Film Review: Cork documentary really packs a punch!
THE Green Glens Arena in Millstreet will go down in history for two reasons: hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 and the 1995 epic WBO Super Middleweight Title fight between Ireland’s Steve Collins and the then reigning champion, Chris Eubank.
The story of the fight, how it came about, and why it was staged in Cork is told in a new documentary, One Night In Millstreet.
It is directed by documentary filmmaker Andrew Gallimore, who happened to be at the fight in 1995 as a young reporter.
The fight itself was the subject of much talk. Eubank was a bona fide boxing legend who had successfully defended his title numerous times. Collins was a most unlikely opponent, who had yet to be tested.
The documentary takes us right back to the lead-up to the fight, with interviews from boxing promoter Barry Hearn, sports reporters including Paul Howard, and the two opponents themselves, Collins and Eubank.
The fight was part of a £10-million deal that Eubank signed to defend his title eight times.
He was to fight Belfast boxer Ray Close, who he had already fought and beaten twice, but Close was ruled out when an MRI revealed a brain issue.
There was little time to find a new fighter who was available and in the right weight category.
Steve Collins had yet to make a name for himself. He had suffered two significant defeats early in his career against Mike McCallum and Reggie Johnson, but he was still relatively unknown.
The documentary follows a young Collins to Las Vegas, where he hoped to make a name for himself, and we see fantastic footage of his training routine.
We are introduced to Tony Quinn, the businessperson and motivational guru, who took on the challenge of training Collins without having any knowledge of boxing.
Quinn, whose coaching methods have gained him a legion of fans and many detractors, is a controversial figure, but his contribution to the documentary is fascinating.
His methods, which included training Collins to feel no pain, freaked out Eubank, who thought he was using some form of black magic.
While the choice of Eubank’s opponent raised some eyebrows, the fight’s location drew even more attention. Millstreet, more than 60 kilometres from Cork city and 25 miles from the nearest traffic light, didn’t exactly scream boxing central.
Noel C Duggan, the venue owner and the man responsible for bringing Eurovision to Cork, shares his memories on camera.
He has a twinkle in his eyes and talks about winning over Barry Hearn.
The promoter openly talks about being charmed by the Cork man and agreeing to stage the fight in Millstreet, despite transport issues and the fact that it wasn’t set up for large-scale camera equipment.
Millstreet’s distance from a hospital was a concern. Duggan mentions his fear of Collins getting killed by Eubank. It wasn’t an unwarranted worry.
A few years earlier, in 1991, Michael Watson suffered a life-altering brain injury in a fight with Eubank.
The documentary doesn’t shy away from the dangers of the sport.
While it goes into the dark side of things, it is also filled with humour, like a hilarious moment when Collins’ mum talks about the Irish fans singing along to Eubank’s ring walk song, Simply The Best, getting caught up in a good tune and forgetting that Eubank was the enemy.
A real treat for boxing fans and an absolute must for Cork audiences, this is a joy to watch.
With great contributors and an uplifting message, it packs a real punch.
