"I'd say the only worry that we had was that... that Collins would get killed."
So says Green Glens Arena owner Noel C Duggan of the night when the small Cork town of Millstreet became the centre of the boxing universe as Dubliner Steve Collins made his bid to the take the crown of reigning WBO Super-Middleweight Champion Chris Eubank. This winner of a documentary mixes canvas, chutzpah, and comedy as it takes you back to the Ireland of 1995 - yesterday and a lifetime ago.
Eubank's imperious reign as WBO champion was a masterclass in prowess allied to pantoesque publicity. In 1994, he agreed an eight-fight deal with Sky Sports that was to have included a rematch with the Belfast boxer Ray Close. Ahead of the bout, Close was forced to drop out on medical grounds, and Steve Collins became the challenger for the belt. The rest is history, but even if you know this story inside out, One Night in Millstreet makes for a fascinating watch.
"I wasn't a big name. I wasn't the golden goose. It didn't make sense to have this fight," says Collins. It did, however, make for great TV to see Collins play Eubank at his own promotional game, taking on the champion's aristocratic affectations by rebranding himself as an Irish country gentleman. Behind all the talk and tweed, however, Collins was tight on time and short on back-up. Enter 'Mind Coach' Tony Quinn and some surreal training - captured here in home video footage - as the clock ticks down and your sense of anticipation grows by the minute. When fight night arrives, you're fit to burst.
With Collins and Eubank superb interviewees, One Night in Millstreet is edge-of-the-seat stuff all over again. It also makes for a terrific time capsule of the 4x3, social media-free Ireland that was once home. The film is 10 minutes too short - we needed more of an epilogue - but that's the only points deduction here. A place among the top-ranked sports movies is thoroughly deserved; the greatest victory, however, is that Collins and Eubank still have their health.
