If Duran face McCallum instead of Hearns, who you got?

He went the distance with Marvin Hagler, for whatever reason you want to say. That would be the best, and at middleweight. Hagler was the best middleweight of the time without question. If going fifteen with even a "respectful" Hagler doesn't show durability, I'm not sure what you want. How can you go, aside from Hagler and Hearns, he didn't fight the top guys. Hagler and Hearns were the top guys, weren't they? It's misleading to say he had great durability? It's misleading to say Roberto Duran had great durability? :huh

 

McCallum was particularly aggressive at jnr middle, not in the sense he came out possessed to win the fight early..He fought the fight he generally fought, which was methodical and workmanlike.

He gave Mannion and Minchillo pretty prolonged beatings.

Fought the last part of the Braxton fight mostly off the backfoot.

Made slow starts against Curry and McCrory (whom he really wanted to beat up)

Mike would win and wide but really nothing at all to suggest he easily crushes Duran.

 

I can see it. McCallum, despite his extraordinary skill level packed a huge punch and had a KO of about 90 for most of his career. He was also a bit bigger than Hearns, although the difference is marginal. But let's not forget that his win over Curry was a devastating one punch knockout. When he was the first to beat Jackson, he also did it basically with one punch. McCallum is too good and too big for Duran.

 

Certainly would have been different IMO.

He wouldnt have needed to go over to Europe to take on the talent they had over there IMO.
Could have stayed in the States earning good coin and fight guys like Hagler and Hearns.

Dont know about Leonard though..the timing might not have been there. Ray was still struggling with the eye injury and his second retirement started about a month or two before Hearns-Duran was on (Im assuming Mike would have fought him approx the same date)

 

I don't see how the Jackson win was basically with one punch, really. That was several punches with Jackson still on his feet. And Jackson was neither nearly as skilled nor nearly as durable as Duran. And Curry didn't have nearly the durability either. Besides...we're talking about a guy who had no trouble sparring with a heavyweight legend. Rumor has it, Balboa even got the worst of their sessions. I'm not havin' this McCallum by massacre and knockout stuff.

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Mike would have easily defeated him and likely stopped him and likely stopped him ... Hagler lacked confidence even at his best against "the best." If you watch the first Vito fight and the first Obel fight you will see Marvin was a little unsure over his long distance stamina so he held back at times and went cautious ... in the first Obel fight he came dangerously close to punching himself out ... if he fought Duran like he did Hearns Duran does not last either ...

 

As PowerPuncher said, Duran would hold no advantages here. He beat no one with the skill of McCallum above 147. In fact Leonard could well be argued to be the only one on that skill level he beat at any weight.

His perfomances against Benitez and Hearns doesn't bode well for his chances. There really is nothing to suggest anything but a McCallum win.

 

I can't see Duran winning this at all, if he's in shape I believe it could go the distance as he did with Hagler....but if not I'm not sure that he'd last the distance.

 

I'm a BIG Hagler critic but noway is McCallum beating Hagler even at the stage they may have fought. Hagler's jab would be the key element and his consistent power would be a burden (for Mike) too in this one. Contrary to most i actually think Hagler could put some serious pressure on him at times.

I think Mike would beat the Duran Moore fought but it would be a good competitive fight. Duran's savvy ensures he won't be embarrassed at his best. Mike UD.

I find McCallum a little overrated nowadays.

 

Oh he's a fantastic fighter, no doubt. Old school fighters like he and Hopkins go a long long way for us fans.

 

How interesting would a Hopkins/McCallum fight have been? Every trick of the trade would've come out in that one.

 

And then some lolol

 

The Body snatcher by decision...