As the story goes, McCallum was ranked #2 with the WBA after beating Kalule, but Duran chose a much more lucrative bout with Tommy Hearns after toppling champ Davey Moore at the Garden. McCallum was #1 for 18 months. McCallum was actually a Kronk fighter at this time but fell out with Steward when Manny chose the payday with Tommy. Obviously the WBA belt became vacant because Duran faced Tommy for the WBC… What would of occurred in a Duran-McCallum fight for the WBA junior-middle strap had Duran faced Mike over Tommy? (on a side note McCallum made only $30,000 from his title win over Mannion, moving from Detroit to the Flatbush section of Brooklyn on Snyder Ave with his daughter, and couldn’t afford sparring partners for his defence against Minchillo; so used a host of hungry youngsters with only one of them kept on right through…an 18-year-old Brit by the name of Chris Eubank!)
I rate Duran as a top three alltime fighter pound for pound but I don't think he could have beaten McCallum at that time or anytime after which is why he never fought him. Duran had moments of greatness post Montreal but he was nowhere near as good at Jr. Middleweight and above. He was great against Moore and Barkley but those guys are not McCallum.
McCallum (RIP Champ) and fellow Jamaican World Champ Simon Brown both suffered from not having a fan base in the US. McCallum wouuld have won relatively easily against Duran, I think Roberto would last the distance though McCallum might stop him late like he did against the tough Luigi Minchillo.
I think we might be underestimating Roberto a little here guys! His timing was razor against Moore. He took a lot of rounds off Marvin. He would’ve started as the pre fight favourite without question.
I have to say i think McCallum is getting a tad overrated in this thread. McCallum during this period was going 15 rounds with the likes of Sean Mannion in a uninspired performance i don't think McCallum had quite peaked at this stage in his career. Duran after a bad spell in 1982 had comeback strong with a dominant performance vs Moore and then had very competitive fight with a prime Hagler. Could McCallum win ? absolutely but it would be a very competitive technical chess match that would be close on the scorecards. I'm surprised people think this would be a comfortable win for McCallum quite honestly.
I'm old and remember this time well as I watched all of these fights live as a kid with my dad. Duran looked like ass against Lang and while the Moore win looks great on paper, Moore had oral surgery two days before the fight and should not have even been in the ring that night. Duran looked great no doubt but he was not at all on McCallum's level and there has been plenty of talk over the years that Moore was thrown to the wolves by the New York mob in that fight. Google it and you will see a lot stories about that fight. Duran was never that sharp again and won that middleweight belt off of his balls and heart against Barkley. I don't know that McCallum knocks him out but I don't see him losing this fight at all. He held every advantage over Duran at that point in their careers. Saying McCallum would win is not a shot at Duran. I think Duran is a top three all time pound for pound fighter and ranked much higher overall than McCallum. I just think he was at his best between 135 and 147. I don't like him at 154 and above. He had flashes of greatness but was wildly inconsistent. His record/ performances clearly show that.
McCallum takes it I think. Yes, Duran was slippery and aggressive and all that but stylistically, he was zero percent Davey Moore. That’s not happening to him. He, like Duran but somewhat differently, was very serpentine in his movements and incredibly hard to catch cleanly. His power was fully intact at 154 too, unlike his forays at 160. Duran was great, but he’s not fighting a twelve-fight neophyte here. Duran slows in the second half of the fight and loses a clear decision.
In the highly unlikely circumstances that Duran comes in as sharp and focussed as he did against Moore (I don’t think Duran was in that shape when he fought Tommy - not that it would have made a difference either way as Tommy would always have had Duran’s number at jnr middle), I think McCallum just has too many physical advantages at the weight for Duran to overcome. I agree that McCallum would lead all the way and that there is an outside chance of a stoppage but McCallum wasn’t nearly as concussive a puncher as Hearns so I don’t see a repeat of what happened to Duran against the Hitman. And that’s the best-case scenario version for an in-shape Duran. Given his inconsistency of focus during his later career, in reality he’s just as likely to turn up out of shape. It’s funny to think that thus is a matchup that could have happened where no-one outside of McCallum cried about it not taking place because reality gave us an even better matchup in Duran-Hearns. How often does that happen?!
Duran also had a good performance in beating Minchello at 154. One of the more overlooked fighters from that time. Luigi gave Hearns a good scrap. Ofcourse Duran fought very well against Hagler.
In the scenario layed out by the OP I would give the edge to McCallum. Only because Mike had no name in 1984. This would have been a ho hum defense for Duran. He didnt know who McCallum was at that time. McCallum most likley wins. If Duran is the underdog, he comes in with something to prove. People saying McCallum could stop him? That changes everything. McCallum doesn't have the style that troubled Duran. He doesnt have blinding speed and elusivness. He a fine all around fighter but he's also gonna be there in front of Duran. The bodysnatcher is even gonna try to hurt Duran inside. Duran would more than hold his own on the inside. Simply put Duran is gonna find McCallum. Duran's defense was better than Mike's. Hagler had some of the same problems with Duran. What saved Hagler that nite was his iron chin. If Duran lands the same punches he did vs Marvin I think McCallum would find himself busted up. Duran would win a decision close but clear. I doubt anyone sees the canvas but there would be some vicious exchanges.
If we take the exact version of Duran that fought Moore, with his adoring NY fans, i think he'd have every chance of winning by decision. He'd take it inside and it would be an infighting extravaganza between them. There's not a chance McCallum could stop Duran and Roberto's skill was still sublime at that time as shown against Moore and Hags. It's a very competitive matchup.
Like I said, he still had moments of greatness and at times, he was looked like the Duran of old but he was without question on the slide while McCallum was ascending at that time. Duran is still the better pound for pound fighter but his best days were well below the weight that this mythical matchup is taking place.
It's not the fact that McCallum couldn't win this fight its the fact people think it would be comfortable and that for me is overrating McCallum somewhat. Duran was in good form for Moore, Hagler, during this period and it would've been a humongous step up in class for McCallum at that stage in his career. I see a high level technical chess match that would be close on the scorecards.