To say either was 10x better than McCallum would be very inaccurate. In fact you can argue McCallum accomplished more from 154-160 than Hearns did.
It was an exaggerated admittedly but only for effect :)
I do think Hearns and Hagler were a cut above McCallum and I have seen McCallum fight alot
McCallum was a damn good fighter, Hearns and Hagler were bloody great fighters
To say either was 10x better than McCallum would be very inaccurate. In fact you can argue McCallum accomplished more from 154-160 than Hearns did.
Mike McCallum was a good fighter and I enjoyed watching the man but Hagler and Hearns were in a class of there own but McCallum has the greatest nickname is boxing history
Not sure about that. From what I've heard McCallum often got the best of Hearns in sparring.
The difference is that while Hearns got his chances to prove himself as a great in big fights against Leonard, Duran and Hagler, McCallum didn't (aside from the Curry fight) until he was well in his 30's against much younger fighters like James Toney and Roy Jones.
It's no surprise McCallum is still bitter about it.
Atleast he always gave the upcoming fighters a chance, he fought Julian Jackson, James Toney, Roy Jones, Steve Collins, Michael Watson...
I do agree that a fight against McCallum wouldn't have made sense for Hagler at the time and it's not like Hagler had it easy, he fought the best young contenders and old veterans before getting big fights against Duran, Hearns and Leonard.
Sparring means nothing realisitically, you aren't meant to go all out in sparring it's practise. Some people use it to sharpen up defense so try to deliberatly take punches (not really take them but use there defense to avoid them/block them) but don't trade
Hagler duck McCallum? BULLSHIT Hearns is 10x the fighter McCallum was Hearns was also 10x the risk
Not sure about that. From what I've heard McCallum often got the best of Hearns in sparring.
The difference is that while Hearns got his chances to prove himself as a great in big fights against Leonard, Duran and Hagler, McCallum didn't (aside from the Curry fight) until he was well in his 30's against much younger fighters like James Toney and Roy Jones.
It's no surprise McCallum is still bitter about it.
Atleast he always gave the upcoming fighters a chance, he fought Julian Jackson, James Toney, Roy Jones, Steve Collins, Michael Watson...
I do agree that a fight against McCallum wouldn't have made sense for Hagler at the time and it's not like Hagler had it easy, he fought the best young contenders and old veterans before getting big fights against Duran, Hearns and Leonard.
I don't know about all that. McCallum was a damn good fighter in his day.
McCallum was a damn good fighter, Hearns and Hagler were bloody great fighters
Hagler duck McCallum? BULLSHIT Hearns is 10x the fighter McCallum was Hearns was also 10x the risk
I don't know about all that. McCallum was a damn good fighter in his day.
Nah, McCallum was a junior middleweight when Hagler was on top of the MW division.
You can argue that Roberto Duran or Tommy Hearns avoided McCallum. But Duran took huge risks when he was supposed to fight McCallum, his mandatory. The McCallum fight offered $500k. The Hagler fight offered $5 mil. What would've been a unification bout with Hearns (Duran got stripped for fighting) offered three times the payday as a McCallum fight, and as what you say in the fight, Hearns was not exactly a small risk for Duran.
It would've been great to see Hearns fight McCallum around in the mid 80s, at 154.
Looking at Haglers record it seems the best oppertunity he had to fight McCallum was in 86 between Hearns and Leonard. But he fought Mugabi instead.
Mugabi was 25-0 with 25 KO's. U can see why he was a draw.
McCallum became light middleweight champion in 84, so maybe he still wasnt a big draw and Hagler was looking to fight either Leonard or Hearns.
Its a shame McCallum didnt get to fight at least one of the fabulous 4.
its dfficult to believe Hagler 'ducked' anyone. Maybe McCallum was too bigger risk and not a big enough draw.
Did they all duck McCallum?
Would of been a good fight.