McCallum would stop him late, though it's possible Norris's movement and speed could give him a few problems. Norris was no Kalambay defensively though, and not as good a pure boxer. He did have great power though, but also a not so dependable chin and temper. I think McCallum gets the better of inside exchanges down the stretch and his jab starts to catch him more often as Norris tires, and McCallum slows him to the body. I'll say McCallum gets him out of there by the 11th.
I believe Norris' hand speed may be too much for McCallum in the early going. McCallum will get beaten to the punch for much of the early rounds. I think McCallum would have to find a way to start getting things going from the outside, and find Norris' chin with a straight right hand around the 8th of 9th.
McCallum would stop him early and shockingly, seeing the glaring openings that Norris left, especially his lazy left hand. Mike knew the sport way better than his contemporaries and he would have made mincemeat of Norris.
McCallum wasn't a flashy fighter, but his effectiveness became apparent when his opponent started moving slower and slower. Mike's punches were like slow poison. Norris fancied himself a bit of a banger, but he'd make no dent on McCallum's chin at all. If he decided to brawl and go after Mike, it could spell disaster eventually. On the other hand, Norris has the skills to win, but he must keep his head and not get too trigger happy. If Norris stays off the ropes and sticks to boxing then I think he could win a close decision. Any kind of KO/TKO result would be McCallum's.
McCallum would win this imo, i understand styles make fights, but McCallum was just better for me, crafty master at times, both are in the top 3 or 5 ATG 154ers ever imo, but h2h Mike all-day.
I don't see Norris as standing much of a chance here. For all practical purposes, Mike McCallum was a natural middleweight in the purist sense of the term, and was arguably one of the most durable fighters to ever partake at that class. He was ferocious at working the body - something that few fighters ever become proficient at, and could wear down a slick boxer over time. This also doesn't even begin to touch upon his punching power, and Norris's ability to take it, failed him on more than a few occasions in his career. McCallum is a bad match for Norris.....
