Hearns Leonard Duran Hagler all ducked me !

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

They had bigger fish to fry. Yeah Duran vacated the WBA title but he vacated it to go and fight Hagler then Hearns, instead of a relatively unknown mandatory in McCallum. Following those losses Duran went off the boil for a couple of years until he finally regained form against Barkley in 89. You could argue he should have unified with McCallum at 160 during that period but he chose to face SRL for a third time instead which was unquestionably a far bigger fight.

McCallum didn’t become truly revered until he destroyed Curry in 87, prior to that he was fighting on undercards, having to travel abroad etc. By 87 he’d already missed Hagler, and SRL was basically semi retired and was only willing to fight the very biggest names or looking for supposed legacy fights.

You could argue Hearns should have unified with him at some point between 84-87 but he was fighting across several weights between 154-175 during that period. I’m pretty sure they had sparred and trained together so there was likely no fear of fighting one another.

McCallum was unlucky to never share the ring with one of the four kings but I wouldn’t say any of them ducked him at least not blatantly. Risk vs reward probably was a factor but he essentially just came along slightly too late.

[QueensburyRules]

lol I hardly never make a thread about Floyd,

Fans often put the fab 4 on pedestals like they were unbeatable Gods, they wasnt they were fighters that did actually duck some guys !

Mike was a great fighter that kinda was kept in the shadows of the fab four, you can tell he is bitter because they genuinely wanted no part of McCallum. Not that it means he beats them but he dam could have and I heard it back in the day how he gave Tommy a touch up in sparing.

Mikey clearly the biggest crybaby in boxing.

Why He duck Tony Ayala?

[TheIronMike]

The Body Snatcher targeting old decrepit men. He should be proud of the fact that he demolished Curry , McCrory and Jackson

[The D3vil]

I'm glad Breadman squashed this myth a while ago

There is this myth that the 4 KINGS ducked Mike McCallum. Some fans find sympathy for the hard luck great fighters who didn’t get a shot at the stars of their era. Aaron Pryor was supposedly ducked by Ray Leonard. I debunked that myth several times. It’s bullsh-t. Then Ray Robinson ducked Charley Burley. Another BS myth.

Now Marvin Hagler ducked Mike McCallum. Let me show you why you’re so wrong. McCallum didn’t turn pro until 1981. Leonard, Hagler, Duran and Hearns were all established stars by 1981. And McCallum was just turning pro. So while he’s their age roughly, he wasn’t as accomplished at the same time which is more important.

McCallum won his 1st title at junior middleweight in 1984. 1984 was Hagler’s last year where he fought more than once. In 1985 he fought Tommy Hearns. In 1986 He fought John Mugabi. In 1987 He fought Ray Leonard and he never fought again. I want to know who out of the 3 was less credible than Mike McCallum at those given times?

In 1985 Hearns was top 3 in the world and was a 2 division champion and superstar. Hagler fought him. In 1986 Mugabi was the #1 contender by all 3 sanctioning bodies at middleweight. Mugabi was one of the most highly regarded and highly marketed challengers of the era. He was a star. He was bigger than McCallum in 1986 and he didn’t even have a title yet. People remember Mugabi as a junior middleweight. But they forget he was a tweener and he often fought between 154 and 160 as a contender. In fact he kod one of Hagler’s former #1 contenders in Frank Fletcher at middleweight. Hagler vs Mugabi was a big PPV fight and Hagler was fulfilling his mandatory vs a killer. Then Hagler fought Ray Leonard for the unofficial crown of best fighter of the decade.

I seriously want to know how and when did he duck McCallum when McCallum didn’t move to middleweight until late in 1987 after Hagler retired and vacated his titles. In fact McCallum lost to Sambu Kalambay in his first fight for a middleweight title. It’s no shame in that. But my point is the fight was never viable.

Leonard and Hagler did NOT duck McCallum at all. Duran and Hearns, you can make a case for those two especially Hearns. McCallum had earned a shot at Duran in 1984. He was the mandatory. Duran decided to vacate and he fought Hearns for more money, who was equally as good and more of a stylistic nightmare.

I don’t consider that a duck because you can only fight one person at a time. But if you do, I get it. I think Emanuel Steward favored Hearns over McCallum. He grew up with Hearns. He was attached to Hearns. So he got Hearns the fight over McCallum and McCallum left him.

Now Tommy Hearns is a certified killer and he will fight anyone. But he was champion with McCallum at the same weights during the same times. That fight could have been made but I think Steward didn’t want to give McCallum the payday. But this could be considered a duck. I think there is legit case for a duck here although I don’t believe it’s Hearns’s fault.

It’s important to do research before you make reckless claims. Marvin Hagler is one histories few fighters who doesn’t have a clear duck at his weight for an entire career. Look at the middleweight contenders and champions from 1973-87 and tell me who he ducked that was at middleweight and on the same level as him at the same time.

[hugh grant]

I remember when callum beat Michael watson. I was thinking how did Watson lose to mcallum? I expected Watson to destroy him after he beat benn.
But I was youngish before days of internet I didn't know anything about mcallum

[Roadblock]

I'm glad Breadman squashed this myth a while ago.

In 1985 Hearns was top 3 in the world and was a 2 division champion and superstar. Hagler fought him. In 1986 Mugabi was the #1 contender by all 3 sanctioning bodies at middleweight. Mugabi was one of the most highly regarded and highly marketed challengers of the era. He was a star

Thats BS Mugabi was hardly known, prior to the Hagler fight he had beaton nobody not a single known top guy, I always regarded Mugabi as kind of Ike Quartey type, McCallum would have dissected Mugabi.

I wouldnt being claiming Breadman is the all and end all, Ive read of things he stats as facts and they not really, Mugabi being a star prior to Hagler is another one. Makes me question the rest of what he says here.

Mike was no joke I know he flogged Tommy in sparing because I had a good friend who was training at Kronk at the time. He told me one night Mike would have stopped him he had it over him so much.

[just the facts]

Mikey clearly the biggest crybaby in boxing.

Why He duck Tony Ayala?

Ayala went to prison for 15+ years in 1982. McCallum didn't win the title until 84. Dumb, even for you.

[just the facts]

The Body Snatcher targeting old decrepit men. He should be proud of the fact that he demolished Curry , McCrory and Jackson

None of which were old or decrepit. Epic fail............

[QueensburyRules]

Ayala went to prison for 15+ years in 1982. McCallum didn't win the title until 84. Dumb, even for you.

- -Don't take much to drop U like a sack of.

U admit he coulda fought Ayala when he was being groomed for Marv or Roberto before Tony got sent up.

U boy ducked a kid!

A kid!

U boy quack for U too?

[just the facts]

- -Don't take much to drop U like a sack of.

U admit he coulda fought Ayala when he was being groomed for Marv or Roberto before Tony got sent up.

U boy ducked a kid!

A kid!

U boy quack for U too?

Link?? Or are you just spreading your unique brand of ignorance again?

At the time, Ayala was viewed as a can't miss prospect, they weren't gonna let him anywhere near McCallum. At the time, both were considered prospects, then your "boy" went on a raping spree