5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - The Celtic Warrior

Episode Date: March 9, 2026

He beat Nigel Benn twice. He beat Chris Eubank twice. Former two-weight world champion Steve Collins joins Buncey to reflect on his career, including training in the same gym as Marvin Hagler. He also looks ahead the world title fight between Anthony Cacace and Jazza Dickens in Dublin this weekend.

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turn on ad spend of major ad networks. Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get $250 credit for the next one. Just go to LinkedIn.com slash broadcast. That's LinkedIn.com slash broadcast. Terms and conditions apply. This podcast is sponsored by Pocket Hose. I got to tell you, being a homeowner, there's so many things you have to think about all the time.

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That's pockethose.com slash podcast for your two free gifts with purchase. Pockethose.com slash P-O-D-C-A-S-T. This is Five Live Boxing. Now, Steve Collins is a giant of British and Irish boxing. World titles at two weights. He was involved in some unbelievable fights. He beat Chris Eubank twice, and he beat 9. you'll bend twice. Now he started boxing as a professional in America just outside Boston.

In fact, he started under Marvin Hagler's glare, and that's a bit of a glare if you don't mind me saying. So, now, this Saturday in Steve's beloved Dublin where he was born and raised, Antony Kacchi, known as the Apache, will challenge Jazza Dickens for the WBA Super Featherweight title. I sat down with Steve at a venue in the infamous, the famous knock that's Canuck to you, and I had a chat with him about his life, his boxing and that particular fight. Also, just to mention, I've got to mention it, this ongoing battle between Dana White and, well, the rest of boxing. On Sunday night, Jayopataya, possibly, arguably the best Cruiserweight in the world,

defended well, not quite sure what he defended, but it wasn't his IBF title at Cruiserweight. It wasn't that. He actually won the Zuffer belt. This is an ongoing battle. There's going to be chaos ahead. There's going to be storm clouds on the horizon, as they might have said, in the Terminator movie. Anyway, here's Steve Collins sitting with me talking about,

well, all things boxing, his life, and a little bit of Kukachi and Dickens. I'm Steve Bunce, and this is Five Live Boxing. Steve, first of all, how are you? Great, everything is really good with me. Living the dream, as they say. Top of the world. Top of the world. Top of the world, ma.

Steve, I do obviously I want to talk about Jazz and Dick. Dickens and Kakachi and your memories of fighting at the point as it was known. You know the night you fought there? Do you remember backstage in the room? It was Beamish sponsor, if I'm not mistaken. It wasn't a Guinness sponsor. It was Beamish. And do you remember he was pulling the Beamish's?

Oh, James Bond, was it? Yeah, James Bond, yeah. I can tell you something about that night, and it's a lesson that, you know, you think you're learning... Canaanis Car was the defence, by the way. Okay, I fought Caninis Car. And I remember meeting Caneris Carre not long before that he just won the British title and he came to the gym when I was based in Essex in Ronford and he came in with his

belt and a lovely guy and I saw his belt and I looked and I went you know this is the premier belt in the world, you know, there's world title. The Lonsdale belt I said Lonsdale belt. I said I would wish to have loved and would have loved to have fought for the Lonsdale belt to own to have a Lonsdale belt which because I went to the American rule, I never got the opportunity but I don't make it back to Britain I was fighting for world titles. Lovely guy

Canelius I think we sparred and it was okay you know Now, he was picked as, I won't use the wooden opponent, he was picked as someone, a title defence after Chris Eubank. Yeah. Which, you know, I thought, yeah, good kid, domestic fighter, British champion, I sparred him. Yeah, I can handle him, you know,

and I train for the fight. But the Canelius car that showed up that night, wasn't the Canelius car that I'd met in Ronford. And I'll halfway through the fight, and Freddie Roach says to me, he says, you're losing this. He was tired, yeah. I said, Freddy, it's not good.

I can't work him out. He said, he said, you need to cup on, snap him and wake up. I totally, totally underestimate him. I never really tell how good of a fight he was. And believe me, I had to dig down deep and give it everything.

And I won. I wasn't a great win. I won the fight. It was a hard, grueling fight. I didn't look good doing it, because Canadian's car, didn't let me do what I wanted to do. The plus side of it was,

Nigel Ben was sitting in ringside, and he went, I love that. I love that. I love that, you know. If you can't take out Canelia's car, I'll have a field day with him.

Oh, Canneas car came close to taking the title off of me that night and he just didn't read the script, you know, and the Canelius Carer shot up at night and there was a lesson for me to learn you never, ever underestimate anybody, you know, especially for the World Title

and, yeah, he almost, yeah, he came pretty close to lifting the title at night for me. What was that light, Steve, being so close to your home in Dublin, in Nashville, venue because you'd fought there before you'd fought at the national stadium before there um or obviously you had two fights on the national stadium this is the one with the gloves on

on top of defense one was an onslaught um to be perfectly honest with you i always wanted i think every fighter wants to you know bring a title back to the home to the city the way they grew up and cut it you know they'd lend the thread and cut their teeth and so on right so i wanted to do it but to be perfectly honest with i didn't enjoy it was really hard it's a lot of pressure there's a pressure on you. I'm not pressure. I was kind of running around trying to do it myself because I was at home, wanted to work at home. You know, fighting in Vegas,

fighting the Atlantic City, fighting London, fighting all these venues. Even in court, at least it's not your home city. It's not more home. Yeah, good point. And Dublin was a really lot of pressure. And Dublin is a very hard sell. You know, some shows there don't sell. You know, it's got to be a really exceptionally good car to sell in Dublin because

there are a funny lot in Dublin. I got more people travelling from Dublin to London. I travel from Dublin to Manchester, I travel from Dublin to the United States, but more enthusiastic to see me fight than they would have to get in the buss into the city centre to see me fight. No, they wouldn't have the interest

in doing that, but they were more than just going away. How does that work? I think it's just an excuse to go out and have a party and be parted and entourage, whereas in their own town, they're leaving the house and back home that night. They did it all the time. Didn't appeal to them as much as travelling across the Atlantic or over the UK, mainland, yeah.

But you mentioned there The two fights before Cornelius Carl were the two fights with Chris Eubank, the monumental fight, one in Mill Street and one at Parky Quive. Mill Street is cult but isn't court, but Parky Creek is a show jumping arena on the outskirts of it in the little town called Mill Street. If you've seen the documentary made called One Night in Mill Street, really explains what happened where it was. A bit of a smile on your face just thinking of that. Yeah, because it was just, it was like a movie, it was like a corny movie, it was like a John Wayne.

Quiet Man movie. If you made it, if it was just a movie, people said it was the script's ridiculous and they... Couldn't happen. That's ridiculous. It's far fresh, never happened.

But it did. Yeah. It did. And in a large show jumping, as they call it, it's actually a question arena. It's the proper terminology. It wasn't a couch shed.

Question arena. And yeah, it was amazing. Everything about was, it was like a rocky movie. It was just unreal. Well, that was the first one. Then a few months later, it's ridiculously close.

You go to the stadium, the Parky-Qeeve, in cork when it's when no one really knows how many people there we were it was either 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 it was some night an outdoor stadium there's probably I don't know there could be 25 to 30,000 I don't know but it was a great reception I just all I do recall in that night is the ring was in the centre of the football of the pitch yeah and we had to put someone to the local takeaways or supermarket and got plastic bags to put on your feet the kid to

walk across the wet football field to get the I remember all the fighters getting in the ring with plastic bags on the thick. Plast bags off at the ringside, yeah. Because it generally raised. I remember Frank Bruno doing the same thing when he fought Lennox Lewis a few about the same sort of time.

Steve, that was then. That was, that was, we should have done this the other way around. We should have done Kacchi and Jazza Dickens first. We won't. We'll stick with you. You say Nigel Ben was ringside when you had the difficult night with Cornelius Carr. You have a fight with Neville Brown next.

But that was when that was when, That was when Nigel, that was when you think Nigel said, that's it, I can have a bit of Steve Collins. I've seen him there. He doesn't scare me. Yeah, I was fairly ordinary on the night, and if I had to perform at that level

against Nigel Ben, he would have absolutely destroyed me. But, you know, the difference with Nigel Ben and Canadi's car was, I didn't know how good Canadian's car was, and I did know how dangerous Nigel Ben was, and absolutely fear and terror, you know, is the best medicine incentive to get out in the cold morning and run the extra mile,

you know what I mean? And I had fear and terror of Nigel Ben because, you know, I've seen him fight. I know his punch power and I know I'm going to get hit because I'll be there. I'll go to him. He won't have to look for me. So does that make you do something slightly different when you're preparing? I mean, do you train hard or you just naturally train harder? Because you've got a sense of fear.

You know, you do train hard. It's unfortunate. And that's why, you know, when I got to the level and was a world champion, I didn't want, I never, I didn't want to fight. A lot of guys, you know, fast. and the records up are opponents to bring him from Argentina. We all know who was famous for that. Payday looking good and go to an exercise. I needed the fair element.

I needed the fear element. The threat? Yeah, the threat of losing. Otherwise, I just wouldn't get up for it, you know? Yeah. Now, what I remember about the last fight against Craig Cummings is it's a little known story that I was reminded of when I was watching you get undressed.

Not that I was watching you get undressed, but you know, it's the famous underpants story. I've got to ask you about this, Steve. So you go at a way in on the Friday, and you're wearing some kecks, some underpants. Then the next day you get dropped, but you're not wearing shorts, you're wearing like a fancy dress.

And you had the same underpants. They looked like the same underpants. Tell me the same underpants. Tell me the story. I know the story I'm going to say. It's typical, it's the city you come from. You know, in Dublin, the people, if someone in Dublin pays me a compliment,

I get very suspicious because I know the next question is, you know, can have a few bob. If someone in Dublin gives you abuse, you know, and says, how's it going, Collins, you know, Jay's just

as ugly you wear when a sap you you know, whatever insult to give you, that's fine. That's a compliment.

That's nice. They're not looking for that. Yeah, that's their way of saying, you know, they like you. Yeah, when I fought,

when I wade in, away the end, then when I fought a quilt and again, again, I made the same mistake again, okay? Sean,

with comments at the firefight from the United States. Remember at the press conference, there was no one there's myself and Mike Buffer. Mike Bofa took over the press conference and funny is I had my first fight with Mike Bufa

for many years earlier in Atlantic City my debut and Mike was saying you know we'll did his press conference so we've done it and he said what do you know about this kid comes and I say he's an opponent he says Steve he's a puncher

I know him he's a puncher and I says yeah but he doesn't punch like the guys I fight you know he won't I'm not worried about him He's not Mike McCallum he's not Nigel Ben no so I get in the ring you know and I'm wearing my tart and killed

to impress to get more... Scots. To win the Scots over? Yeah, you know. The Celtic warrior comes... What I'm thinking about, you know, fighting in the Calvin Hall. It's all great.

Who's ringside and so on, and, you know, looking around. I said, oh, whack. It's going to hit me, okay? And I'm standing square. Yeah. And he hits me, like, bang. And I went, whew, I'm going.

I'm going over. But that's not a problem. What I do is I'll roll over, complete roll over, back a bunch of my feet. I'll be all right. And it goes. But as I'm rolling over,

I realize, you know, when my shoulders on the canvas, my neck's in the canvas, my legs up in the air, I'm wearing the kilt, and the kilt falls down and reveals my underwear, which, thank God I'm not a real jock, because it was a real jock, I wouldn't have had underwear. It's a different photograph next thing in the paper.

And I get back up, I wonder, I woke up, I realized the treet and got him out there. They're arriving in Dublin, a couple of days there that I'm getting off a plane. You know, you're usually reception in Dublin. Collins, you dirty, so-and-so, look at you, you're in embarrassment.

Sweet, Honabel, we saw you. We saw you. you had your underpants on it the way in here, the same underpants on the next day. They said, I'm never told her to change your underwear, man. There's no point of me even saying I've got about 20 pairs of black underwear.

It doesn't matter. I'll just go, yeah, ha, ha, welcome home. Not well-done, grey fight. You know, the kid caught you, the good shot, you get up and your sore out of the mouth.

It's, they take the Mickey out. But that's just the wit. The scales, weight, is the same mindset. Liverpoolians and Mankeons, they have the same kind of witter belt and East London. They have the insulting way,

which is fun. And that's a double. with and so yeah that's that's the wit we have and what a bit whilst, because you've said that so when Jazza Dickens walks into the ring against Anthony Kakachi from Belfast

that makes that even though Kukachi in theory is the home fighter or is he the home fighter? No it's going to be a mixed reception I'll tell you why because you know Belfast in Dublin if I always competed I always remember the Belfast guys fighting and the amateurish and the National States and we rubbed them

they say oh Dublin some bit of that should then Liverpool is geographically the closest city to Dublin's Liverpool I mean we have very much in common because all our great uncles and grandads went over in the boat to Liverpool to war compliance to join the army wherever

so there's a very strong bond so there'll be people in Dublin supporting the Liverpoolian and there'll be people in Dublin supporting the Belfast because he's from Ireland so it won't be... It won't be a hostile crowd he won't be coming over the face you're coming over here from the UK or from Liverpool

coming out of Ireland he won't get that at all plus the fact he's lived in Dublin so they'll both have support in Dublin from both will get support in Dublin probably equal. And in some ways the Irish fight crowd, the Irish fight public, the smart Irish fight

fans, they'll appreciate Jazza Dickens because it's a good old story. I mean I had to look up again his record today so I'm not being a genius here. I mean if you'd have asked me when did he fight for a British title I would have said 10 years ago. 2013 fought for a British title. Then a couple of world titles. I mean that's putting he's

been in a good ones. He's been a good fighter. He's a good fighter and he's a good fighter and he's a very experienced fighter, he's very determined, this is this big opportunity beating Kikachi is going to, you know, launched him with the bigger paydays

and every fight for him was his last fight because they're not young. Neither have them are young. They're very, very good fighters and it's a genuine world-class belt. Yeah. Because Kukachi's runs as a great run as well.

The last three fights, Joe Caldina, Josh Warrington, and then stopping Lee Wood. Now, that's a good, sequence and you understand about sequences because you fought good men on the spin back-to-back good fighters sequences like that that's a good sequence in any decade they've beaten good fighters and this is a genuine fight you know on the night either guy is

capable of beating the other guy it's a great match and then they both respect each other you know they both know what they're getting what you like that as well don't you well you know they don't need to be abusive and say stupid things because they both know they don't know it against good fighters who are you know they both know they're They're very similar. They're very similar in a lot of ways. They're identical in some ways. It's going to be a good fight.

You know, who's going to win? I don't know. And I'm told it's a sellout. It's sold out a good while ago. So it's a fight that's captured the imagination. As you say, it's not that easy to sell out in Dublin. It's not easy to get a good crowd. I mean, famously, Muhammad Ali back in the 70s didn't get one.

You know, the famous stories. The famous stories. Well, what happened there was... God. Go on, son. It was held in the Crowe Park. because Munko was the amateur heavy champion of Ireland. He was also a British boxing army champion as well

and national heavyweight champion and he was there for the training. Mohammed Ali trained in a handball court with a big glass front end which is also useful in other games as well. Anyway

yeah seemingly Bob Aram was supposed to be the promoter but he sold the rights of someone in Dublin And what happened was there was a big gate back in the day it was a big large gate

that led into the stadium was pushed open everybody bailed in and nobody paid yeah and when I think there's a famous interview with American TV did with Tom Crying

you remember the old correspondent Tom yeah and Tom said you know he had a Mac on and Tom said something like well on a whatever it was a Friday night in Dublin people think it's an offence

to have to pay to watch a fight very very dry great reporter he was he was around for years also on the night there was a all heavyweight

called Danny McElindon and he had just Belfast Birmingham or someone No some Belfast ended up in Birmingham Coventry He beat Mohammed Ali's brother

Yeah that's right Yeah was that Was that when he beat you? I don't know But Sam McElhinne was going around Where's Macalindon I want McAlinden I don't know what McAlinden

Because he was a brand of big show And of course He was like Who's Macalindon That guy him promoted as well Just character There were different characters In those days

You know the famous story about Tom Cron the first time I ever went to the National Stadium. And this is a long time ago. It's like Gordon Joyce has winning the title. So it's probably the late 80s. There used to be one public phone at the National Stadium, Steve, back then, right? And so for me, you know, because Phil Succliffe was a hero of mine growing up

because he could go and compete against the Eastern Europeans and win a medal. So I'd always have this thing about doubling boxing. National Stadium, I'd get there, about 88. I think, if I'm not mistaken, Neville Brown was fighting, might have been fighting Gordon Joyce in England, the Ireland match. And no one public phone No mobile said I've got to file my copy

To a few papers And I go to use this phone And I'm told And you can't use it Tom uses it And I said Well who's Tom who's Tom who's So it was Tom crying of the independent

And of course Tom walked I'm doing the walk now Tom walked really slow So I've got to wait Like for a minute For Tom to come through The crowd

shaking hands with people Then Tom files his copy And the way Tom filed his copy He'd have like a five minute conversation with Rita Who was the copy taker On the telephone No word of a lot

Yeah That's a true story that. Well, you know, I can tell you lots of stories about Tom. I mean, he was a big man. Big old, big old. Big old lump. Two, three, a big man. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He, um, what was it? I'm trying to tell you. Yeah. Tom, it's a comment. Remember I didn't, he said something one time. It was funny. And that's a lot of things. He said, I won the USBA middleweight title, you know.

Midway Championship. United States. Yeah, yeah. And then he made a comment because what's his name from Belfast won the N-A-B-A title? The Flyway, the fellow weight. No, we're still based out there.

Oh, Maca-Macola. So, Wayne McClure won the NABF and I won the USBA. Yeah, yeah. And Tom was saying, yeah, he won the USBA, said, but Wayne McCullough won the NABF, that's a bigger area than the USBA.

And I said, Tom, I said, listen to what you're saying. Listen to what you're saying. I said, no, the American Boxing Federation and I said, in the United States Boxing Association, I said, do you both cover the same area? I said, but listen to what you're saying. I said, I'm from Dublin.

I said, how big is the America? How wild can they get? I'm going to say, I wouldn't I want the title. I said, that's not a big area. He went, and he went off of it, you know, but he just came out of some one line and I don't know. I tell you another story. That's true story.

I fought in New York, and my brother came over to see the fight Roddy. And he said, Tom says, Rod, give me a call, let me know how it goes. I want to get into the press next day. So my brother, Roddy, bring him so after the fight. And he was saying,

and Steve's on this and Steve to that. Steve, have the job. And he knocked him out and he get. He was going on and on. After five, ten minutes into the air conversation, Tom Crying says, for a fuck, righty, did the other fella troll point you all?

Yeah. Isn't there a story after the, I think it's at the Rome Olympics, where he gets on the wrong coach with someone and he end up, instead of going back to the afternoon. Fleet's Village, they end up going to see the Pope or something. There's some sort of story like that where he ends up in...

It wouldn't surprise. And they have a conversation with the Pope and the Pope turns out to be a Nino Benvenuity fan. I mean, it's just the classic story. I wouldn't surprise me because he was a very intelligent man, right intellect. He was, yeah. He was the top man. He was the boxing correspondent to everyone kind of talked to.

He was very good. He was a very, very, very good writer. He was a very good. He really helped me. I mean, we're going back 35 years, he really was kind to me. Steve, you mentioned there those USBA fights, and I've gotten them here because I've done a bit of work. Kevin Watts and Tony Thornton, so both good fighters.

Don't get me wrong. Both wins. I'm intrigued. I want to ask you, when you first... The one it beat, to get that title shot, was from the cronks, the undefeated young lad with a Scottish sounder name. Oh, I stopped them, I think, in the seventh round. Okay.

And that, to me, was the biggest surprise. And then after that, then, the next two fights I fought, was against Kevin Killer-Watz and Tony Tony. Paul McPeek. Yeah. Kevin Killa Watts and Tony... Yeah, Paul McPeek, yeah, Atlantic City. But I haven't beaten him, because I remember

when I was in the fighting him, in his corner, he was the Kronk's fighter. Yeah. And I was the Petchenelli fire that. Yeah, of course. It was always the... Massive, yeah. The needle going back.

So do you have Petrie? You had the brothers in your corner? A man he was in his corner. Yeah, yeah. Wow. In Atlantic City. And they were saying... It's like rocky stuff, so.

Petcheney was saying, you know, we can't lose this one, because we've never lost to the Crohn's. Oh yeah, I said that. I said, yeah, whatever I didn't. Yeah, but there was the competition between them. It was great. But yeah, so after that then, I think everybody I fought, my next fight was against top ten fighters and I got, you know,

I moved forward really quick after winning that title because both Watts and Thornton were ranked in the top ten of the world and them two back to back wins put me up there. Within about seven, eight months, you're fighting Mike McCallum. Yeah. For his world title, Mike McCallum, 12 rounds of points. Way too soon for me. Way too soon for me.

but I was US champ I was world ranked and Michael Watson broke his nose I came home I was on holiday I came home to Dublin for Christmas first time home and I got a call

and he said Michael Watson broke his nose McCallum they want some to step in would you take it and I says absolutely so I'll beat that old bum he's what was he 32 years old

he's an old man I thought I was 24 and he was an old man and he was an old man he was an old man I'm 61 years old and I still don't think I'm an old man so he was 32

but when you're 24 I thought he was old. And yeah, that was a great experience fighting Mike McCallum. Yeah, it really was. The best B2B marketing gets wasted on the wrong people. So when you want to reach the right professionals, use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over one billion professionals, including 130 million decision makers. And that's where it stands apart from other ad buys. You can target your buyers by job title, industry, company, role, seniority, skills, company revenue, so you can stop wasting budget on the wrong audience. It's why LinkedIn ads generates the highest B2B return on ad spend of major ad networks.

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In 15 years, he's a billionaire. This is Toto Wolf, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to Survive. This week on Good Bad Billionaire, how Toto Wolf made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts. And then about 18 or so months later, less than that, you fight Reddy Johnson for the vacant WBA.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, your whole American part of your career, ridiculous. Steve, tilt me through when you first go into the Petronelli's gym.

So you decide to turn pro, it's not going to be in London. It's going to be in, it's going to be in body. I tell you, I tell you a broader

about, first of all Marvin Hagler was to me was the greatest middleweight in my year. And I looked up to him. I said, you know, Marvin Hagg,

I looked up to Marvin Hagler. There was a guy, well-known guy called Terry Crystal, Dr. Terry Crystal. He has a surgeon now. Still around.

Top international fighter who went pro and went over to Brockton. Yeah. So he was in Rocky Marciana's backyard. Yeah. He was working as a doctor in the local hospital

and coming down as a professional fire which the American medical organization over there didn't accept it all and couldn't work her out, you know? Anyway, I used to spar him as an amateur. And he came back one year from America

he was back in the holiday. I went into, I know he was in Dublin. I'd spare him and keep him going. And I got in the ring of spart him, oh my God. The guy just took me apart and I went, bloody hell. He's really improved so much.

I went, this is it now. This is where I need to lay my trade. I'm going to go to Brockton, to Marvin Hagler's team with the petrenelles because what they have done for him, they can do that for me. This is where I want. I'm going to lay my trade over there.

And that's what it was? Yeah, yeah. So you make your way over? And is Hagler still fighting that way. He was world champion, yeah. Exactly, he was world champion. He's still 18 months away from the win. He was great in the gym.

He's a train in the gym. He'd come down, you know, he'd be sparring, and he'd hop up in the ring, and he clicked. Him and I just clicked. I think he saw my determination and my desire. Plus the fact that I asked, I kept asking to spare me.

And I'm glad he didn't. I understand why he didn't later on in life. But you wanted it, obviously. I wanted, I want to get my husband. I was not try around with him. I was an idiot. You know, a young kid thought it was unbearable. Unbidable, untouchable, yeah.

He did me a favour. He left me alone. He didn't educate me in the way. You know, that must have been such an upheaval. for you? At that point, are you on your own? No, it was a buzz. It was an absolute buzz. There was a buzz. I achieved all I could achieve

as an amateur. I was gone up my girlfriend and she said well, we're going to go to make it, let's get married first. I said, we got married. Two weeks later on America boxing and an amateur show and six weeks after I'm making my pro debut. But just getting over there, the whole smell, the atmosphere, the buzz, the America, the dream. I'm living the dream.

I'm here. This is it. I loved it. I loved it, you know. I got a good job over there went back to school, passed my exams actually working in the electrical brotherhood in the union, I was a union electrician. I was on a serious money. You're a kid as well.

So you're a kid as well? So you're... It's 21, 22, yeah, yeah. So you're fighting, you're with Hagler, you're part of a union, you're cracking, you've made it, son. I grew up in the morning, go from a run, go to work, work on a big job, big projects downtown in Boston. I mean, it's, I work over, people are very

work-conscious over there. Long days, I come home and have a sandwich, hot my car, and drive to Brockton which was like 45 minutes away I've done that for years that's all I did was get up

eat, sleep work sacrificing when people say it's a sacrifice I loved it I loved it I was a young guy I was living my dream

I was making money was saving money I was in you know getting fights progressing living in America with the petronelli's yeah

beating many Stuart fighters yeah it was a dream and it was a you know I won my first two titles in Boston yeah

great success and just loving it. I think back about it. Yeah, I was getting up barely. I was on a diet. I was starving. I was training and working, you know, driving to the gym.

Yeah. But that was, I was young. It's what you meant to do. It wasn't a hard rod. I was living the dream. I mean, you know, that's the dream of all fighters,

whether it's Irish fighters going to America, whether it's Nigerian fighters ending up in Britain or ending up in Vegas. That's the dream, isn't it? That is your dream? A lot of these guys now, I go to my brother's gym,

not these guys, they don't work. They're on sponsorships. They're on this hand out. that hand down and I go... You like the idea of working. No, I think everybody worked. Marvin Hagler worked when he was in the drive to Petchenaries.

The Pressenaries were bricklayers. They had a bricklaying company. And Marvin worked for them. All the fighters worked for them. You know, and so they built relationships on their building sites and then as time progressed and finances came in, obviously that went by the wayside, you know,

but he worked for them. The other fighters there is to work for them, you know? We've just seen Scott Murray, the owner of the building Marine Bar Sport in Canada. And in this very building, not 50 feet from where we're standing, Marvin Hagler told that same story when Ritchie Woodall was interviewing him about working and how important it is to work

and how I had to work hard and then you have to go to the gym and you try and get a meal in and then you was a bricky's labourer and he told the story yeah I never knew he told a story I thought I was a tired exclusive on that No no it's okay Listen you've had plenty of exclusive tonight

Don't worry about that You've had plenty of exclusive tonight But that's how it is Well it was You know everyone Because the gym was open from seven in the evening to nine at night we trained after work down the gym.

Yeah. As opposed to training at 10 in the morning, going back to bed, coming and doing another session with strength and conditioning and coach in the evening. When I won't work the world title, I could afford to do that, yeah.

But in the early days I was hungry, I had to work, yeah. Yeah. I want to ask you, was there a fighter? I found a note, Steve, right? I found a piece of paper, something I wrote in 20-13.

And I was obviously sitting down with you. I can't remember the interview. And one of the questions there is, is there anybody you didn't, fight that you wish you had for during your time. Oh, listen, you know, I made a comment earlier, you know, you grew up for the big fights. It's the fear and the desire and fighting the unbeatable that gets you up. You know, there's no one left in my era.

It was over for me. The last name on my hit list was Roy Jones. Yeah. That's the only one I would have liked to have fought. Now, people say, is the fighters you would have liked to fight from a different era. I would have liked to fight Jake Lamarra. Yeah. He was tough.

That's some fight. He was tough, yeah. I'll get five minutes out of that in the ring later one. Don't worry about that, son, yeah. Jake Lamotton and Steve Collins, that's a fight I'd like to see. I mean, he would have probably go to describe me because it's not quite hitting them because it doesn't work. But then again, I don't know.

I would love to have been shared a ring with him. Now, what about when you were a champion? Were you ever match with Richie Woodall? He's just walked in the room? No. No, and I can tell you, I never, I never, I never asked Richard Woodrow out either because I know it's styles. make fights, okay?

And Richard Woodhull probably would have taken me apart because, no, I've always had problems with cagey, tall, intelligent fighters and he ticked all those boxes.

I'm not saying because he's here, but I always said it before. You've told me it before. I found that, I've found that, I'd written that about 10 years ago. You've been guys in who want to stand down

and put it on, great, you've got a clever guy who can move with his, you know, his amateur class and his professional class. He was a class fighter. Richie Woodrow would have been probably

not a fight that would have suited me at all. And finally, Steve, as we moved towards the end of it, in the last six months or so, there's been an awful lot of fighters, your age, 50 to about 65, coming out of retirement, planning on coming out of retirement. You nearly did it with that Maltese license a few years ago. I was never doing it.

No, but it was a good story you were going to fight Roy Jones. Would you... A Roy Jones would have done this same age as me. What if now, suddenly Nigel Ben stands up at the next Conner Ben Press conference and says, you know what, he beat me twice, but I fancy a third fight. I want Steve Collins on the under Cardiff, I don't know.

What about that? And if you said, I'll give you all the money in the world, they say, No, you can stuff it, because I tell you why. One thing, a fight never loses is power. Yeah. I'm slow, and I don't move like I used to, and I don't absorb punishment like I used to,

but now's the minute has still got power. Why the hell would I want to stand the front of him? I mean, why? You know, I don't have brain damage, but if I did it, except that fight, Well, I'd get it afterwards. I'd have to have it to accept it in the first place. No, thank you.

Got away for years, lucky, get out with the top. Better fighters than made didn't get the brakes. You know that, Richie. He's just walked into the room. We've met some great fighters, and we wondered why they never became World Chamber, has never got the brakes. We had a lot of luck.

I mean, we worked hard, but we were in the right place, the right time, you know. I tell what's interesting, Steve, when we'll finish on this, we're going to celebrate tonight here in basketball in Canada. Hang on a minute. It's Patrick's weekend. It's a weekend.

We do a week. in the middle but we're going to talk about Paul Wesley tonight now I know you fought Paul Wesley I think it was in Brentwood Ritchie had Paul Wesley in training camp for everyone

for every in the day Paul's passed at 63 what were your memories talented guys when I fought I fought him I actually fought him in Brentwood in Essex I know what it was it was an eight rounder

and it was a fight before I fought Chris Pied yeah for the title and I came to ring with this kid and opponents you know and two rounds in that I went bloody who's this guy

I thought this is a class act. This is not a typical opponent. This guy's good. And I was trying things and I wasn't getting away with it. And he was doing things and I was going, oh, hang on a minute. I said, where did this guy come from? I don't know what

went on with him and his career, but he was one of the most talented guys that shared a ring with. Maybe he hadn't got desire, maybe he hadn't got ambition. Maybe he just didn't care, but he had ability and talent. He just took... I think he lost 50 times. I think I think he fought

40 men who would fought for British European or world title 40 of them not 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 40 of them And he beat some of them by the way Stop never brown and around He had more natural ability and talent than me

Maybe he hadn't got desire in hunger And another thing to him was he was a junior middle way I was a boil down super middle way Yeah He took he actually Yeah He Yeah

What a classy What a great fight Yeah. Listen, Steve, it's been an absolute pleasure. I'm what a lovely person and it's sad. It's sad. I didn't really, you know, see much of them after I fought him. You know, I did like him on the night and I did have nothing but praise for him.

It's unfortunately he passed away so young and it's sad, yeah. That's Steve Collins. I'm like McCallum, another great fire and passed away so young. What is we young and out, Richie? We're hanging around just for spite, are we? Richie's getting younger and younger. He's getting fear and fit. Look at him.

Steve, oh, Steve Collins, it's been an absolute pleasure and a delight talking to you and I mean that. Cheers. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. A new era of Formula One is about to dawn. I think the biggest step the sport has ever seen. There are new rules, new cars, and a brand new team. In Formula One, it's just absolute, brutal, pure competition. And the next generation of star drivers are taking us along for the ride, too. I'm going to go like a madman.

If you want to make it, first of all, you have to believe that you have what it takes. The biggest shake-up of F-1's rulebook has been years in the making. Somebody's going to get it right, and somebody's going to get it wrong. I'm Rosamond Pike, and this is F1 back at base, a new era. Listen on BBC Sounds.