McCallum replaces Hearns against Duran and Hagler?

Interesting take on things,however,even though he was a bit shorter,Hagler(75)had a slightly longer reach than McCallum(74 1/2).

 

Bennie Briscoe

 

Duran and Hagler are my 2 favorites ever.Prime McCallum decisions any Duran.But prime Hagler decisions prime McCallum.

 

Mike did not have that good head movment and he could get hit clean at times.. I disagree with your guys. Saying he did not have great reflexes like one guy said. That is not true. his reflexes made it so that he could plod forward at times and position himself and throw punches and land his combination. Even against Graham. He moved his upper body to avoid punches by bending or going to the side which was effective at times to get into position to punch and stay in front of guys like Tyson did a little,when he was in position he would land the body punches from the side, that whole style made him effective, but the elite guys would have also seen this tactic more than guys like Minchillo or Mannion. His lack of fluid defensive head movement is why some guys like Jackson and McCrory and Curry hit him at times, but this tactic of moving his waist to get positioned looked more defensive, but was really offensive to position him-he made it to where he could come inside and work the body and use his great asset-his fluid combination punching and relentless pressure and instincts. Without the speed he had he would not have been as good as he was. He might not have matched Curry in handspeed, but his stamina made it so that his handspeed was effective more in the later rounds when other guys would slow down. The elite guys would have been able to hit him. Some of his techniques worked better with the lesser fighters, but would have looked more mechanical with the elites and Kalambay showed. Mike always was in position to punch, but I think a big right hand guy like Hearns would have been able to land clean and often. It would have been a shootout that is for sure.

 

I thought Mike was 78 inches. I could be wrong. That seems a little high.

 

People think I do not like Duran, and here I am defending him. Duran would not have lost to Curry. The handspeed of Curry might make Duran look foolish at times, but Duran's right hand would have landed on Curry when Donald was moving forward, and Curry would not have been able to get out of the way of it once he was hurt.

 

Stylewise that is possible. Not because he was better than Hagler, but Marvin didn't look good in the Leonard fight at all. Marvin's instincts told him to retire after Mugabi as he said in a press conference after the triple hitter card in June of 1986-responding to Ray coming out of retirement to fight Marvin. As for accepting the fight, I think he felt he had to fight Leonard is the opportunity was there. He figured even being a little rusty, he could overpower Ray. Marvin for the Ray fight was not sharp. Even Olajide might have given him a tough fight.

 

I watched the the first two of Weaver triplets give Marvin a thorough drubbing in sparring prep. Marvin couldnt lay a glove on them. It was all about the speed!

 

Ray knew when to fight Marvin. Marvin had the war against Hearns and put his all out mentally and physically in that fight and then was off a year. Then he comes in out of shape I thought and has a tough fight with Mugabi. Another year off and fights Ray. He looked slow and not sharp at all against Ray. It was a great win for Ray, but Marvin was past his prime and rusty. The Weaver's couldn't have done anything to Marvin 2 years before.

 

I still think you don't like him.

 

Well Benitez didn't look too hot against the lesser brother in Bruce, I'd honestly put money on Don beating Benitez with his speed and technical skill. McCallum's workrate, bodypunching, jab and timing see him beat Benitez but having a few problems along the way

 

Finding that hard to believe McCallum looked to have the longer arms

 

Duran never beat anyone as technically solid as Curry, Leonard/Buchannan included. Curry had the speed, defense, range to completely pick Duran apart as the lesser Benitez and Laing managed.