The fact that Mike McCallum fought prime Roy Jones and prime James Toney in the twilight of his career and gave them both competitive fights without getting knocked out is absolutely incredible.
It kind of defies the laws of boxing 40 years old and gave two all time greats a run is absolutely insane and you are right I don’t think this gets enough “shine”
Stupid comment from the commentator"This is a Derby winner against a "Cart horse".Sometimes they really should just STFU,if they can't think of anything sensible to say!
Mike McCallum is one of the smoothest operators in the ring. His brilliance is so unfairly overlooked. Truly on the same level as any of the greats. Legend.
Is interesting, I remember watching this fight right when it came out. I didn't really know who McCallum was as I knew more of the guys in the mid 90's and then the few big names everyone knew. I saw him fight here and thought he wasn't much. The last couple of months I saw some of his fights from the 80's and the guy was a lot better than I'd realized. Other than James Toney he didn't fight many big names. Maybe Julien Jackson who was a heavy hitter. Would be nice to have a time machine to put guys in the ring together from different eras just to see who would win.
@@Redhotlugnut He didn't fight many big names apart from Toney?? He beat Donald Curry, Milton McCrory, Julian Jackson, Herol Graham, Steve Collins, Sumbu Kalambay, Michael Watson, Ayub Kalule, Jeff Harding, David Braxton,... Btw he beat Toney in both fights, specially in the 2nd one, and got blatantly robbed. That's a pretty stacked resume
@@daeroncolder8142 Jackson sure, but those other guys are not what you would call household names. Jeff Harding: 23-1 when he fought Mike then retired after? Cmon. But a few others had pretty decent records. So I guess I was loose with my wording about 'big names' I think I shoulda used a different way to describe his opponents.
@@Redhotlugnut Just the fact that any human being at all both beat jackson and gave toney one of the hardest fights of his career 2 times (think McCallum was downhill by the 3rd fight) is fucking incredible. You can count with less then 10 fingers the amount of great fighters in history from 154 to 160 that would be able to accomplish that, hell we could even include the greats at 147, very few would be able to do so well against those 2 monsters. McCallum hands down is the greatest 154 pounder of all time, only canelo can compare but winky Wright would get beat the hell up and fernando vargas would get toyed with and terry norris would get taught about respect and self control.
The more l watch these old fights of McCallum the more l admire him .His defence was underrated. Definitely this underrated champion was the most avoided boxer since l fell in love with boxing fifty years ago. An all timegreat no doubt.
@@DopeBoysofAtlanta A 27 year old Jones v Mc Callum 27, is a totally different fight, especially at MW, to say Jones beats him the same way is way off the mark.
For many years Mike "The body snatcher" McCallum fought out of the Kronk gym and was one of the best fighters in that gym. Sparred many rounds with Thomas Hearns. Very crafty, smart & effective fighter. Truly underrated. Roy may have stepped off the gas a bit because I noticed he had a ton of respect for McCallum as he should - McCallum was an excellent fighter in his prime. Roy Was always in excellent shape
When Mc Callum was WBA MW Champion 89-91, he was imo, the best MW on the Planet who was avoided like the Plaque, and therefore, denied the chance to Unify the Division and be Undisputed. Leonard, Hearns, Benn and Eubank are just a few, in a long line of Guys, who avoided him with good reason. I reckon if he was British or American and had a more exciting style and had more Charisma, would have been much more highly regarded. As for RJJ, at MW, he only held 1 of 4 Belts available while in his mid 20s for 18 months and had ample opportunities to Unify the Division, which he never did, imo, he can't and never should be compared to Monzon and Hagler, who were both Undisputed MW Champions for 7 years each.
@@cheetoyeeto1232 Ah Sumbu Kalambay , great points mate , excellent fighter , another non American who is criminally underated but not by the people who matter most , the real fans , take care , all the best 🥊🥊
I think Leonard would have won on points, Hearns would either have won on points or lost by knockout. Hagler and Duran don't know, but most likely Duran would have lost, he's too small
Roy was a great boxer but his time at middleweight was too short to compare him with Monzon Hagler GGG and Bhop.When you specify a division you can only judge a boxer on his performance in that division plain and simple.
7:09 McCallum`s right glove is positioned nearer his chin than Roy`s gloves protecting him from Roy`s brilliant hooks, his left glove is further from his chin maybe this is how Jones landed so many lead rights.
@@gatormark Absolute bullshit. Anyone who really understands what they're looking at can see that Jones was being pushed all the way by McCallum in this fight. He was not taking it easy, he was being made to work. McCallum was nearly 40 too. McCallum was the more complete fighter. Jones relied on his lightening speed.
Unfortunately, in this fight, Mike McCallum wasn’t only fighting Roy Jones; he was also fighting Father Time. (Who’s undefeated.) I hate to see great fighters’ skills diminish, but it happens to all the greats. He was still respectable in this one though. Respect due.
Roy was just to fast for Mike at this point. I think the score was not an accurate. Was closer then that, but it was Roy’s night. Roy one of the few guys to put Mike on the canvas. No small feat, even though Mike was 40 at the time.
I agree mike had an amazing chin and even at 40 for Roy to knock him down.. I mean look at Mikes fight with James Toney at 160 he took ridiculous clean shots and brushed them off
Michael was an older fighter way past his prime and fighting above his weight class. Some say Roy fought him to help Michael put some food on Mike's table, and there is a possibility of truthfulness to this rumor. Having said that, it would have been interesting to see McCallum in his prime fight Roy. Both were superbly talented boxers, but in my opinion, McCallum was more technically sound and cerebral than Jones, but by a very small margin. They both have hearts full of bravery. It would have been a super fight; Jones's blinding speed, talent, and creativity vs McCallum and his impeccable boxing technique, chess player mentality, and plain old doggedness.
Very good points , Mike in his prime when MW WBA Champ ,actively pursued other Strap holders like Hearns , Leonard , De Witt , Barkley , Benn and Eubank, and others , who didnt want to know and was robbed of the chance to Unify the MW Diavision.
That creativity part is very true for boxing, many people dont realize how creative certain fighters' offense is. Its usually the guys that rely a lot on natural reflex and an always lucky hunch for when to swing certain shots and even in combinations sometimes.
I agree with everything but the cerebral part Jones had a very high ring IQ the way he would set traps baiting his opponent the way he would set up his left hook with the jab mike was a good fighter but Roy Jones was different
I take nothing away from Mike, he is a champion and an elite fighter. Many of the comments talk about his age but watching the fight he didn’t look like he had lost much if anything. He has a granite chin. He took a lot of punches that would have put others down for the count. His problem this fight was Roy. His defense had to be frustrating because most of Mike’s punches were blocked, even with Roy on the ropes, and Roy slipped Mike’s counters in the middle of the ring. Mike got countered off the ropes too. Roy hand speed was blistering. At this point in his career I’m not sure who could have beaten Roy Jones. Much respect to McCallum.
You put McCallum in his prime and he is one of the best ever at his weight. But this was not his prime and was not his weight class. Let the JAMACIAN BLACK MAN GET A PAY DAY........
One of the most strategycal and carefull figths of Jones. Definitelly a proof for himself. Against an old Mccallum should be said, but experience, maybe in his prime Mccallum really could win
Roy was a great technical fighter and quick as hell but it helped that he was the media darling. Just remember this was after the judging in pro boxing went amateur type and a touch was scored as a punch landed. Holding was no longer penalized as before and dirty boxing against the ropes was quickly broken up by the ref. The age of the pretty boy boxers is in full bloom. Flashy quick love taps while backing up, holding every chance they get, all the while praised by the commentators.
My favorite Roy Jones Jr Outfit. Hopefully if Roy Jones Jr has his own (Boxing Game) If theirs more than 1 version of him hopefully this Jones, is 1 of them
7:04 McCallum`s right protecting from Roy`s famous hook. 7:08 McCallum throws a second jab to Jones body, Calzaghe used this punch against Roy only faster.
Roy was also 39 when he fought Joe & was losing his skills. Was KO’ed twice before fighting Joe. His legs that he depended on to get away from punches & set up his own punches were gone. Roy became very much a flat footed fighter that was easier to hit. RJJ in his prime beats JC in his prime anytime. I’m not a RJJ fan, btw
Mike mc Callum was good fighters in his prime..but he is in his 40" now & we can see clearly he already washed out he has no more of that speed and power ..but he was a good fighters in those old days..
I always wanted to see Jones fight Nigel Benn, who was a competitive beast, when he was in his division, rather than many of the unknown fighters he faced later. Check it Out! Ciao!!!
40 year old McCallum going up in weight class....tbh he was better than Jones Jr and arguably won this...McCallium unfortunately isn't as well.remembered
Listen man, I read a lot of comments and all I have to say is BE FOR REAL! This was an easy fight for Roy. Was Mike McCallum a great fighter is his prime HELL YEAH!!! Would Mike McCallum in his prime be a good fight for Roy Jones his prime HELL YEAH! But any body that has watched Roy Jones knows he could have knocked Mike McCallum out!!! Its just like when Sugar Ray fought Hector Camacho, When Sugar Ray was in his prime he probably he would have a good chance at beating Camacho but when they fought Leanord was old. What's fucked up is that Mike McCallum didn't fight Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard or Marvin Hagler. Mike McCallun should have gotten an opportunity to show case his skills with one of those guys. Both of these men were great fighters in their day but in this fight Roy was still in his day but McCallum's day was gone.
What make your think Roy Jones too it easy on Mike(Body Snatcher)? I heard an excuse when he couldn't stop Bernard(Excutioner) Hopkins in their first fight
The commentator was giving Roy back handed complements. Roy doesn't plant his feet. Then Roy sends Mike to the canvas. Good fight considering Mike is 40. A shell of his body snatcher days .
Yeah lets pretend Roy was moving as quick as he could and missing on purpose. Both Roy and Toney in "The Best I Faced" said Mike was the most skilled fighter they ever fought. Lets pretend they were all in cahoots to make Mike seem better than he was.
Many people don't remember that Roy didn't want to fight his all time favorite fighter Mike "the body snatcher" McCallum in the first place and did just enough to win and not blow him out. Mike needed the fight for money and Roy gave Mike money as well. That's why Roy has my respect despite his over the top braggadocio third person bragging. Mike was way past his prime and in truth had nothing left.
I mean did anyone peep when Roy stated he didn't mean to drop McCallum. That's true respect for your idol versus how Larry Holmes disgraced Muhammad Ali who clearly didn't have anything left but Larry was a bitch about it. That's why I am glad Mike Tyson kept his promise to Muhammad that he would crush Larry when they fought.
Im only at round 3 and the bias by the commentator is really pissing me off. The ref keps puling apart any clinches. Also Jones was rocked in the 1st,and no mention of it.
Never seen a prime Roy Jones take a fight so seriously. This was a very close even fight. Jones was a bit faster but he was much younger and that was expected. McCallum knew how and when to attack Jones without leaving himself open. Only taking what was given.
@@tgh223 he didn't do anything special. Mike was old but Roy respected his skill and body work. The crazy thing is I asked Roy about that fight and he said Mike was still dangerous and he didn't want tongey caught with any body shots.
Roy had a lot of respect for McCallum but McCallum was to old and slow to be in the ring with Roy. Roy has a heart and even with the crowd booing looking for blood he did not really set down on his punches looking to hurt McCallum. He did take the steam out of McCallum's punches early with hard body shots and it simply turned into a boxing exhibition. Roy was pound for pound one of the best and his hometown loved him. If you met him on the streets of Pensacola you would never know he was rich and famous. He ate at a Waffle House occasionally and everyone loved him.
@@williamdrayton7352 Roy almost put him away but never kept the pressure on him and let the fight go for 12 rounds. If McCallum had challenged him more Roy may have knocked him out. He did hurt him a few times. I like Roy as a middle weight better then Light heavy. That is his natural class and he certainly put away a lot of good middle weights with many not making it past the early rounds.
2 legends , great fight ! But all of Jones's punches have a Rocky sounding woosh compared to Mikes . Has tv enhanced the sound ,or was he just so fast ?
33.30 in . Listen to the sound of Mikes thudding body shot compared to all of Jones's punches . Don't get me wrong, Jones's is fighting beautifully , im just very curious ! please help
As much as i love roy jones i genuinely dont think he'd have coped with the Mccallum of old as he did here, mike 10 or more years before this was truly frightening to face, not only did he have a strong jaw he had a beautiful array of devastating punches, i think it would have been a tremendous fight at mikes peak...i think he probably would have beaten roy as he did with so many of the greats..but its a tough call because roy is just another one of the REAL greats
Would love to have seen Roy and Mike fight, around the time that Mike fought James Toney the first couple of times. Not sure who I would pick in that fight.
McCallum felt that my favorite fighter, Marvelous Marvin Hacker avoided him in his prime. Not sure that was the case, but an interesting statement. Hagler was looking for the respect, and recognition from the big money fights he deserved, while pursuing his boxing legacy. Check it Out! Ciao!!!
Roy jones 💯 for how he recognized the legend glory by let him G out in honor and not doing him bad like a lot other cats would’ve. But then again if he would’ve that’s what got Larry Holmes knocked out by Tyson. Respect your elders when they gained it
I feel Roy was quicker the Floyd Paterson but if they met at a mythical cruiser weight during both primes Roy would be sluggish enough for Floyd`s lead hand to score often and his counter jab would work well if Roy jabbed at him like he did here at times, I don`t think Roy used a counter jab as often.
Me parece que un empate era lo justo ambos se dieron los golpes bueno así fue la cosa y no hay más que decir felicitaciones a los dos . Es lo justo más no las decisiones .
Perhaps the only prime RJJ fight where I watched it and thought if his opponent was younger he’d have won. McCallum was that special; Father Time was beating him by this point, but he still did very well to keep up, and was still only a whisker away from clipping Jones.
115-112 Roy Jones Jr. I thought that McCallum was winning the first four rounds tbh. He was the aggressor while Jones basically sat there on the ropes. As a 40 year old, it’s no surprise that he gassed after 4. Not Roy’s best performance but a win nonetheless. No idea why everyone seemed to score it as such a blowout when the guy spends half the fight with his back on the ropes. Jones Mccallum 1 9 10 2 9 10 3 9 10 4 9 10 5 10 9 6 10 9 7 10 9 8 9 10 9 10 9 10 10 8 11 10 9 12 10 9
Naaaa I disagree rounds 1-2 go to Roy Jones, while he was being backed up McCallum wasn’t able to land clean 3 I agree Mike outworked him, now round 4 I m fine with it going to either Roy or Mike
Macallan is the best middle and light heavy weight boxer ever, yet still the most under rated, Mike in his prime could have easily beaten Roy Jones Jr.
A 30 year old Mc Callum v RJJ at 30 years, at MW, would have been a totally different fight, completely different , considering that Jones is 27 here and Mc Callum, almost 40, makes me think, how come he couldn't KO the guy?
i diagree McCallum who is truly a legend clearly lost a Unanimous decision to Sumbu Kalambay at 160 and barely won the rematch via split decision 3 years later and Kalambay was nothing like RJJ
@@omegasquad868 Boxing is all about styles thankfully , otherwise , we'd all be rich predicting results . Just because Mc Callum struggled with Kalambay , proves nothing , he wasn't the only one to struggle with him , he too is a Great of the sport and probably the Goat of Italian boxers . In RJJ's early days at LHW , he ducked M Nunn by ditching the only Title in his possession , the WBC strap , Nunn , who was No 1 Contender , lost out to the WBCs No 2 Contender , the late Graciano Rochigianni , RIP , for that Title in a Vacation bout but once again , Jones would unashamedly , duck Rocky too after he stole the Title back with the help of the cheats at the WBC . Jones was allowed to duck these 2 without questioning but he had his reasons , because stylistically , both were dangerous and posed a far greater threat than the vast number of his fans could ever admit to . 🥊🥊
