Donald Curry vs McCallum 18.7.1987 - WBA World Super Welterweight Championship (5th Rd KO)

I don't think they would be hit with that punch. I don't recall Mike landing that punch on many other people. It was a rare case where I think the swelling on Donald's eye distracted Donald enough where his mind was not fully concentrating and he made a mistake of backing up with his hands down.

 

I don't think that punch was a one punch knockout as it seemed-set up as Mike said in the post fight interview. Everyone makes that fight out to be Curry beating McCallum the whole fight and McCallum lands one punch. That was HBO, but I always thought HBO tried to be more fair to Donald than they had to- to prove Leonard would be fair to Donald after that lawsuit Donald had on Ray and Donald suggesting Ray not commentate the fight. Yet they went too far and they praised Donald for everything, when they were not noticing how Mike was taking over. Even in round one Mike was a little stronger, and Donald's eye was swelling a tiny bit at the end of round one. I always looked for the reason for that swelling and I never found a thumb. I saw Mike landing his jab a little. In round two Mike was starting to land on Donald and Mike was stronger and let his guard down and Donald couldn't have landed a better right hand - Mike dipped but he didn't drop Round3 was Donald's round for the most part Slowly Mike was taking over and by round 4 he was hitting Donald to the body and walking Donald down in a very slight way. Donald was getting hit to the body in round 4, so Donald came out moving a little more in round 5 and he would come inside land and pull back. It was more Mike being stronger and walking Donald down than a Mike set up. Donald didn't know where to go. He was being beaten on the inside and now on the outside his eye was swelling. Donald didn't want to stand next to Mike and get hit so fighting on the outside he could land.

 

Curry always had a bad habit of pulling straight back after throwing his combos. Those hands would be down more than normal and after throwing punches he could not bring them up fast enough. And McCallum had those long arms and threw wide right hands. Bang. Got hit with a shot he never saw.

And his boxing radar which was top shelf during his title run, took a big step south after and during that
Honeyghan fight. When a guy's boxing radar goes, what is there defensively to take its place?

 

Something was different. Donald was going back with his hand down. It was a big mistake but the eye swelling had him maybe in a small panic. I think it had to do with Curry not being strong enough for Mike yet faster so he could land the punches but not strong enough to take some of the body punches with being swarmed a little. A lot of people have said Curry was winning and he got caught, but I think this was going to happen. Mike mentioned that McCrory did the same thing do the punches and pull out, but if you look at Donald before that he is looking at Mike with his head tilted up to compensate for the swelled eye to see Mike. I think he was desperate. Which no one else says. Look how he looks at Dave Gorman in the corner after round 4. It was like what will I do with this eye. HBO was seeing this differently than what was happening in my mind. And Gorman says " relax baby and keep putting your speed together off those angles" What was that? Talk about a nothing comment. I like this fight but it always baffled me and I think it comes down to the eye swelling and Donald coming back too soon against a top fighter after Lloyd. And Mike was great at this weight and time and he took over here. After that right in round 2 what did Donald have to keep Mike off him?

 

I don't think they get caught either. After Honeyghan, Donald wasn't the same fighter.

 

I think the Honeyghan fight did permanent damage to Curry. To take a pasting like he did when you are dehydrated will harm you massively.
It was a technical error that got Curry knocked out here but he was never really at the races after Honeyghan.

 

I don't see Leonard ever making a mistake like that in a million years. Move back in a straight line with your hands down ? Never. If Ray did move back in a straight line it would have been quickly and decisively not almost casually as Curry did.
Similarly Hearns always moved in a circular motion. The only times he didn't was when he'd been seriously tagged when he could look dreadfully disorganised.
McCallum has a slim chance of landing that shot on Tommy and if he does it's curtains but he couldn't even send it to Leonard recorded delivery.

 

Curry pulled out of every exchange in that short clip with his right hand by his hip, McCallum saw it and threw his left. I haven't seen that fight in years but I would be curious to see if Curry just had a bad habit or if McCallum had been doing something earlier to encourage Curry to drop his right hand.
That shot would hurt anybody that caught it flush like that.

 

No doubt, but Curry wasn't the same fighter post Honeyghan.

 

Leonard maybe could take that shot but I think McCallum wins in a close fight. I think he stops Hearns probably faster than he stopped Curry. I think he beats Duran easily 50/50 if he actually gets the stoppage though