2 minutes in sport with chris EUBANK & michael WATSON

EUBANK

Earliest sporting memory: Watching Muhammad Ali fight George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle on our old black-and-white portable in 1974, at a council estate in Stoke Newington.

Sports watched: Tennis, which I've liked since the Björn days. Being the proudest Englishman on the planet, I try not to miss an England football or rugby game. When I'm in the States, I'll watch baseball if it's on. I used to follow the Yankees when I lived there. And athletics, or track & field as they say in the States.

Sports played: Boxing, tennis and cricket.

What was the toughest part of your sporting life? The Monday morning after every fight I went straight back to the gym. My artistic license was maniacal because it meant I was training continuously and emotionally without resting my mind. The only reason I might have ever said I hated boxing was because I was doing too much of it, while not getting much credit in the process!

Most memorable sporting moment: At the 2000 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, Muhammad Ali received a Personality of the Century award; I was sitting next to Lennox Lewis at the time and I said that Ali was such an inspirational man. Ali then put his hand on my arm, and I just froze. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. Presenter John Inverdale said that it took someone like Ali to shut up Chris Eubank.

Worst sporting moment: Seeing Michael Watson lying on a hospital bed with a quarter of his skull missing.

Sporting heroes: Muhammad Ali, as a sportsman who was a warrior of integrity outside of the sporting circle. Björn, for playing from the baseline which was breaking the mould and for his mental composure. And Carl Lewis, with his flat-top haircut, flamboyant clothing and self-congratulatory conduct.

Favourite sporting location: White Hart Lane. Arguably the greatest and most special fight in history took place there on the night of the 21st of September, 1991. I don't support Tottenham, though, I kind of half-heartedly supported Chelsea when I was a kid because my brothers support them.

My brothers would go to Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) and wouldn't let me tag along because they said I was too ugly to be their little brother.

Sporting event you would pay the most to see: Anything except cricket at Lords as long as the money went to the causes or charities of my choice.

...and to miss: Cricket at Lords.

Question asked most often by the public: Why do you drive that big, silly truck everywhere?

And the answer? The objective is to make the people smile. Because if they smile then I'm happy.

Biggest change you would like to see in the running of boxing: Boxers are the employers, not the employees. But most boxers don't seem to realise that. So I guess it's a realisation rather than a change in the way it's run, of which I'm pushing here. More boxers being independant-minded, is what I'm pushing in accordance with that question. And less boxers being stereotyped.

How is boxing covered in the media? It needs characters, as long as there are characters it'll be covered. What tabloid craves is personality and substance.

Sporting motto: "Training first, health second." That's how one gets somewhere - in boxing, anyway.

With whom would you most like to have a dinner - and why? Mike Tyson. I've spent many hours in Mike's company and have never not been impressed by the emotional intelligence of the man. Meet Mike behind closed doors and he will endear you to him within a few minutes. The impression you sometimes get is that he's a child in the body of a beast. And I'm abit of a child at heart myself, really. My gear, like my truck, foot scooter, cane and so on, are my toys because I never had any growing up. My parents couldn't afford toys.


WATSON

Earliest sporting memory: Watching Muhammad Ali against Leon Spinks for the heavyweight championship of the world on television. My uncle, Joseph White, was an amateur boxer, and as soon as I went along to the gym, I had a love for the sport, its surroundings, its sounds. I went to the Islington Amateur Boxing Club in Archway. It felt completely natural for me to be involved with boxing.

Sports watched: I've always watched boxing, but I used to spend time studying baseball, American football, and sprinting in athletics. I like most sports, and I do follow my football team, Arsenal. I was pleased to be at Highbury on Sunday, and see the boys get back on track. Gary Lewin, the Arsenal physiotherapist, was extremely helpful in my preparations for the Flora London Marathon.

Sports played: I was a pretty good long and middle-distance runner when I was growing up. I ran 1500 metres to 5,000m, and won a schoolboy title. I used to train at Harringay, where Daley Thompson used to come. I think my ability as a runner in my teenage years helped to develop my endurance in boxing.

I really enjoyed football, too. I played centre-forward. If I hadn't been involved in boxing, I would have wanted to be a professional footballer. But boxing touched my heart as soon as I put a pair of gloves on. It felt natural for me, it felt like boxing was made for me, and inside I felt programmed to do it. The funny thing is that I was a very quiet person and a lot of people were surprised I had got into boxing.

What was the toughest part of your sporting life? It was always getting into peak form, into peak shape for a fight. Once I broke through the fitness barrier there was no stopping me. In fact, I had to be held back from sparring and training too much before fights.

Most memorable sporting moment: Beating Nigel Benn at Finsbury Park on May 21, 1989. He created the motivation in me to beat him, which won me back my self-esteem. (Benn had a record of 22 fights, 22 knockouts, before meeting Watson, who stopped him in the sixth round).

As I prepared for that fight, it felt like the whole world was going against me. Even though my family and friends were supportive, I could feel by their expressions that they feared for me, that they were worried I was going to be beaten. However, I believed - I knew - I could beat him.

Nigel is a lot closer to me now. We weren't friends in those days, we were total rivals. I genuinely didn't like him. He was from Ilford, I was from north London, we were from rival camps, and very different. He was loud, aggressive and flash. What I believed in was respect and discipline. That night, I certainly did discipline him, not with a stick or a belt, but with my hands.

Worst sporting moment: Losing against Mike McCallum in a world middleweight title challenge in April 1990. I had been told by Barry Hearn that McCallum was on the wane but I had been out of the ring for a year. I was so ring-rusty when I went in there, I had a hard time for 11 rounds. That fight really took it out of me. If I had been in shape I would have beaten him.

Sporting heroes: Daley Thompson, great athlete. Roberto Duran, a boxing perfectionist. Muhammad Ali, my idol, he really is. I love his character. He's got a big mouth but he can back himself up. He is very charismatic, a great entertainer. That's what I love about him.

Favourite sporting location: I enjoyed a spell training in Miami, where my sister lives, but the most memorable fight location was Finsbury Park. I enjoyed it there so much, it was a one-off in a huge circus tent, on my home patch, and I sent one of my ring rivals home after a good beating. The build-up and expectation, and then the atmosphere on the day with thousands of people in the park before I fought Nigel Benn, was amazing. What a fight that was.

I can tell you the worst place to fight - Las Vegas. I hated it, a horrible experience. Not only were the heat and the lights so sapping, I felt the place itself was lifeless, spiritless. My fight there with Israel Cole was a draw after a collision of heads. Las Vegas is a place where I would not want to go again.

Sporting event you would pay the most to see: Roberto Duran versus Sugar Ray Leonard.

...and to miss: Bowls. If I put it on the television, I pretend I'm meditating.

Question asked most often by the public: How did it feel losing to Chris Eubank?

And the answer? He has been forgiven.

Biggest change you would like to see in the running of boxing: More protective procedures for boxers and more investigations into boxing, with the fighters to receive the benefits. Boxers should be put first financially, and they should all be protected and insured. What I have been through has happened so many times to boxers. Look at how many have been injured, or have died, like Bradley Stone. The so-called professional bodies which run the sport should be examined, and ex-professional boxers should be looking after boxing and boxers. Boxers know what we have been through, that's why they should hold positions of authority in the sport.

How is boxing covered in the media? I must admit that boxing is not the same as it used to be. My opinion is that it has gone downhill, and is a lot less effective. I suppose I can say that because I still watch boxing, but only the exciting fights.

Sporting motto: "Take the force with you". I still have the force with me. If that was not the case you would not be talking to me today.

With whom would you most like to have a dinner - and why? Muhammad Ali. That would be a fantastic evening, most certainly. It would be a dream come true.