Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Mike McCallum

Personally, I miss Mendoza.

His rivalry with Achillesthegreat was the stuff of legends.

I cut my teeth in hypothetical debates with Stone hands before he went all famous boxing writer on us.

 

Stonehands was a good guy. Maybe too busy or sick of dealing with modernista’s saying Shakur Stevenson whips SRR (I can’t blame him there)

Mendoza and McVey was the rivalry I remember but I definitely recall Achillesthegreat as well. I started on here in about 2005 but still don’t feel like a veteran though.

 

Rooster played a great straight bat JT.

I still chuckle about a thread he started boasting about his commitment to excellence only he spelt “commitment”and “excellence” both incorrectly. Not sure if it was deliberate but I kind of hope so. Thats next level trolling of yourself.

 

Love Mike , but hard to overcome the speed deficit against such a great fighter. He has to win the battle of jabs here, but that's a tall order.

 

We started same time - trust me, we are veterans.

 

Leonard without hesitation in a good fight

 

This fight is a mirror of Jones Jr. vs J.Toney.
Where the great skilled plus athletically superior
fighter have the advantage over the fighter
that is just simply great skilled.
I see Leonard doing what Curry was able
to do to McCallum but without getting
knocked- out.
Leonard uses his speed and combination
punching, keep McCallum off balance,
cruising on to a hard fought, but unanimous
decision.

 

Against Duran at 154 he'd have too much reach, McCallum was far better than Moore or Barkley, he would have out-jabbed Duran with his 78 inch reach.

 

McCallum would have a 4 inch reach advantage, he would have out-jabbed Leonard.

 

Yeah, Duran had no idea how to deal with jabs from taller opponents with average speed.

 

Name me fighter with a 78 inch reach that Duran beat that was as skilled as McCallum. Duran wasn't quicker than McCallum at 154 and neither was Cuevas or Moore.

 

Same for me, he doesn’t get it all his own way, but shows McCallum why he’s rated in a higher elechon of greats. He still has the speed at 154 and that’s what does it for him

 

Come back into the thread when you find out what McCallum's true reach actually was.

Hint - Mike McCallum isn't spelt "Thomas Hearns".

 

You don't understand the art of the jab. Speed and timing is just as important as reach.
For example, almost everyone he fought had a reach advantage over Dwight Braxton/ Qawi.
Some had a very significant advantage.
However very few out jabbed him.
Mike Tyson in his prime out jabbed many much taller opponents.
In a duel of just using the jab, I'd pick Leonard to win even more convincingly because of his better speed and athleticism.