Just when it looks like a Ray. Leonard fight is on the cards, Sugar has a moment of crisis and pulls out. Mike McCallum, the junior Middle weight champ is given the shot instead. So what we lookin at here? We know how good the Body snatcher is and how comfortable he was at Middle. And he isn't, I'm sure, going to put on a display like Ray did against Marvin. Is this MM s shining moment?
Hagler decision for me. McCallum wasn't quite there yet imo. Same month as Hagler - SRL he fought McCrory and the performance was good but certainly not great. He hadn't beaten Curry yet and was soon to lose to Kalambay. Different fighter to Ray and he wasn't going to outdo him with lateral movement and speed. He'd be awkward tho with all that old school skill but i think Hagler could probably force the issue with him when needed and get the decision.
Think akward s the right word John. I reckon he'd surprise people with how good he'd be against Hagler and we'd get people pointing out that Marvin s slipped and looking old! And that, if Ray had been in there then he'd have kod Hagler! You know how people are, lol. But personally for me? I see Hagler struggling at the start but clawing back the point s as the fight draws to a close. I'm going with Hagler but close enough to put McCallum in the talked about section.
McCallum wasnt an antagonist and was not a stand out in speed of foot or hand he was just a great all around solid fighter like Hagler but for those reasons Hagler puts in a workman performance and pulls the decision possible a split as McCallum was always in shape as well and I dont recall him fading
Oh, McCallum for sure. forget about all this "McCallum wasnt there yet" nonsense. He was as ready physically as he'd ever be The REAL factor here is Hagler was too faded McCallum close on points
As great as Marvelous Marvin Hagler was, he did show signs of wear and tear, especially after the war against John The Beast Mugabi in 1986. He won a great fight but the human body can only take so much, that goes for any fighter. Mike McCallum was an aggressive fighter who lived up to his nickname, The Body Snatcher. Marvelous had been in a few too many wars at that point in time, remember his 3 round war against Thomas The Hitman Hearns in April 1985. I see Mike going to the sculpted body of Hagler, this robs Marvelous of his mobility, and again, many wars have to take a toll at sometime. Hagler goes the distance, a close fight but this one appears to be controversial at the end, McCallum by razor thin disputed decision. If this fight happened around 1985, I go with Hagler to retain by unanimous decision.
In 87' McCallum had back to back wins over McCory and Curry and was in the prime of his career where Hagler was definitely starting to slip. I think prime for prime at 160 its tough to go against Hagler but at that point he was 32 and had back to back wars with Hearns and Mugabi. I would go with McCallum by decision in this one. I thought Hagler did beat Leonard when they fought but McCallum was another animal at that point.
I'll spell it out for you, then. What @JohnThomas1 is saying is Mike may not, yet, have hit his absolute middleweight peak and the McCallum of 87 - who struggled with Milton McCrory, was being beaten by a damaged Don Curry and who would soon lose to Sumbu Kalambay - wasn't at the level of the man who would avenge the loss to Kalambay and beat Herol Graham and Michael Watson a couple of years later. in 1987, he would be having his first fight at middleweight. I would suggest that would not be ideal for him being 'as ready physically as he'd ever be.' If my summary above accurately reflects what he was saying then imo it's a perfectly valid point, he makes. I'm surprised you were so utterly dismissive. Not saying he's right but I agree with him.
I can always rely on you to have the required level of intelligence to "get it" Eddie. It's redrooster btw.
He'd have beaten Hagler more convincingly .. by the time of that fight Hagler had lost a step physically and two emotionally .. no one stops Marvin but Mike would have outpointed him .. he was in his own prime ..
It's not beyond the realms of possibility that McCallum wins this but he'd be taking a huge step up in class and a step up in weight too. If Mugabi was a big underdog in 86, then McCallum absolutely would be in 87. McCallum would have to outbox Hagler but he would be doing that in front of Hagler, not the way Leonard did it or the way Kalambay would do it aganst McCallum a year later. I think this would be a cracking fight but I think Hagler would still have enough to edge a decision, maybe a majority or even a split. Then he'd either wait for Leonard to change his mind or see the writing on the wall and retire. Great matchup, though.
