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

[TonyRespectful]

A true all time great, rip Champ

[Left Hook Louie]

Back in the 90s ( I can't remember the exact date) former 147 and 154 champ Simon Brown was training for a local fight (Washington, DC) in a big tent set up on the Potomac waterfront in Georgetown. Some of the workouts were open to the public and on a lunch break I got in to see not only Simon Brown but ATG Emile Griffith who was one of Brown's trainers. Over in the corner, away from any attention, was a guy warming up by himself. Dude looked like a world-class athlete and a total badass. I asked who that was and was told it was none other than Mike McCallum. I just wish I could have attended one of his fights in person. McCallum is an all-time great in my opinion.

[Bennyleonard99]

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!

Jamaicans and African never get the full credit and full marketing promo from the establishment media. That's reserved for the American and UK stars. Ike Quartey beat Oscar. Ali Funeka beat Nate Campbell. Don King promoted Azumah Nelson well but he was marginalized. Gerrie Coetzee and Corrie Sanders were marginalized. No way was the establishment going to allow a South African to hold all the heavyweight titles.

You really knew your stuff if you could give Mike round by round history of his fights ) What was his reaction to that borderline stalkery? )

[TheProudLunatic]

Came up when the div was deadly
A true ATG

[hugh grant]

RIP. He has been a bit quiet of late, that always worried you a bit. I remember him beating Watson, and herol. At the time I was naive and thought maybe the brits had off night. But no, the bodysnatcher was that good

[hitmanjosh]

Jamaicans and African never get the full credit and full marketing promo from the establishment media. That's reserved for the American and UK stars. Ike Quartey beat Oscar. Ali Funeka beat Nate Campbell. Don King promoted Azumah Nelson well but he was marginalized. Gerrie Coetzee and Corrie Sanders were marginalized. No way was the establishment going to allow a South African to hold all the heavyweight titles.

You really knew your stuff if you could give Mike round by round history of his fights ) What was his reaction to that borderline stalkery? )

So I'm from Detroit and could also recall the heated sparring at Kronk plus I knew many of the guys he would spar so if Mike was there I'd go over to watch although I was from an East side gym. It was in Vegas that we really connected through and he was just a calm demeanor person and wasn't arrogant or never tooted his own self so it was easy to embrace him, I had heard he moved back home so that was the shock to find out he died in Vegas.

[JLC]

Rest in Peace Champ. Great fighter. Great career. A true Hall of Famer. His boxing days were before I had become a fan, but I went back and caught 2 of his Toney fights.

[champion4ever]

Mike “The “Bodysnatcher” McCallum. He will be missed! Who will ever forget his memorable bouts with Julian Jackson, Donald Curry, Steve Collins and trilogy with James Toney? Rest in peace champ!

[champion4ever]

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... https://ringobserver.com/biofile-mik...lum-interview/

It was because it was a different era and generation back then. Mike McCallum didn’t become into prominence until the end of the 1980s decade.

I am not making any excuses but by that time; Both Hagler and Leonard had retired by then. However, Duran and Hearn were available though.

[richardt]

It would have been nice if he could have done boxing and the world a favor and royally fked up the evil Tony Ayala.