Hearns v McCallum December 1984

Nice timing, and i am picking up what you are putting down.

 

If Minchillo lasted the full 12 no way was the Duran who had just gone 15 with Hagler getting sparked in two.

 

Hearns by decision in a close fight. I just think that Hearns speed edge and flicking jab give him the decisive edge.

 

I dont see what what your seeing. I know it's only sparring but to me Hearns is clearly controlling this with his jab and getting the better of Mike

 

That was good work by both guys. You could see both of them thinking as well as boxing. McCallum's jab was no slouch. Im sure these rounds against Hearns gave McCallum a world of confidence.

 

I wouldn't read to much into the sparring video. Who knows where they both were in there conditioning and what they were working on. I once saw a two time world champ get owned in sparring once by a good but not great fighter. Many years later they fought for real and the two time world champ did what he was supposed to do.

 

Excellent post.

 

At first he was but McCallum started landing more in the second half of the vid.

 

No, I feel McCallum felt he could beat the fab four, he even stated that Roy Jones was better than Ray Leonard after losing to Jones at the age of 39, he said Jones had faster hands than Ray and that he felt Jones was an amazing fighter.

 

There is absolutely no chance of Hearns doing to McCallum what he did to Duran. Look at the massive height and reach disadvantages Duran had.

McCallum is not going to stand right in front of Hearns at perfect range, waiting to get clobbered, as happened with Duran.

Mike had movement and good reach himself, a sound defense and was extremely durable.

Hearns blasted out the blown up Duran and the unproven Hutchings, in 84, but Mike McCallum is a totally different proposition.

Hearns might win, but it's not going to be an easy blow out.

The only way Hearns wins is if he can move and box for the full 15 rounds.

He did do it with Benitez, but Wilfred was not nearly as durable as McCallum and looked a bit gunshy - like he knew Hearns could hurt him badly if he wasn't extremely careful.

As I see it, Hearns wins the early rounds, but can't hurt McCallum. Mike gets stronger as the fight progresses and his body attack eventually weakens Hearns' legs. In the late rounds, McCallum gets inside and starts landing on the exposed Hearns chin.

McCallum by late rounds TKO.

 

But how much was that him not getting tested against the more difficult styles? A boxer with short reach and no real punch like Benitez was as good a stylistical match-up as Hearns could ask for. And Duran at 154 was also much more of a counter puncher than the swarmer he had been when younger and lighter. Hearns didn't take on the top guys of the division that didn't come from lower weight classes. Win or lose - McCallum, Jackson and Mugabi were the most dangerous challenges for Hearns at the weight imo, but since he never faced them we don't really know how good he was at the wight imo.

 

Thanks Robert