Prime Mike McCallum beats Canelo or GGG like a drum

All of those would have been very intriguing fights. All of them. But many people on this forum dismiss Kalambay, by saying that Nunn beat him in a round. Although that’s obviously true, there’s an awful lot more to take into account.

I’d love to ask you the same questions that I’ve asked BCS8.

Just out of interest, I’d also like to put the same questions to everyone else reading this thread too.

1. Could GG have made 20 successful title defences, had he have fought all of Mike’s opponents instead of his own?

2. Could Mike have made 20 successful title defences, had he have fought all of GG’s opponents instead of his own?

 

Not to sound like I'm rewriting history or anything, but I think the loss to Nunn in one is the epitome of a fluke result. I'd have picked Nunn to win no matter what, but I doubt he'd have got a one punch KO in the first round if they fought another 100 times.

Nah, someone gets him. Unless your Monzon, Hagler, Robinson, Jones or Greb, you'll take a loss fighting the schedule that McCallum did. Guys like Graham, Watson, Collins, Jackson, Kalambay, Toney ect. aren't a cake walk for anyone. GGG vs them is gonna mean he has to fight a myriad of different styles and I think Toney is a combination of much better and an awful style for him. He loses at some point. I think he also loses to Watson (but Watson was very weight drained by that point, so maybe not) and Kalambay.

IIRC, McCallum drained down from SMW, as that's where he took his stay-busy fights. If the version that fought at 154 doesn't cut the extra 6lbs, I can't see anyone who GGG fought who'd beat him.

And GGG doesn't have 20 title defences, he doesn't even half that. The snide WBA title he won in 2011 doesn't count IMO.

 

Regarding Nunn, I think it was a fluke also. And I’ve not labelled many things as being a fluke.

I think Kalambay was very gifted and he would have troubled a lot of fighters both past and present. He sure troubled most of the guys he fought in his own era.

I have trouble seeing GG going undefeated against Mike’s opponents. You could say he was faded against Jacobs, but I think any version of GG would have had a tough fight against Jacobs.

I’d have loved to have seen GG fight Watson and Collins.

I really can’t see which of GG’s opponents would have beaten Mike. And certainly not Martin Murray.

 

I think Canelo would stop Pirog because when Pirog comes into defend and throw a counter he'd often pause and admire his work too much. Although, I'm only going on what i believe was a ''work in progress'' Pirog. Pirog's main positive attribute was his movement (he didn't move in straight lines) which helped him a lot to throw off his opponents.

I think a revitalized Jacobs would beat the Pirog he lost to also.

 

Yeah, I'd pick McCallum over everyone, he really was a beast.

I agree that fluke things aren't often in boxing. Rahman's punch with his eyes closed, or Walcott's miracle shot vs Charles. These are things they'd never replicate, and Nunn's KO of Kalambay is the same.

If James Toney was an 'in'-fighter, Kalamazoo was the 'out'-fighter version of him. I'd wager that Kalambay is right up there with the Giardello-type out-boxers at MW. He really was brilliant.

I think GGG's prime was a while back, but I can't be sure due to the level of comp he was fighting. He sure looks better in the ams than he does vs Jacobs, Canelo ect.

I think GGG would've beaten Collins. Awesome little fight, though.

GGG vs Jacobs was the fight that got me into the sport, I loved that fight. I do think that GGG beats him at any point, and stops him around the time that Jacobs lost to Pirog, but it's always gonna be a pretty hard fight.

I go back and forth on who I'd pick between GGG and Pirog, coz I'd pick Pirog if his chin can hold up, but it's a pretty big gamble.

 

Can't see this, that fight was a clinic. Jacobs won one round and it was coz Pirog was overly defensive.

 

I think Jacobs's health issues played a major factor mentally plus he took the Pirog fight on short notice (he was supposed to fight a weaker, more conventional opponent). He was ill prepared to fight Pirog.

It's hard to say really anyway because we'd never get to see that Pirog vs healthy Jacobs because Pirog was plagued with back injuries and i don't think moved the same as he did at the start of his professional career.

 

Great post.

And a great point regarding Joey Giardello.

 

I'd say the difference between Joey and Kalambay is mainly chin, and that Joey achieved a lot more in a stronger era (and it took a really ****ing strong era to be better than the post-Hagler era!).

Thoughts on GGG-Pirog, had it happened when it was scheduled?

 

Joey’s era was insane.

Honestly, I’m not sure.

Gun to my head, probably GG.

It’s real shame we missed it.

 

Golovkin would stop Pirog because he cuts off the ring better and had cleaner work. Golovkin moved faster in his 20s and Pirog (on paper isn't a big puncher) would not be able to hold off Golovkin long enough for it to go the 12 rounds.

This older version of Golovkin vs the Pirog version who fought Jacobs (a perhaps over flattering version of his abilities in hindsight) i think could beat Golovkin by a close decision. And that's being very, very generous to Pirog.

 

Could McCallum have defended the title vs GGG'S challengers with the same devastating results that GGG produced? 20 defenses (18) by KO ? All highlight reel KO`S? Maybe, probably not though.

 

No, I don’t think so.

They would have been different fights.

I honestly couldn’t have favoured any of his opponents over Mike though.

 

I agree with that, and looking at McCallums apponents, I can see Golovkin getting thru them like McCallum did up until he runs into Toney, Golovkin having a slightly higher KO percentage than McCallum vs these apponents. This is just my estimation though. I think Golovkin stops Kalule, Mannion, Minchillo, Braxton, Jackson, but what fight that would be while it lasted, I think GGG has the chin and skills to take him out in a war. I also think GGG stops McCrory, Curry, but Kalambay would be a Jacobs kind of bout at the elite level. My guess, he would stop Graham, but it would be a real test. I also assume he would stop Collins partly because Collins was green at the time and would stay in the pocket, but doesn't have the kind of fire power needed to keep GGG honest.As for Watson, he was a hell of a fighter, but I think GGG would have gotten to him at some point. At some point a think a wobble would have happened after a GGG exchange and that would have been the beginning of the end For Watson. I know some of these guys were jr middleweights but I'm just trying to compare apponents.
The buck might stop at Toney though. Those other guys like Yonker and Harding, I think GGG easily stops Yonker, and is capable of out pointing Harding as well, although that's at light heavyweight though. To sum this up, I think GGG and McCallum are both Legendary and elite fighters. If Golovkin had to fight these guys it would be a tougher and more exciting and rewarding task, that I think he could have handled. I think both these guys are great and special in there own way, with McCallum being more proven and slightly under appreciated. Hopefully GGG can decorate his resume a little more before he retires though against guys like Charlo and Andrade, as well as another Canelo fight.