Leonard vs McCallum at 154

[mickey malone]

McCallum would of beaten Duran comfortably, bigger, stronger, better chin, reach advantage, harder hitter and just as good inside. Duran was not a very good LMW, he lost to Laing, Benitez and looked average against Michillo, Nino Gonzalez and he also got KTFO by Hearns. McCallum stopped Minchillo something neither Hearns or Duran could do, he also stopped Kalule quicker than Leonard.

Kalambay was a very!! good fighter, infact more underrated than McCallum himself, he knocked out the durable Doug De Witt, something Hearns could not do, infact he gave Hearns a tough fight, Kalambay dispatched him with ease! Kalambay also schooled Iran Barkley, he beat McCallum & had a very close rematch with him that could of gone either way, he beat Robbie Sims who beat Duran, he beat Herol Graham twice, he beat Steve Collins who beat Eubank & Benn.

Im not saying McCallum would beat Leonard because i dont think he would, but you are seriously underrating him, there is overrating someone, which im dead set against, then there is not giving someone their props, that is what you are doing.

McCallum vs Hearns would of been interesting, but i still see Hearns getting KTFO, however i can understand why someone would think Hearns could beat him, but not Duran, not at 154 anyway.


Toney did not beat McCallum imo.

That's a bloody good post, and I agree on eveything apart from Leonard being able to beat him.. I very much doubt that, and it's always amazed me that none of the fab 4 ever fought him..

[Princemanspopa]

Why is it amazing Malone? Leonard was retired and Hagler was a middleweight.McCallum was Duran's mandatory but Duran took the fight with Hearns instead,John Mugabi was mandatory challenger to Thomas Hearns JMW title but McCallum(former Kronk fighter) never was.

[mickey malone]

Why is it amazing Malone? Leonard was retired and Hagler was a middleweight.McCallum was Duran's mandatory but Duran took the fight with Hearns instead,John Mugabi was mandatory challenger to Thomas Hearns JMW title but McCallum(former Kronk fighter) never was.

Well Popper, If you can make Leonard Lalonde, you can make anything & when you consider that McCallum fought from LMW to LHW it does leave me somewhat dumbfounded to say the very least..

[BennyST]

Good close fight, but I think Ray would have found a way to win. He always did and it wouldn't be different this time in my opinion. Still, McCallum was, and is, underrated and would have put up a great fight but I think Ray would have been just a little too quick and a little too smart. Would have been a great fight though either way.

KD: Did you really think Toney only just deserved a draw in their first fight? I always thought Toney won that fight quite comfortably. It always confused me that people think McCallum could have won it or that Toney was lucky in getting the draw.

[Dynamite Kid]

Good close fight, but I think Ray would have found a way to win. He always did and it wouldn't be different this time in my opinion. Still, McCallum was, and is, underrated and would have put up a great fight but I think Ray would have been just a little too quick and a little too smart. Would have been a great fight though either way.

KD: Did you really think Toney only just deserved a draw in their first fight? I always thought Toney won that fight quite comfortably. It always confused me that people think McCallum could have won it or that Toney was lucky in getting the draw.

TBH BennyST its been so long since i saw it that i would have to watch it again, that said the last time i watched it i did think McCallum was winning the fight until McCallum came on strong at the end.

I watched the Skysports broadcast though, so maybe i got a different perception with what the commentators were saying, i would have to watch it again and score it next time.

They were both low contact fights that were extremely hard to call.

[wpink1]

thing is mccallum doesnt get tired, and although he wouldnt hurt ray with one punch he certainly would put some sort of dent in him everytime he touched him. mccallum wasnt a explosive puncher like hearns but he was heavyhanded. and a noticably bigger man than ray. comparing him to kalule, floyd sr and geraldo is just ignorant. kalule was a pretty good fighter but not on mccallums level. nobody in the history of boxing embarasses prime mccallum eighter.

It is about styles,,my friend.. i am not saying McCallum was the level of fighter, I am saying when people get on here and say that hearns out boxed leoanrd, thus a bigger man can outbox leoanrd...They seem to not understand the strategy leoanrd employed vs hearns. Leoanrd could have danced vs hearns. Jab for jab,, try to mix it up, and take advantage of opportunities and elected to box as if to win each and every round, which he did vs 99% of his foes, but that put him in harms way of catching the most lethal Right hand ever at Welter, and remember Tommy at welter was 32-0 30 ko's and just literely destroyed Cuevas's cranium.... So leonard as far as boxing went elected to move outside of hearns right hand the 1st couple of rounds thus giving away rounds, they knew they would give away, and then make it a fight. Many still do not realize the fight (with the exception of hearn showing great boxing skills from 9th til 12th, and leonards eye) went exactly as planned exactly as they predicted it would a week before in the sports illustrated. Dundee went on record saying it would be ignorant for Ray to try to box this man with a killer right, and 78 inch reach...he would chop him dwn like tree he said, and all the while zapping his strenght by moving and making hearns expend energy chasing him.. it did not happen quit like that, as leoanrd expended the energy,,, but the damage done in the 6th and 7thh rounds was severe enought that hearns had respect for Ray even when Ray was frusterated by his closign eye and not being able to reach a fleet footed 6'1 fgither with reach...

McCallum was a great great great fighter that simly had the style that Ray leonard would eat up. You never ever saw a straight up fighter outbox peak ray. Ray had issues with a top 10 pound per pound all time fighter duran who was a tremendous pressure , fast, and very good defenive fighter, in which Ray fought the wrong style. Vs a McCallum ray could use all types of angles, speed, etc.. Would he have to ensure tht his jaw, body, speed, instincts where razor sharp..yes. But we forget just how devestating peak ray was. Many only refer back to his fights whith a fighter that he gave away physicans advantages too, and had to slug with(heanrs,) and he did it and won..beating the best slugger at welter ever....he frusterated a top 10 all time pound per pounder into quitting,,and he was much faster and better defensivly than Mccallum was, he out counter puched on of the best counter punchers ever...Benetiz....he then after 5 years, moved up and while he was actually only maybe 60%, no stamina after 6 rounds, reflexes not what they was,,,was able to take haglers best shots, used movement to beat him...Just imagine a 1982 version of Ray in vs hagler, or McCallum.

No sorry.... where McCallum strenghts are they simply would not be enough to beat peak ray at jr middle. Ray had a all time great jaw,,,never dropped before retiring..Had stamine, legs, ring smarts as did McCallum, angles, would easily rip counters and hooks off of Mccallums jabs etc.. McCallum would try to wear Ray down with body, shots, try to cut off the ring...Ray would box like he did Duran 2...countering effectivly, moving, landing at will, I would have it probably 9 round 3 Ray... As he simply would be too fast for McCallum..Curry was outboxing McCallum for the 1st 4 rounds,,then got worn down and rocked. We have nothing on record to show Ray Leonard getting worn down by anyone, when he was prime....Curry is not the boxer or have the speed of Ray...

That being said...87 verson of Ray gets beaten probably stopped...he had nothing after he came out of retirement, which makes it even more amazing he was able to beat active champions lalond and hagler,,,moving up to do so. Can you imagine a retired for 5 years mayweather moving up to fight winy wright, or pac moving up to fight 32 year old dlh after pac had been retired for 5 years... come on....

Sure Ray ducked Nunn, McCalllum all the younger beasts at 160...Jackson..Brown... He simply was not the same..hell he got damm near stopped by Taylor in training for Hagler fight. I make no arguemet for the post retirment ray.. two different fighters. But peak ray, beats McCallum Jackson (if he does not get slaughtered with a unseen shot,,damm jackon could punch), Brown, norris (he stops norris in 4 or 5 when he was peak), Nunn becasue of his size, and reach would pose issues for Ray.. Jones would destroy Ray at 160. Literally destroy him.