‘Voice of Boxing’ Queries Steve Collins Hall of Fame omission

The ‘voice of boxing’ has questioned Steve Collins‘ omission from this year’s International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot.

The 2022 IBHOF ballots were released to an international panel of voters on October 1 with 42 candidates – whose last bout was no earlier than 1989- appearing on the men’s modern ballot.

Among the 42 are two-division world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas from Brazil, four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. and two-time flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam from Thailand.

Also up for a place in the Hall of Fame are British favourites and famous rivals Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Jr.

Boxing commentator Al Bernstein believes both Brits are worthy IBHOF contenders but wonders why a man that beat them both TWICE, Steve Collins wasn’t nominated.

Speaking online the Showtime analyst, a Hall of Famer himself, said : “Also, today I have a question. Both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank are on the [IBHOF] ballot ( appropriately) but NOT Steve Collins who TWICE beat each of them and was a world champion with a number of defenses.”

Also, today I have a question. Both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank are on the @BoxingHall ballot ( appropriately) but NOT Steve Collins who TWICE beat each of them and was a world champion with a number of defenses. Also Marvin Johnson should be on the ballot.

— Al Bernstein (@AlBernstein) October 11, 2022

Collins was the first man to defeat Eubank, outpointing the Brighton native on a famous night in Millstreet to win the WBO super middleweight world title.

He repeated the feat in a September rematch again in Cork in September of the same year. The Dubliner made two more successful defences before he twice retained against Benn in 1996.

Irish fighters in the International Hall of Fame include Barry McGuigan, Jimmy McLarlin, Nonpareil Dempsey and Dan Donnelly.