A common theme throughout my Boxing section of our webpage is the fact that so many really outstanding boxers who fought during the golden age of boxing (1964 – 1995) are being forgotten as boxing history is reviewed by boxing fans all over the world in 2016…..now, I am talking about men who were masters of the ring over their entire and extensive careers……and this fight features two very special pugilists who each held multiple titles….while posting very significant careers….in a fight well worth watching between Mike McCallum vs Donald Curry.
Mike McCallum is a Jamaican former professional boxer….who held the WBA light middleweight and middleweight titles….along with the WBC light heavyweight title. McCallum was a hard hitting iron-chinned slick technician in the ring,…who is regarded by many fans and critics to be one of the most underrated fighters in history….and also one of the best of all time in some circles. He earned his nickname of “The Bodysnatcher” due to his ability to land vicious body punches in fights.
His final fight was against his old nemesis and three-weight world champion James Toney….in which he lost by unanimous decision after twelve rounds. McCallum retired in February 1997 after a professional career spanning sixteen years….three world titles and four weight divisions….who defeated world seven champions in his career….Ayub Kalule, Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory, Donald Curry, Steve Collins, Sumbu Kalambay and Jeff Harding….ending his career with 49 wins 5 losses and 1 draw with 36 KO’s….who deserves much more attention in the history books than he has been given.
Donald Curry is an American former professional boxer….who held the WBA, WBC and IBF welterweight title….and the WBC light middleweight title. He scored notable wins over world champions Marlon Starling and Milton McCrory…..who ended his career with a 34 wins and 6 losses with 25 KO’s.
Curry’s amateur record is usually listed as 400-4….but it is sometimes listed as 396-4 and 400-6….as Curry has said that he thinks he might have had more than 404 bouts, but he is sure he had only four losses…..in which he won the 1977 National Junior Olympics Champion (132 lbs)….the 1978 National AAU Champion (139 lbs)…the 1979 National AAU Champion (147 lbs)….1980 National Golden Gloves Champion (147 lbs)….the 1980 World Cup Champion (147 lbs)….the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team Member (147 lbs), but he didn’t get to compete at the Olympics in Moscow due to the U.S. President Jimmie Carter’s robbing the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team of their dreams by boycotting the Moscow Games.
Donald Curry was a great welterweight boxer…..it’s just that he followed welterweight super great welterweight boxers who became legends in Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns…..so, he is getting lost in the annals of boxing history….just like McCallum…..but this fight provides another opportunity to watch two great fighters at work….albeit is at the end of Curry’s career when he couldn’t make his natural welterweight weight any more.
