Comments Thread For: The 10 best junior middleweights in history

[BoxingUpdates]

After unifying titles at 140 and 147 pounds, Terence Crawford looks to add a belt at 154 pounds when he takes on tough Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
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[rudy]

Not a bad list cannot complain

[wrecksracer]

I'd pick Hearns to beat these other guys head to head.

[2fast2strong]

Mike McCallum For sure should be #1 on that list, for those who were around at that time will remember how avoided he was, he got his nick name from beating up Hearns in the gym

I favor McCallum over everyone else on that list hands down

The master technician James Toney said he is the best fighter he ever fought

[wrecksracer]

Mike McCallum For sure should be #1 on that list, for those who were around at that time will remember how avoided he was, he got his nick name from beating up Hearns in the gym

I favor McCallum over everyone else on that list hands down

The master technician James Toney said he is the best fighter he ever fought

There is actually footage of Hearns getting the better of McCallum in a sparring session on youtube. McCallum was having big issues getting inside Hearns' jab. McCallum needs to get inside to work. Hearns was not letting him get inside. I know.....it's just sparring. There is not footage of McCallum getting the better of Hearns, though.

[2fast2strong]

There is actually footage of Hearns getting the better of McCallum in a sparring session on youtube. McCallum was having big issues getting inside Hearns' jab. McCallum needs to get inside to work. Hearns was not letting him get inside. I know.....it's just sparring. There is not footage of McCallum getting the better of Hearns, though.

That may be but the legend has it that for the most part Mike would get the better of Tommy and that’s how he got his name the body snatcher, and the master of the Kronk Manny favored Hearns and led him to the Duran fight that was supposed to go to Mike

And that’s why Mike left the Kronk gym, I wasn’t there so I can only go by what I have read

And in a 12 or 15 round fight I would definitely favor Mike to eventually wear down The Hitman

[LAchargers373]

Tito beats them all at 154. Dude was a BEAST

[wrecksracer]

That may be but the legend has it that for the most part Mike would get the better of Tommy, and the master of the Kronk Manny favored Hearns and led him to the Duran fight that was supposed to go to Mike

And that’s why Mike left the Kronk gym, I wasn’t there so I can only go by what I have read

I lived in Detroit at the time. They would report on sparring sessions in the newspaper (if you can believe that). The Detroit Free Press actually had a weekly boxing column. Different times! Anyway, it sounded like it was pretty 50/50. It all depended on whether McCallum could get inside Hearns' jab. Hearns was quicker, more mobile, and had the better jab. It's hard to say how it would go in a 15 round fight. A guy like James Toney welcomed the inside fight. That's why those fights were so good. Hearns could stand on the outside and pick away at opponents, like he did vs Benitez in a somewhat boring decision win. A fight vs McCallum would have depended a lot on how disciplined Hearns chose to fight. It would have been nice to see it, but Hearns had bigger fish to fry, money-wise. I remember reading a big article in the Free Press about how unhappy McCallum was in not getting the Duran and Hearns fights. Steward did him dirty. Those were money decisions, though. No surprise McCallum left Kronk.

[2fast2strong]

I lived in Detroit at the time. They would report on sparring sessions in the newspaper (if you can believe that). The Detroit Free Press actually had a weekly boxing column. Different times! Anyway, it sounded like it was pretty 50/50. It all depended on whether McCallum could get inside Hearns' jab. Hearns was quicker, more mobile, and had the better jab. It's hard to say how it would go in a 15 round fight. A guy like James Toney welcomed the inside fight. That's why those fights were so good. Hearns could stand on the outside and pick away at opponents, like he did vs Benitez in a somewhat boring decision win. A fight vs McCallum would have depended a lot on how disciplined Hearns chose to fight. It would have been nice to see it, but Hearns had bigger fish to fry, money-wise. I remember reading a big article in the Free Press about how unhappy McCallum was in not getting the Duran and Hearns fights. Steward did him dirty. Those were money decisions, though. No surprise McCallum left Kronk.

So you are an old timer like me, respect my friend

Yeah to bad Mike didn’t get a shot at Duran or Tommy in the pro ring, I would have loved to see it

[1Eriugenus]

Agree Mike McCallum was 1. Also can't understand how Julian Jackson isn't in the top 10. Yes he was limited but he had the most scary power I've ever seen in my life. His KOs were like horrible train-wrecks & the Norris one, in particular, was off the scale violent. Every time JJ hit someone cleanly you just hoped to God he got up!