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Best Skills – Mike McCallum – he was very seasoned. At that time he was the most experienced boxer that I had met. He was already a champion. I felt he was also very technical. He had all the tools as a boxer and I felt I had the power to knock him out but it turned out to be the opposite.
Best Jab – McCallum – When I look back I would say Mike McCallum probably had one of the best jabs. He was tall; his height had a lot to do with his jab. I guess his timing and his experience, all of that played with that scenario.
Best Defense – Gerald McClellan – In my first fight with Gerald McClellan I didn’t get to hit him like I really wanted to. I was getting to him but somehow my punches weren’t landing clean enough. He was always able to defend and move. His defense was fairly strong and instead of me getting the knockout, which I really believe I would have, I got caught from him and I was the one who got knocked out.
Best Chin – Thomas Tate – I can’t say it was Mike McCallum or Gerald McClellan. I fought this guy in Las Vegas, Thomas Tate. As a matter of fact, I remember the referee, Richard Steele, I literally heard him tell the guy to move because it seemed as though he was giving up. I was not able to end the fight and he was able to survive but I did knock him down but he got back up and we went the distance.
There was a guy I fought in a very cold place but I can’t remember his name. I don’t know if the fight was recorded but I remember fighting this white guy and I hit him with the sink and he wouldn’t go down.
Best Puncher – McClellan – Definitely Gerald McClellan. He was a natural puncher like myself. I knew it and he knew it. I said the one who gets hit first is gonna go down and I guess I was the one that got hit first (laughs).
Fastest Hands – Terry Norris – Terry Norris was naturally quick. Harold Graham was fast but Terry Norris was naturally quick. It was amazing. It seemed as though he was gonna throw one jab and the next thing you know you’re getting hit by two or three jabs. His hand speed to me was the best. My timing was the key to combat his speed. I wasn’t as fast, I was quick, but I wasn’t as fast, my timing was the key, putting on the pressure to combat that speed.
Fastest Feet – Norris – I believe hand and foot speed is something that comes as a package. I would say Terry Norris. His hand speed had to match his foot speed and he had good footwork as well.
Smartest – McCallum – He knew he was in a fight and I had a puncher’s chance and he was afraid of me ‘cause just the way he was fighting and what he did in the fight to try to stop me from knocking (him) out. He thumbed me. I got about two or three low blows the referee didn’t see. You might say that’s not smart it’s dirty but he was able to throw me off my game plan because of that. I was really upset because of that.
Strongest – Francisco De Jesus – I hit this guy with punches, even though I stopped him, it was amazing the strength this kid had. He just had power and I could feel the brute strength of this kid. He was stronger than McClellan or McCallum as far as what I felt in that fight. You can be strong, even though McClellan was a very strong puncher his strength may not have been as strong as this guy. When we clinched I could literally feel his power and I was like “woo.”
Best Overall – McClellan – I would say Gerald McClellan had tremendous talent, he had speed, power, especially power, he could box and I feel overall Gerald McClellan was the best fighter I faced.
Best Jab – McCallum – When I look back I would say Mike McCallum probably had one of the best jabs. He was tall; his height had a lot to do with his jab. I guess his timing and his experience, all of that played with that scenario.
Best Defense – Gerald McClellan – In my first fight with Gerald McClellan I didn’t get to hit him like I really wanted to. I was getting to him but somehow my punches weren’t landing clean enough. He was always able to defend and move. His defense was fairly strong and instead of me getting the knockout, which I really believe I would have, I got caught from him and I was the one who got knocked out.
Best Chin – Thomas Tate – I can’t say it was Mike McCallum or Gerald McClellan. I fought this guy in Las Vegas, Thomas Tate. As a matter of fact, I remember the referee, Richard Steele, I literally heard him tell the guy to move because it seemed as though he was giving up. I was not able to end the fight and he was able to survive but I did knock him down but he got back up and we went the distance.
There was a guy I fought in a very cold place but I can’t remember his name. I don’t know if the fight was recorded but I remember fighting this white guy and I hit him with the sink and he wouldn’t go down.
Best Puncher – McClellan – Definitely Gerald McClellan. He was a natural puncher like myself. I knew it and he knew it. I said the one who gets hit first is gonna go down and I guess I was the one that got hit first (laughs).
Fastest Hands – Terry Norris – Terry Norris was naturally quick. Harold Graham was fast but Terry Norris was naturally quick. It was amazing. It seemed as though he was gonna throw one jab and the next thing you know you’re getting hit by two or three jabs. His hand speed to me was the best. My timing was the key to combat his speed. I wasn’t as fast, I was quick, but I wasn’t as fast, my timing was the key, putting on the pressure to combat that speed.
Fastest Feet – Norris – I believe hand and foot speed is something that comes as a package. I would say Terry Norris. His hand speed had to match his foot speed and he had good footwork as well.
Smartest – McCallum – He knew he was in a fight and I had a puncher’s chance and he was afraid of me ‘cause just the way he was fighting and what he did in the fight to try to stop me from knocking (him) out. He thumbed me. I got about two or three low blows the referee didn’t see. You might say that’s not smart it’s dirty but he was able to throw me off my game plan because of that. I was really upset because of that.
Strongest – Francisco De Jesus – I hit this guy with punches, even though I stopped him, it was amazing the strength this kid had. He just had power and I could feel the brute strength of this kid. He was stronger than McClellan or McCallum as far as what I felt in that fight. You can be strong, even though McClellan was a very strong puncher his strength may not have been as strong as this guy. When we clinched I could literally feel his power and I was like “woo.”
Best Overall – McClellan – I would say Gerald McClellan had tremendous talent, he had speed, power, especially power, he could box and I feel overall Gerald McClellan was the best fighter I faced.
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