Roberto Duran V Mike McCallum - Lightmiddle?

Yes

 

Hearns was always going to be a horrible match up for Duran regardless of when it took place.
And it showed as he got massacred.
Duran at this point was a mid to high six figure payday fighter at this point.
I think Mike handles him pretty well as Mike could fight on the inside as well and at that point in his career he moved around alot as well.
These people are thinking of a Moore type fighter with a limited defense going head to head with Duran.
And Mike is way more rounded then Moore ever was.

 

Mike is better than Moore but remember Duran butchered Davey. Was McCallum at that stage of his career experienced enough?
Mike didn't have blazing speed and elusiveness that troubled Duran at the higher weights. I think McCallum gets sucked into the idea that he is bigger and stronger than Duran and he could stand and fight with him. That's fool's gold.
Duran's too smart inside but once that happens it's not gonna be easy for Mike to change his fight plan. It's a tough fight, high contact. I got Duran close.

 

It's still hindsight and that is reflected in the odds. Hagler was considered a worse match up.

Duran grabbed around $2mil against both Hagler and Hearn's so he was most certainly earning over 6 figures.

I'd say at the point they were meant to fight an on song Duran could take a competitive decision. McCallum got better and he was far off a a stint with Eddie Futch which certainly did him no harm. McCallum's footwork was hardly slick speed wise and he was more of a stationary type counter puncher than a boxer that moved about. This would be a fight won on skill and i think at this early point in McCallum's career Duran can get home.

Even at his 154 best Curry outboxed him for 4 rounds and actually hurt him twice. McCrory also gave him a surprising amount of resistance. I wouldn't count out the hyped up version that fought Moore at any point actually. It's a good match. Duran at this time acquitted himself well against prime Hagler in quite a technical battle.

 

You actually bring up rather vaild points - I had forgotten how much success Mccroy had against Mike and Curry did seem to be easily handling Mike and this was not a prime Curry.

 

Always a pleasure mate even when we have slightly opposing views. We can be confident that between us we have it pretty much covered i reckon.

I do see we are actually aligned on Starling being a formidable Welterweight. We are in the minority liking his chances against Tito.

 

McCallum UD.

 

I don't think Curry outboxed McCallum. His success had mainly come with a few big rights. McCallum did the more consistent work imo. It can be noted that one judge had it even and another close by the time of the stoppage. Only one had it more one-sided score wise. Clancy actually had McCallum ahead.

 

All three judges had Curry ahead. I'd have to re-watch but my memory is Curry getting the better of it prior to the stoppage.

Guy Jutras 39-38 | Ove Ovesen 39-37 | Jerry Roth 40-36

 

Ah, always dangerous to go from memory on scores.

No problem with having Curry ahead, but it was mainly to some good lead rights that buckled McCallum's legs while McCallum consistently landed with less visible but still effective shots to the body. Those ultimately set up the finish.

 

John's been on it like a car bonnet in this thread.

 

No Curry and Mike was a close contest, McCallum was landing well, the commentators spotted the KO punch before it landed.

 

Those scores are bull, it was an entertaining, close fight till the KO.

 

Curry didn`t out-box him at all, McCallum was landing alot of counters.

 

The first round of Curry v McCallum was even, McCallum won the second round despite being wobbled.