revisionist myths series 1: mike mccallum fab 4

Part of being a great fighter is facing the best available. If you fail to do that your legacy takes a big hit.

 

You're really going to stick to your argument that Hearns was a ducker? Just want to be clear what you're saying here.

 

He only got to fight Jones when he was 39 and his body looked a lot softer at 175 than 154.

 

Leonard didn`t return to 160 because he was ducking Nunn.

 

Wasn`t McCallum climbing the rankings when Ray beat Kalule?

 

Herol Graham was no.1 contender for Hagler`s title, Mugabi was never rated above Graham at 160.

 

No, he wasn't ranked in 1981.

 

Where did you get that from?

I can well imagine if he wasn't too keen on Nunn, but I personally only use the word "duck" when you're avoiding a challenge to your title. So I would rather say that Hagler ducked Graham for example, since Graham was actually challenging for Hagler's title, but Hagler choose instead what he quite possibly saw as an easier fight and certainly a much better payday in Leonard (a better risk/reward). Nunn, on the other hand, was the one with the title.

 

Interesting, in which bodies/magazine was this. I'd seen it claimed Mugabi was number 1 in all bodies, which kind of doesn't make sense because you have to pay all bodies for that

 

Undefeated Herol Graham fought a stupid fight vs Master boxer Sumbu Kalambay, he wasn't with Ingle at that time. This was for the vacant WBA belt as the WBA stripped Hagler for chasing Leonard bought instead of fighting mandatory Herol Graham.

Graham brought back Ingle once he lost to Kalambay.

Here is an article highlighting;


Wba Strips Hagler Of Middleweight Title
February 26, 1987|By Mike Huguenin

'The World Boxing Association has stripped undisputed world middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler of his title, setting off a legal dispute that has the WBA at odds with its own lawyer. The WBA said it took action against Hagler because he refused to fight top-ranked contender Herol Graham of Britain. The decision was announced by WBA President Gilberto Mendoza. James Binns, counsel for the WBA in Philadelphia, told The Associated Press that Hagler could not be stripped of the title legally until the expiration of a 30-day period during which Hagler may appeal. Hagler is scheduled to fight Sugar Ray Leonard on April 6 in Las Vegas, Nev.'

 

Oh I didn`t think Mugabi was rated that hig at 160 because he was coming up from 154 and Graham was the No.1 contender the following year but stepped aside so Leonard could fight Marvin so I assumed he was the no.1 contender in 1986 too, how many fights at 160 had Mugabi had leading up to his bout v Marvin?

 

I just think Mike kinda ended up being the Burley of the modern times .. Like it was said the Fab 4 was just making to much money fighting each other. And Mike was very capable of winning, so its kinda a lose lose for the guys where there was a small window to at least fight one of them. Same as Burley, who deserved a shot as well but SRR wasn't going to fight him … There was no money in it and he making more money fighting Jake etc etc

 

Exactly - the public wasn't crying about it because they were getting fights they wanted to see, the Fab 4 weren't crying about it because they were getting big paydays fighting each other. The only one crying about it was McCallum because he was missing out on the action. But nobody else cared. And to be honest if this forum had existed back then, we'd all be talking about what a great time we were having with matchups between Hagler, Hearns, Duran and Leonard to care that much about Mike McCallum missing out on some big paydays. It's just the way it was, the 'ducking' accusation is overblown in my view, just as it was with Burley.

 

A while back he told us it was basically common sense that the heavyweights get getting better and Joshua was a step up from Lewis. Have barely sighted him since Joshua got flattened.

 

Ah. Context is good.