One of the underappreciated greats, Mike McCallum, has passed away at the age of 68.
Jamaican legend McCallum was a first-ballot inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003, and had been a top amateur, winning gold at welterweight at the Commonwealth Games in 1978, fighting at the 1976 Olympics, and in 1977 also winning the Golden Gloves.
He turned over in 1981, winning his first title – at 154lbs – from the gritty Sean Mannion three years later.
His former trainer Eddie Futch once said of McCallum: “Mike has the ability to slip, and slide, and roll with punches.”
But “The Bodysnatcher” was more than that, as shown by his wondrous flashbulb left hand finish of Donald Curry, his brutal assault to stop Julian Jackson, and his ability to out-tough fighters who traded on being tough, like Steve Collins. Collins – who said afterwards, “I knew he was a better fighter than me, but I was determined” – represented McCallum’s 10th world title fight and he was just getting started.
McCallum made just $500,000 for fighting Curry – ludicrous when you consider big fight purses in 2025, and a paltry $1.4m, with inflation, for a fight between two hall of famers.
Still, McCallum was ecstatic.
“This is the day when Mike McCallum get his recognition,” he said. “It is a day I’ll never forget.”
In his own words, of the magnificent finish that will live forever in highlights, McCallum said: “He [Curry] backed up and didn’t know what I was going to do. I started the hook to the body and shifted it on top and it was all over.”
He was that good and thought that quickly.
McCallum wanted to get into the mix to fight the likes of Roberto Duran, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, and Tommy Hearns, but the Jamaican was the prototype of high-risk and low-reward. By the time he became the second man to defeat Curry, he had already beaten Milton McCrory, although he was defeated for the first time when he moved up to 160lbs and travelled to Italy where Sumbu Kalambay, another underrated fighter, outscored him.
But McCallum, who beat Kalambay in a rematch three years later, was unafraid of travel. He defeated Herol Graham, arguably Britain’s finest fighter never to win a world title, for the vacant WBA middleweight belt when Sheffield’s Graham was 41-1 and at his dazzling best. He beat Irishman Collins in Boston, then went back to London where he defeated the excellent Michael Watson, who had stopped Nigel Benn in his previous fight.
By the time he fought Watson, Boxing News’ Tim Mo believed McCallum was “in the sunset of his career”. But he had much left to offer.
He drew the first of three fights with the incredible James Toney, and lost a rematch via majority decision eight months later.
He wanted big fights. He chased the smoke.
Years later, he said he beat Hearns up in the gym, which is why they never fought.
McCallum wanted Leonard because: “He was the best one. I’d like to put my skill with his…
“I’m sad I didn’t get the fights, because I showcased my skills and I didn’t get the fights.”
But in 1994, he moved up to light heavyweight where he beat Australian Jeff Harding to become a three-weight world champion. It was a close fight; one writer said of McCallum’s plight by that point: “McCallum isn’t a spectacular, charismatic performer, but when Thomas Hearns, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran won’t fight you, that means something.”
Those in the trade, regardless, knew exactly how good he was. Former Boxing News editor Claude Abrams covered him from ringside several times.
“If I had to pick one man whose style epitomised making something difficult look easy, it would be McCallum,” Abrams said. “Technically brilliant. Perfect punch-picker. Incredible chin. Superb tactician. Great boxing brain. You couldn’t read what he was going to do. He fought everyone who was willing to box him and chased after those who weren’t.”
Some felt Roy Jones Jnr was so enamoured and respectful of McCallum that he coasted to victory over the veteran in 1996 (Jones would later say he both carried McCallum and boxed him to help him out financially), but in McCallum’s next and final fight – in 1997 – he lost a close decision to Toney for a lesser-known version of the cruiserweight title.
Years on, he became a trainer, and was a regular in Las Vegas gyms, including when working alongside former light-heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.
He died on Saturday in Vegas. Reports indicate he fell ill on his way to the gym, pulled over, and then passed away.
Induction week at the International Boxing Hall of Fame is imminent. The hallowed walls of Canastota were built to immortalise fighters of McCallum’s ilk.
The flags will fly at half-staff on the grassy lawns in upstate New York; 10 bells will signal McCallum’s passing and fight fans will talk about his incredible contests.
His record was 49-5-1 (36 KOs), and no one stopped him.
For a fighter who thought he was going to get the recognition he was due after beating Curry, recognition seemed to continuously evade him from all but boxing’s hardcore, but they truly appreciated him, and knew that he was one of the very best fighters of all time.
