rest peacefully champion
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rest peacefully champion
Mike McCallum dead at 68: Jamaican boxing legend 'The Bodysnatcher' found dead after pulling his car off the road.
Jamaican boxing hero Mike McCallum has sadly passed away at the age of 68.
The Hall of Fame fighter, who held world titles in three different weight classes, died suddenly in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Reports claim McCallum was on his way to the gym when he fell ill and pulled his car off the road.
According to the Jamaica Observer, he was then found unresponsive and later pronounced dead.
McCallum was known 'The Bodysnatcher' due to his heavy hitting style and was the first Jamaican to become a world champion in boxing,
He did so in 1984 when he beat Ireland's Sean Mannion at Madison Square Garden in New York, claiming the WBA Junior Middleweight crown.
McCallum also claimed the WBA Middleweight and the WBC Light heavyweight titles during his career and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Ring Magazine posted on X: 'The Ring is saddened to learn of the passing of boxing legend Mike McCallum.
The 'Body Snatcher' was a three-weight world champion, having won titles at super-welterweight, middleweight, and light-heavyweight.
Our deepest sympathies are with his friends and family at this time.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/bo...ay-age-68.html
Just tremendous pure boxer-puncher talent thru and thru, one of the very best to ever take the ring. Calm cool and collected approach was the Body Snatcher. Rest easy now Champion.
I am going through some of the body snatchers fights and he was 35 when he faced James Toney. Most thought he was old and had too many hard fights but it was a classic contest from two supremely skilled boxers in their era.
Enjoy, even with bias commentary from Hagler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...zY4NDIsMjg2NjY
that's the fight to show to anyone wanting to learn to finer details of the sweet science
Mike McCallum trained at the Kronk gym so must have sparred with Hearns. He left them as he wanted to face Duran and Manny got the fight for Tommy instead. Hagler would not face him so after beating everyone at light middle he picked up the world title at middleweight.
McCallum beat Michael Watson and Herol Graham the best UK middleweights at the time.
Eubanks would not go near him because he would not have survived the body shots. Nigel Benn would have give it a go, but as the body snatcher destroyed Julian Jackson he would have taken out the dark destroyer.
The jab, ring IQ and body shots were weapons that made Mike McCallum one of the greats. He even won a world title at light heavyweight when he was very old.
I didn't follow Mike McCallum much. But his KO victories over both Julian Jackson and Donald Curry were quite impressive. R.I.P., champ.
Mike McCallum lost his wife just before an important fight when they had a daughter who was just a toddler. :eek:
At the Kronk gym he had plenty of sparring with Tommy Hitman Hearns but left after being sidelined and not getting the big fight against Duran. He subsequently beat a number of top Kronk fighters, Braxton and McCrory, defending his light middleweight title which I am sure he enjoyed. :)
Mike McCallum was a champion who went on the road to defend his titles. He was ripped off by Don King and most of his team left him after he lost for the first time against Sumbu Kalambay.
The really big purses eluded him. He was on the under-card Hagler event and the other fab 4 did not want to face him. :mad:
Mike McCallum beat Don Curry when he was expected to lose with that left hook one punch knock out. The cobra thought the body snatcher would go low with left hook when instead he went high to the chin of Curry who got flattened. ;D
Mike beat some good under rated fighters such as Ayub Kalule, Julian Jackson, Steve Collins, Herol Graham and Michael Watson. I thought he beat James Toney both times, but they were brilliant contests.
McCallum also beat tough durable Jeff Harding who had some memorable wars with our Dennis Andries. Mike McCallum oozed quality, patience and poise. Never looked unfazed and always seemed self-assured about what he was doing was right.
RIP great man and champ.
the fab four wanted no part of him
Agreed, at that time Duran took on Hitman Hearns and got destroyed. Mike was not that type of one punch hitter so he would have systematically beaten Duran over the distance.Quote:
Originally Posted by TIC
Hagler took on Mugabi instead of McCallum who may not have been a big enough name.
Leonard was doing his retirement and come back at the time.