Mike McCallum "The Body Snatcher"

In my opinion one of the most underrated fighters in the last 25 years.

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• McCallum
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[c22dividedby7]

More of the youtube community should do more of these vids. Do you have a library of fights on vhs converted to dvds or something.

[jhabeeb1]

@c22dividedby7 I got some of these fights on vhs but I get the material from right here on You Tube.

[15230]

Wow thanks Beeb U Da Man! Body Snatcher My top Jr Mid of all time. What a Technician he was. Thanks alot. Manny Stewart screwed him but if he would of fought Hagler that would of been awesome. a 50's fighter in the 80's 4 sure he forgot more about boxing than most Champs will ever know.

[jhabeeb1]

@15230 Yeah the body snatcher was a bad dude man.

[28rampage]

awesome tribute bro, man i'd love for fighters like mccallum,jackson,norris etc to be around today boxing does not have the same wars these days as it did in the past bcos too much guys like floyd & pac are ducking real competition in favour of money

[jhabeeb1]

@28rampage thanks man

[sinusbradycardia]

@ben10wynton Probably the truth. Commentators say "Hearns dubbed him as the Body Snatcher". All I know is he didn't want any from McCullum. It is possible Hearns could win a wide decision, but he was hittable. His is one of those flawed fighters, which causes him to never beat most ATGs. He did smash Duran and easily box Benitez. You know the saying, such and such fighter has trouble with boxers, Hearns never had trouble against boxers. Sorry this is McCallum's tribute.

[ben10wynton]

@sinusbradycardia McCallum told me he got it from an old jamaican fighter that would eat him to his body so bad that he was afraid to throw punches and he said when he learnt how to body punch he started doing it sooooooooo much that his sparring partners called him the body snatcher

[RihannasBikeSeat]

@sinusbradycardia, I agree, as many of McCallum's Light-Middleweight fights followed a similar pattern; slow-burning to begin with, with McCallum needing a bit of time to find his rhythm, but then grinding his opponent down late on - the Jackson fight was the only real exception. I feel he'd have done the same to Duran, whereas Hearns' style was always going to make for a short night. 

[sinusbradycardia]

@RihannasBikeSeat You notice I didn't include SRL, because from 82 on he was relatively inactive and all his returns were super fights and the closet McCallum got to super fights was with Toney and Jones. I'm sure the Duran camp wasn't to anxious to get into the ring with him. However, I don't think he would have been as humiliated fighting McCallum as fighting Hearns - just want to clarify that. But nonetheless have beat Duran.

[RihannasBikeSeat]

@sinusbradycardia, all very good points. As much as I love Duran, I honestly think that McCallum would have absolutely stood him on his head in a Light-Middleweight contest back then. I'd fancy him to stop Hearns late, as you also allude to. A fight against Hagler at 160 lb may have been a bridge too far - I see McCallum losing a decision there - but let's consider that Leonard was a lesser force at that weight; wouldn't have been surprised if McCallum had outscored him at 160lb in the late 80s.

[sinusbradycardia]

@RihannasBikeSeat IMO it wasn't just Manny, Hearns gave McCallum his nickname. The strategy to beat Hearns, was to get to his body. That's what gave a Hearns McCallum fight a lot appeal. Hearns skill and power against, but could be wore down, against a tough fighter with good skills and great body attack. It is a shame that he never faced the fab. four - Duran, Hagler, Hearns or Leonard. The most logic opponents of the 4 would have been Duran or Hearns.

[RMO6701]

wow one of the greats

[RihannasBikeSeat]

The best Light-Middleweight of all-time, simple as that. No wonder Steward wanted to keep Hearns away from this man at 154 lb - he had Tommy's number, and Steward knew it. At 154 lb, McCallum was as close to perfection as anyone has come. A damn good Middleweight too, and even after all that, a decent Light-Heavyweight. Certainly underrated for a long time, but as the years go on people are beginning to realise more and more what a superb fighter this man was.

[Raiton45]

@Mowglieboy69 no hes not he was a middleeight with heavyweiht punchin power

[Mowglieboy69]

@Raiton45 Of course, but the dude called Jackson a third rate bum by comparison.