Comments Thread For: Mike McCallum, one of the greats, passes away aged 68

[BlackRobb]

Was it just a coincidence that all four of The Four Kings Duran Leonard Hearns Hagler all dodged Mike McCallum? Or did they know something, based on how badly McCallum dominated Hearns in sparring in Kronk that the outsider from Jamaica really was "The One King"? In this interview, McCallum silenced Hagler and put him in this place in Canastota...

Don't tell that to Stephen Edwards. He'll start attacking your character and sending his little Brain-Dead sycophants after you.

[Bennyleonard99]

Don't tell that to Stephen Edwards. He'll start attacking your character and sending his little Brain-Dead sycophants after you.

It has to be considered, given the facts, that McCallum actually might have been the best of those Five Kings. The fact that all four dodged McCallum is not a coincidence, it's irrefutable evidence. McCallum was that good. It's more than possible he could have beaten all four of those four kings and completely wrecked the narrative built by the American establishment, which did not want or need a quiet, understated, low key Jamaican taking over boxing. Jamaicans can't sell like A sides from America. It's one of the injustices of boxing. And Mike McCallum might have been the greatest victim of this unfortunate injustice.

Steve Edwards is a pretty good analyst but he may have agendas that don't correlate with reality.

[BlackRobb]

It has to be considered, given the facts, that McCallum actually might have been the best of those Five Kings. The fact that all four dodged McCallum is not a coincidence, it's irrefutable evidence. McCallum was that good. It's more than possible he could have beaten all four of those four kings and completely wrecked the narrative built by the American establishment, which did not want or need a quiet, understated, low key Jamaican taking over boxing. Jamaicans can't sell like A sides from America. It's one of the injustices of boxing. And Mike McCallum might have been the greatest victim of this unfortunate injustice.

Steve Edwards is a pretty good analyst but he may have agendas that don't correlate with reality.

I agree. Hearns walked straight into a Cuevas WBA title fight with zero fear at age 21. For him to avoid McCallum says a lot. I tried explaining this all to BreadMan Edwards, but he got extremely defensive.

[ShoulderRoll]

[hitmanjosh]

Mike was one of the best not just in boxing but his personality was incredible as well, we connected at the Mayweather gym years ago and I would always give him round by round history of his fights, I like both he and David Braxton when they fought but the way in which he beat him with no flaws is what I took notice in, he was great but didn't receive the accolades that others did, this is a very sad day for me but RIP champ!

[PBR Streetgang]

Sad news. RIP Body Snatcher. Heck of a fighter and entertaining too. He was feared and avoided and he didn't get the credit he deserves.

[Liondw]

May God bless his soul in eternal heaven.

What an underappreciated, great boxer. He wasn't flashy, with the hype that came with Leonard and big power of Hearns, but he was great, in a sweet science way.

His boxing IQ was very high, a rare thing in boxing nowadays. A credit to the sport, this most brutal sport called the hurt business.

[TMLT87]

RIP.

He deserves a lot more attention and appreciation than he got when you take into account how ****ing good he actually was.

[wrecksracer]

One of my favorites. 68 is way too young. I lived in Detroit at the time he was with Kronk. There was a Wednesday boxing column in the Detroit Free Press that would report on sparring sessions between he and Hearns. Some days it was Mike, some days it was Tommy. This is the only footage I ever saw of the two sparring: . Any real fight between the two would have likely been a technical match between two guys who sparred regularly. Emanuel Steward did him dirty by getting Tommy the Duran fight when McCallum was the mandatory. Mike left Kronk soon after.

[STREET CLEANER]

He was a great overall skill and power wise. Great fighter and great personality. RIP