00:54:15And I thought that's...
00:54:15But see, he never sustains good action, Eubank.
00:54:18He's never been able to do that.
00:54:19I don't know if it's the type of training he does.
00:54:22He looks wonderfully and superbly fit.
00:54:25But he never sustains any action.
00:54:26So you wonder about his stamina.
00:54:30See a lot of missing again.
00:54:32Ben, and when he misses with a punch, he's red.
00:54:33He doesn't quite know what to do.
00:54:35He's like an office at times.
00:54:36And he has to start running or dipping towards the floor.
00:54:41See, if Ben misses with a punch, he comes back with another one.
00:54:44But decent balance.
00:54:49It's a pretty now that he's only going to cut you now.
00:55:01It's a strong look.
00:55:02And practice has looked a very exciting fight.
00:55:05The excitement, say Reg, but I don't think it's quite the intense epic that the first battle was.
00:55:10Just that it's a little bit scrappy.
00:55:13We're not seeing enough good, solid, you know, good quality punches landed.
00:55:17Now it looks as though the moves have been choreographed a bit.
00:55:19Doesn't it?
00:55:22Thirteenth consecutive WBO fight, Mr. Eubank.
00:55:27Well, Eubank's produced a lot of poor performances, Reg.
00:55:30Something that's quite possible that now and again he just can't raise the gallop.
00:55:36And he has a lot to do tonight.
00:55:38His boxing is very low-key here.
00:55:42And Ben still has plenty of steam left.
00:55:44I'm wondering now how the newspaper critics have got this around the ringside here.
00:55:51Sponsored of course by the Daniel Miriam or the newspapers this fight.
00:55:55And you have to hand it to Ben, the natural fighter, Reg, when he's tagged, he just comes storming back again.
00:56:10Eubank's sharpened up a little bit just in this little half minute here.
00:56:13And there's the countdown for the eighth.
00:56:20Steve Albert back in our New York City studio at Showtime Championship Boxing brings you satellite coverage of Ben versus Eubank II from Manchester, England.
00:56:44We'll return to the fight in a moment, but first, once again, we'd like to remind you about a programming note here on Showtime.
00:56:50We'll be with you once again Saturday, October 23rd from Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
00:56:54as IBF welterweight champion Felix Trinidad defends his title against highly rated Anthony Stevens.
00:57:00It's live at 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 Pacific, right here on Showtime Championship Boxing.
00:57:04Trinidad, a young, undefeated sensation from Puerto Rico, October 23rd.
00:57:09Also on the card, a pair of undefeated welterweights, top contenders, Oba Carr versus Pedro Sanchez.
00:57:16It's a welterweight extravaganza on Showtime Championship Boxing, October 23rd, 10 p.m. Eastern time, 7 Pacific.
00:57:24Now we go back to our satellite coverage of Ben Eubank II in Manchester, England.
00:57:28Ben Eubank II!
00:57:39Ben Eubank II!
00:57:41Ben Eubank II!
00:57:42Ben Eubank II!
00:57:43Into the ninth round.
00:57:46Well, I think it's now time for Ben to go back to the old Nigel Ben and just really give it what he has now, the last third of the fight.
00:57:53He can afford now to really raise the pace.
00:57:56It's been, for his standards, a good, cool, steady pace.
00:57:59He must have plenty left.
00:58:00Just keep that chin down and raise the pace.
00:58:05Eubank doesn't like working at a pace.
00:58:08And I think the time is now right for Ben to raise it.
00:58:13Oh, this is the round of everything last time.
00:58:17Ben actually ended up being kicked in the neck, we are.
00:58:20Yeah, Larry O'Connell's got abused by that.
00:58:23He's keeping a good humour going, that's something.
00:58:27Not for long, the armistice was short-lived.
00:58:31Good left hook from Ben.
00:58:32I mean, a little bit of sticky stuff from Eubank.
00:58:34He put out the touch glove and threw a punch at the same time there.
00:58:37Don't expect that from him.
00:58:44Plenty of the old needle here, that's the same.
00:58:47Scrappy in parts.
00:58:48But how do you reckon a man like Eubank, Jim?
00:58:52He keeps saying it.
00:58:53I mean, do you know when he was sparring with Chris Byatt, who's also a world champion for this fight, he actually broke off to answer his mobile phone.
00:59:00In his case, it's got to be a poser phone.
00:59:03He's been warned for a lot about holding and hitting there.
00:59:05Yeah, that'll go against him with the judges.
00:59:09See, Ben is still the one, when they get up close, he's throwing the little clips.
00:59:12They're not good, clean, solid punches, but they're scoring points.
00:59:15That's what came to the front, and Eubank holding again.
00:59:19He's talking to Ben too, you notice that?
00:59:20Well, not a good performance from Eubank so far, Reg.
00:59:28Another couple of rounds like this, and he's going to be looking for that knockout, because he's going to need it.
00:59:43Ben looking a little bit ragged as well now, Reg.
00:59:46See, no defence.
00:59:47He sees that Ben, a couple of times in the past, has just suddenly fallen to pieces.
01:00:08Reg!
01:00:08Reg!
01:00:09Reg!
01:00:10Reg!
01:00:10Reg!
01:00:10Reg!
01:00:11Reg!
01:00:11Reg!
01:00:12Reg!
01:00:12Reg!
01:00:13Reg!
01:00:13Reg!
01:00:14Reg!
01:00:14Reg!
01:00:15Reg!
01:00:15Reg!
01:00:16Reg!
01:00:16Reg!
01:00:17Reg!
01:00:17Reg!
01:00:21There's not much in it, Jim.
01:00:22Is it really?
01:00:23No, there's not...
01:00:24Ben actually looks a little bit...
01:00:26As though one of the earlier punches has got an effect on him.
01:00:29I mean, his legs look a little bit wobbly.
01:00:34Once again, Steve Albert back here in our New York City studios.
01:00:38They are nine rounds complete.
01:00:39Ben, you banked, too.
01:00:40And let's go to the fight, Dr. Fernando Pacheco, to see how you've got it scored.
01:00:44I got it scored 86-84.
01:00:46I think Ben is coming on, punching three, four, five punches at a time.
01:00:50And for some reason, Eubanks is slowing up.
01:00:52Now, I don't know what that reason is,
01:00:53except that Ben is really putting a lot of punishment on him.
01:00:57Great left hooks that are slopping him.
01:00:59Bobby?
01:00:59Well, I also see the same thing.
01:01:00I see Ben coming back now.
01:01:01A little too strong right now, maybe, for Eubanks.
01:01:03And I have at 86, 85, a one-point difference.
01:01:06And it's still a very close, close fight.
01:01:08You have that difference for Ben, right?
01:01:10Actually, yeah, Ben.
01:01:11And he came in awfully loose.
01:01:12In fact, Reg Gutteridge and Jim Watt were commenting that he may have been too loose.
01:01:16He was smiling, but he seems to have the slight edge at this juncture.
01:01:19Well, I think he's just being too...
01:01:20He's putting on too much pressure.
01:01:21He's too strong right now.
01:01:22He's the busier fighter.
01:01:23He's making the fight.
01:01:24All right, back to our satellite coverage from Manchester, England.
01:01:26Ben, Eubank, too.
01:01:30Round 10!
01:01:31He's got a tenth round.
01:01:38And would you put Ben in front?
01:01:40Yeah, I still have Ben in front, Reg.
01:01:42I feel Eubank has a lot to do.
01:01:44He tried to sharpen up in the previous round there.
01:01:46But he's not boxing well.
01:01:48He's taking too long to get his punches off.
01:01:50Up close, he's not throwing any punches.
01:01:54I mean, it's not quite as good a battle as the previous one.
01:01:57A lot of scuffling and untidy stuff.
01:01:59But the events made it obviously exciting.
01:02:02Oh, good luck too.
01:02:06That's a beauty.
01:02:08That was a good shot from Ben.
01:02:10That was the one.
01:02:11Yeah, he's stumbling a bit there, Eubank.
01:02:14The legs have started to betray him a bit.
01:02:17Remember, he went down in the Michael Watson fight,
01:02:21where he was being beaten quite clearly.
01:02:23And then came back, of course,
01:02:27to that tragic end for Watson in the last round.
01:02:31Well, we thought by now we would see the strength of Eubank
01:02:33beginning to take control,
01:02:35but that hasn't happened.
01:02:36It doesn't look anything,
01:02:37any stronger than Ben does.
01:02:39And that was a lovely left hook.
01:02:40That was a beauty, Reg.
01:03:00He was banging the chin.
01:03:01He took it well.
01:03:01As we've said before, an excellent chin.
01:03:05See, he's not landing cleanly.
01:03:07His own punches, Ben's managing to keep below them.
01:03:10He really is full of fire, isn't he, Ben?
01:03:15He's actually enjoying the fight.
01:03:33Minute to go on the 10th.
01:03:37Much more there.
01:03:38Two American judges.
01:03:40And then coming in, Harry Gibbs.
01:03:45Oh, dear.
01:03:47The rabbit punches are not to be tolerated for too long,
01:03:51I don't think, by the referee.
01:03:54Frens allowing Eubank to come forward in this round,
01:03:56but still, Eubank not really being very effective.
01:04:04Half a minute.
01:04:05I'm doubting now, Jim, whether Eubank has really ever got himself just in front.
01:04:19I think Ben has always just nipped in front there.
01:04:22There's not much in it, though.
01:04:23It's a bit seesaw.
01:04:24I've got Ben in front, Reg.
01:04:26I always think he's been busier in the time that it counts.
01:04:28He has the last word in a lot of the exchanges,
01:04:31and I really feel Eubank not had the accuracy of what they usually expect from him.
01:04:34I've got Ben in front.
01:04:35He's going back to the corner just a few seconds down here,
01:04:44trying to work inside the ring.
01:04:47He's showing out to Frank Brunner there and answering him, too, Eubank.
01:04:58Let's have a look at this in replay, Jim.
01:05:01See, he's dipped low, he's just looking for the shot.
01:05:04Bang, right on the chin.
01:05:05Look at him.
01:05:06You can see the way his head shoots from that punch,
01:05:08but still, he's looking back towards Ben.
01:05:10He's taking the punch perfectly well,
01:05:12but that was a scorcher.
01:05:13There it is, there.
01:05:18He's got Ben in front.
01:05:19Barry McGroogan's unofficial card.
01:05:21First time he's actually done this on ITV.
01:05:3111th round.
01:05:3541,000-odd crowd here.
01:05:37Well, you, Bane, I think I'm complaining about a lower one again there.
01:05:39I don't know if it was lower edge.
01:05:41I was unsighted.
01:05:42I was right behind Ben.
01:05:45You've got to remember, there was a point deducted from Ben.
01:05:47Could that make a difference?
01:05:49If it's that close, what do you think?
01:05:52Well, I was still having him in front, Reg,
01:05:54even allowing for the point.
01:05:56But you, Bane, must realise,
01:05:58surely as Conor have told him
01:05:59he has it all to do in the last couple of rounds.
01:06:01Yeah.
01:06:02He's just got to hang on to that slenderly, doesn't he?
01:06:04But Ben doesn't want to let him come forward
01:06:06at this stage in the fight.
01:06:07He's strong, as we're saying about it,
01:06:10close to the 13 stone by now, no doubt.
01:06:12You don't want Eubank coming at you.
01:06:14A little bit of the snap seems to have gone out of Ben's work, Reg.
01:06:38He's feeling the pace.
01:06:40Yeah, well, remember, he was tagged by Oro Galvano
01:06:43right in the dying second of the 12th round
01:06:46when he fought him.
01:06:47Let's put it happen again here.
01:06:49You never know.
01:06:49It's all on a knife edge, really, isn't it?
01:06:51Yeah, he wants to just force the punches out now, Ben.
01:06:57He's obviously feeling the pace.
01:07:00He'll keep that chin low.
01:07:02Nice little chopping right hand from Ben.
01:07:05It's a period that the turns
01:07:06has been a bit more hugging than hitting, really.
01:07:09Yeah, it's been an untidy fight, Reg.
01:07:11It's not been quite as good as the previous encounter,
01:07:13but you find that quite a lot.
01:07:15But the atmosphere and just the event
01:07:17has made the whole thing.
01:07:19Oh, good left.
01:07:21Yeah, see, Ben's leaving that chin.
01:07:24Back he comes when he's hurt.
01:07:25He's always the same.
01:07:26That's what makes him so exciting.
01:07:38Minute to go.
01:07:40I think U-Bank has done slightly better this round, Reg.
01:07:43Ben looks to me as though he's really feeling the pace.
01:07:51Trying for a long time in Tenerife.
01:07:53That's a chance, a football-type chance here in the stand.
01:08:10But here we go, here we go.
01:08:16He's always scuffling well, Ben, isn't he?
01:08:18That's the thing, didn't he?
01:08:19They made it all be hurtful punches,
01:08:21but he keeps on throwing them in.
01:08:23I think U-Bank's nicking this one, Reg.
01:08:26Good right hand from Ben,
01:08:27but he's looking very tired.
01:08:35Very lively running back to the corner there.
01:08:37Looking for that drug of a...
01:08:39Great action in that 11th round.
01:08:41One to go.
01:08:43And if you recall, Ben U-Bank won,
01:08:44went to U-Bank.
01:08:45A ninth round TKO.
01:08:47And U-Bank comes in a 4-1 favorite.
01:08:50How do you see it with one to go?
01:08:51Well, I had Ben all the way going in
01:08:53with two points ahead going into this round.
01:08:55However, U-Bank has come back into...
01:08:58U-Bank has come back into this round
01:08:59with a terrific flurry on the ropes,
01:09:01and it's Ben all of a sudden looks tired.
01:09:03The championship's up for grabs.
01:09:04This is the round.
01:09:05He could get knocked out.
01:09:06Ben could, because he looks so tired,
01:09:08but it's up for grabs.
01:09:09I have Ben ahead by one point.
01:09:10How about you, Bobby?
01:09:11I also have Ben right now by one point.
01:09:13I think that this last round does do the whole fight.
01:09:15That one point that was taken away
01:09:16could in actuality change a world championship here,
01:09:19and I think that would be a shame,
01:09:20because it's been great action,
01:09:21terrific ebb and flow both ways.
01:09:23There is no clear-cut winner.
01:09:24So here we go, from New York City
01:09:26to our satellite coverage
01:09:27in Manchester, England, round 12.
01:09:31Well, biggest round of your career,
01:09:33to be some of you.
01:09:35And isn't it so?
01:09:36See, even he can smell it.
01:09:37Well, it could be close.
01:09:40And I'm wondering how you at home have got it.
01:09:42Oh!
01:09:42Oh, Ben, a lovely right hand
01:09:44to start the round, then two more.
01:09:47Ben, what?
01:09:47A big round red.
01:09:48We just put the clincher on it.
01:09:49No problem for Ben.
01:09:51He had a lazy 11th round.
01:09:56Eubank slipping on the canvas there.
01:09:59Left hook.
01:10:02Eubank slipped on the canvas,
01:10:04and Ben took full advantage of it.
01:10:10This is the round red we've been waiting for.
01:10:12This is what we expected.
01:10:13This is what we expected.
01:10:13It's blowing hard, Ben,
01:10:27but he's still throwing more than he's a share of punches.
01:10:33Minute gone.
01:10:33And a close fight, Red,
01:10:39you don't want to allow the opponent
01:10:40to do all the leading off,
01:10:41and that's what Ben's doing here.
01:10:43Yeah, not a particularly good round so far.
01:10:45Nope.
01:10:46I mean, he's landing the same amount of punches
01:10:48because Eubank's missing so much,
01:10:50but you don't want him to be looking the boss.
01:10:52They're both fairly exhausted here.
01:11:03Well, it seems to be drawn decisions
01:11:04all the bold these days,
01:11:05isn't it?
01:11:06What if I show this?
01:11:08Eubank close.
01:11:11I hope that they can find a winner here anyway.
01:11:14See, Ben again,
01:11:16he looked very lazy in the 11th round,
01:11:19and I don't think he's got an awful lot left,
01:11:20but here he fires back again.
01:11:22He's going to have to spring into life here.
01:11:29Oh, no, he's shouting at one another.
01:11:31Just look at that with a minute left.
01:11:32A little bit of abuse going on in there, I think.
01:11:40Ben's absolutely convinced him that he's won this.
01:11:44I don't know if he thinks he's not enough in front res to coast
01:11:47that he'd be thrown back here.
01:11:51And Eubank won the 11th on my card,
01:11:53and he's doing all the work in this one.
01:11:55Eubank tried to kid around too
01:11:57with putting his hands up there
01:11:58as if to say to the judges,
01:11:59this is my fight, man.
01:12:00I mean, a couple of cocky characters here, aren't they?
01:12:12A lot of untidy boxing all the way through,
01:12:15but this has been a good round.
01:12:19It's always carried that little bit of drama
01:12:21and argument and debate,
01:12:22and maybe that's what the decision will do.
01:12:24There it is, all over.
01:12:32And now we've got that long wait now
01:12:35for the three judges' cards.
01:12:37The supervisor, Ray Clark,
01:12:41and the British board.
01:12:41And the boxing board of control steward there
01:12:47is Tom Hendry, local MP and the shadow minister for sport.
01:12:51Not that he's involved with the decision at all,
01:12:53but they're watching now that they're both being hoisted.
01:12:56Steve Albert back in our New York City studios.
01:12:57Hope you enjoyed.
01:12:58Nigel Ben, Chris Eubank, too.
01:13:00Satellite coverage from Manchester, England,
01:13:03about as close as it gets.
01:13:04Ferdy, how'd you see it?
01:13:05Savage last round.
01:13:06Ben taking the first part.
01:13:07Eubank taking the last, making it even.
01:13:09And I have Ben winning the fight 115 to 114
01:13:12and a tough decision.
01:13:14That would be sweet revenge indeed for Nigel Ben.
01:13:16How about you, Bob?
01:13:17I pretty much feel the same way.
01:13:18I think the last round was very even.
01:13:20In the beginning, Nigel Ben came out like a demon,
01:13:22fought hard, won the first half round.
01:13:23Then also, Eubank, he came on,
01:13:25he did what he had to do.
01:13:26But the ninth, tenth, even maybe the seventh and eighth rounds,
01:13:28that's where I think Eubank lost the fight.
01:13:30Ben built up some steam.
01:13:31The one-point deduction made it closer
01:13:33than it should have been.
01:13:34Eubank loses by one point.
01:13:36Ready for the official decision.
01:13:37Back to Manchester, England.
01:13:40Here's the emcee.
01:13:43Well, I think he knows he's won.
01:13:45He's been tipped off, I should have thought there, Ben.
01:13:47We've all seen an outstanding 12 rounds of boxing.
01:13:50No matter who the winner is,
01:13:52they broke this over round.
01:13:53A round of applause.
01:13:54Outstanding effort.
01:13:55Missy Ben and Nigel Ben.
01:14:00Ladies and gentlemen,
01:14:02after 12 rounds of boxing,
01:14:03here are the score totals.
01:14:05Judge at ringside,
01:14:07Harry Gibbs scores about 115-113.
01:14:12Chris Eubank.
01:14:15Judge at ringside,
01:14:16Carol Castellano scores about 114-113.
01:14:22Nigel Ben.
01:14:24One each.
01:14:24This looks like being a draw.
01:14:26Second ringside,
01:14:26Chuck Cassett scores about 114-114.
01:14:33Even a draw this season.
01:14:34Yes, it's a draw.
01:14:35Even a draw.
01:14:37We thought Ben just stole it, Jim,
01:14:39but we weren't a bit surprised by a drawn decision there.
01:14:42Would you believe,
01:14:42Is it going to be a third time up?
01:14:44He's not too pleased with that, Ben, at all.
01:14:46Therefore, ladies and gentlemen,
01:14:47both of the boxers retain their super middleweight crown belt.
01:14:52So there you have it from Manchester, England.
01:14:55It is ruled a draw as Nigel Ben and Chris Eubank retain their respective championships.
01:15:02I did notice Don King in the crowd.
01:15:03Maybe they should have gone to overtime.
01:15:05If you follow boxing, you know what I'm talking about,
01:15:08the fact that Don King is now a proponent of overtime in boxing.
01:15:12A little boxing humor there.
01:15:13The scoring was Harry Gibbs, 115-113 for Eubank.
01:15:18Carol Castellano had it, 114-113 for Ben.
01:15:22And Chuck Cassett had it, 114-114, a draw.
01:15:26Let us go back right now to what turned out to be the pivotal moment,
01:15:31the turning point of the fight.
01:15:33We take you back to round number six,
01:15:35and here was the low blow right there.
01:15:38The left uppercut by Nigel Ben.
01:15:41Again, a point was deducted.
01:15:43It turned out to loom very, very large in this fight.
01:15:48And, Ferdy Pacheco, first, let's get your opinion.
01:15:51Well, I think whereas last month we had an irate indignation over Chavez and Whitaker,
01:15:56this time we have sullenness.
01:15:58I mean, you know, there's a feeling of what, again?
01:16:01I mean, Ben won the fight.
01:16:03He lost, you know, by one point, the other guy loses, and we have a draw again.
01:16:06So there is a sullen resignation about this,
01:16:09a dissatisfaction, if you will, for this decision.
01:16:12I'm not happy with it.
01:16:13I don't think it should have been a draw.
01:16:14Yeah, I thought Ben won it, too.
01:16:15But how do you sort it out, Bobby?
01:16:17Well, especially with that one low blow, that point,
01:16:19that punch was facilitated not only by Ben,
01:16:21but also by Eubank pulling on his head.
01:16:23This was not a blatant shot south of the border.
01:16:25So I think that point not only cost him the title,
01:16:28or actually both titles in essence,
01:16:30but it also cost him the fight here.
01:16:31And I really just don't think it was right.
01:16:32I think he won the fight.
01:16:33I think he took the fight.
01:16:34He carried the fight.
01:16:34And this fight, though, not like the Chavez-Whitaker fight.
01:16:38That fight was nowhere near a draw.
01:16:40This was at least near one.
01:16:41All right, the comments of Bobby Ches and Ferdy Pacheco.
01:16:43Let's get a post-fight reaction.
01:16:44We've got Chris Eubank.
01:16:46Meanwhile, Nigel Ben, so upset with the scoring,
01:16:49left the ring area, so in his place is trainer Jimmy Tibbs.
01:16:52Let's go back to Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England,
01:16:55to hear what they have to say.
01:16:57Right, first of all, Chris, did you agree it was a draw?
01:17:00It was close.
01:17:01I thought I was a knicker on the boxing, the more boxing.
01:17:04He was punching hard.
01:17:05He was scoring with shots.
01:17:06He's not the man I fought.
01:17:10I thought I would knock him out.
01:17:11I thought his resilience would go.
01:17:12But what a good fighter he is.
01:17:15And I'm glad to have got the draw now.
01:17:16We can do it again.
01:17:17We can finally set the record straight.
01:17:21I have to say, if the referee didn't take away a point,
01:17:24Nigel Ben would be double champion now.
01:17:25He hit me low about three times, three, four times.
01:17:28In the later rounds, he hit me with a low blow.
01:17:30So just after the referee took away a point, he hit me again.
01:17:33It's all to do with fair play.
01:17:35I mean, it's all in the game.
01:17:36It's a draw.
01:17:37We'll do it again.
01:17:38We earn the money.
01:17:39And hopefully Nigel can be reasonable and behave like a gentleman
01:17:43instead of hyping the fight.
01:17:45I mean, yeah, we had a brilliant crowd here tonight, a full house.
01:17:47I really enjoyed playing to this type of crowd.
01:17:49And I'm pleased, basically, to keep my unbeaten record,
01:17:53to keep my WBO World Championship.
01:17:55And I'm pleased that we'll probably get it on again next summer or sometime.
01:18:00Were you relieved to get a draw?
01:18:01You looked a bit desperate towards the end of you going flat out to stop him.
01:18:04Oh, yeah.
01:18:04I mean, it was a close fight.
01:18:05I knew it was close.
01:18:06Nigel wasn't playing.
01:18:07He was hitting hard.
01:18:08He was, um...
01:18:09I basically didn't box.
01:18:10I thought I would have boxed more, but I didn't.
01:18:13You know, such is life.
01:18:14Still a good performance from my half.
01:18:17Good performance from his half.
01:18:19And, you know, I haven't got any complaints with a draw.
01:18:22You know, it was a close fight.
01:18:23He hit me with some good shots.
01:18:24I hit me with some good shots.
01:18:25And, you know, such is life.
01:18:26Okay, Chris, now what's happened to Nigel Benn?
01:18:28He's just shot off.
01:18:29We were hoping to talk to him.
01:18:30Nigel Benn's a little bit disgusted with the decision,
01:18:33but I've come here just to say what a great fight it was for Chris Eubanks.
01:18:37And for Nigel Benn and for the British public.
01:18:39And I believe that they can get it on again.
01:18:42And I thought my man just nicked it.
01:18:44But there's no disgrace to Chris Eubanks.
01:18:47No way.
01:18:47But if he hadn't took that point away, as you said earlier on,
01:18:50well, what a great fight.
01:18:51What a great fight.
01:18:52And let's hope they can do it again.
01:18:54Jimmy Tibbs, you're the trainer, of course.
01:18:55Did you think Nigel actually won?
01:18:56He's disgusted with the verdict.
01:18:57I thought he just actually nicked it.
01:18:58No way. Come on.
01:18:59Don't play that.
01:19:00No, no, no.
01:19:01He didn't win this fight.
01:19:02There's no way.
01:19:02Hang on, now.
01:19:03Chris, I asked you whether you thought it was a draw.
01:19:06I'm just asking Jimmy Tibbs whether Nigel thought he'd won.
01:19:08I thought my man just nicked it.
01:19:10But I'm saying if we never took that point away, we would have got the verdict.
01:19:14But what a great fight.
01:19:16It's come out a good result at the end because they can get the camera.
01:19:19I'm sure the promoters will do that.
01:19:20And everyone will be happy.
01:19:21And you're still unbeaten one way or another.
01:19:23Thank you very much, Chris and Jimmy.
01:19:24So, the thoughts from Manchester, England.
01:19:27Some final comments and perhaps a thought or two on the super middleweight division as it stands now.
01:19:32How about first from the fight, Dr. Ferdie?
01:19:33Well, I think we didn't accomplish anything.
01:19:35We're frozen in time.
01:19:36The two guys that should have met to decide who was best so they could move on to the next stage are frozen.
01:19:41They didn't accomplish it.
01:19:42They worked very hard.
01:19:43Nothing was accomplished.
01:19:44I feel very dissatisfied, very incomplete.
01:19:47I wish that had a clear-cut winner and I thought Ben was the winner.
01:19:51It does leave you with a sour taste.
01:19:53How about your final thoughts, Bob?
01:19:54Well, in the words of his trainer, Jimmy Tibbs, I thought he nicked it at the end.
01:19:58And he deserved that day, that little taste for his rematch and his grudge match, if you will.
01:20:02But, again, on any given day, one hour of one day, any one of these fighters can rise to the occasion
01:20:07because they're so closely matched and evenly talented.
01:20:10That title is going to change hands many times over the next few years.
01:20:12Well, that is it for the super middleweights tonight in just a couple of weeks here on Showtime Championship Box.
01:20:17The spotlight falls on another exciting division, the welterweights,
01:20:21and headlining the card, a rising young star out of Puerto Rico.
01:20:26Undefeated IBF welterweight champion Felix Trinidad makes his second title defense
01:20:30against highly rated contender Anthony Stevens.
01:20:34And on the undercard, we'll feature two undefeated welterweight contenders,
01:20:38Oba Carr against Pedro Sanchez in a 10-round bout.
01:20:42Welterweight action on Showtime, Saturday, October 23rd, live at 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Pacific Time.
01:20:51Thank you for joining us for this special edition of Showtime Championship Boxing.
01:20:55For Ferdy Pacheco, Bobby Chez, and our friends across the ocean at ITV,
01:21:00this is Steve Albert saying so long, everybody.
01:21:02This is Steve Albert saying so long, everybody.
01:21:02This is Steve Albert saying so long, everybody.