The Celtic Warrior who beat Benn and Eubank back to back
BoxingThere are fighters who win world titles, and then there is Steve Collins, the Dublin welder's son who walked into two of British boxing's biggest fights as the underdog and walked out with both belts.
Collins turned professional in Boston in 1986 under the guidance of the Petronelli brothers, the trainers behind Marvin Hagler. He sharpened his craft in America, lost a close decision to Mike McCallum for the WBA middleweight title, then came home and rebuilt. In 1994 he took the WBO middleweight belt from Chris Pyatt, and a year later the boxing world thought Chris Eubank would end him in Millstreet. Collins had other ideas.
That night in County Cork is the one the Irish still talk about. Collins went in claiming he had been hypnotised to feel no pain, Eubank blinked, and 12 rounds later the Celtic Warrior had the WBO super middleweight title. He beat Eubank again in the rematch, then stopped Nigel Benn twice in 1996. Four world title wins over two of the most feared British fighters of the era.
He retired undefeated as WBO super middleweight champion in 1997 on medical advice after a scheduled bout with Joe Calzaghe was pulled, finishing with 36 wins from 39 fights. Outside the ring he has moved between Ireland and the UK, made documentaries, and trained his son Steve Junior.
On stage, Collins is everything you would expect. Sharp, funny, a little mischievous, and full of the kind of stories that only a man who shared a ring with Benn and Eubank on a good night can tell.
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