Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum was so feared for his impeccable technique that the “four kings” of the 1980s declined to fight him. Nevertheless, McCallum won world titles at super welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
McCallum, the first Jamaican-born champion, died Saturday in Las Vegas at 68. The Jamaica Observer reported that McCallum fell ill while driving to a gym and pulled off the road. He was found to be unresponsive, and was later pronounced dead.
In the ring, his attention to detail and faultless technique enabled him to post a 49-5-1 record. McCallum earned his nickname by repeatedly punching the body and head. More often than not, bouts ended in knockouts — he recorded 36 KOs and was never knocked out.
The Ring magazine ranked him in 2011 as eighth on its list of the “10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years.”
Not that his inability to secure a bout with the “kings,” Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard or Marvin Hagler, spoiled his mood. It was particularly telling that Hearns wouldn’t fight McCallum, because they were longtime sparring partners before becoming champions.
McCallum was disappointed but remained all smiles outside the ring, consistently carrying himself with a pleasant, if serious, disposition.
“None of ‘The Four Kings,’ wanted anything to do with that guy and I know that for a fact because I tried to make some of those fights,” Hall of Fame boxer Lou DiBella told longtime boxing writer Kevin Iole. “He was the most perfect technical fighter I’ve ever seen, and he wasn’t a pitty-pat guy.”
McCallum became the first Jamaican boxer to win a world title when he defeated Irishman Sean Mannion by unanimous decision in 1984 at Madison Square Garden for the WBA Junior Middleweight crown.
Jamaican Sport Minister Olivia Grange issued a statement upon learning of McCallum’s passing, saying, “It is with utter and complete sadness that I learned of the death of Jamaica’s three-time World Boxing Champion Michael McKenzie McCallum.
“I express my personal condolences to his mother, siblings and his children. On behalf of the Ministry of Sports I take this opportunity to extend our sympathies to the family and friends of this legendary Jamaican.”
Michael McKenzie McCallum was born Dec. 7, 1956, in Kingston, Jamaica, and began boxing as a teenager, racking up as many as 250 amateur bouts before turning pro in 1981. He represented Jamaica at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals.
He boxed professionally until 1997, successfully defending the WBA junior middleweight crown six times, including wins over Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory and Donald Curry before moving up a weight class to middleweight.
McCallum defeated Herol Graham in 1989 to become WBA middleweight champion and defended the belt with wins over Steve Collins, Michael Watson and Sumbu Kalambay. He won his third division title in 1994 by again stepping up in weight class and defeating Jeff Harding for the WBC light heavyweight crown.
He met his match against James Toney, fighting to a draw Dec. 13, 1991, before losing to Toney twice. McCallum also dropped a 12-round decision to Roy Jones in a 1997 light heavyweight title fight.
He retired shortly thereafter and became a successful trainer, taking great pride in teaching his body-punching technique to young boxers.
Jones expressed sadness to Kevin Iole, saying, “Man, we lost another beautiful boxing soul. May he rest in peace.”
Jones also lamented that McCallum was unable to book fights against the four kings.
“In the junior middleweight division, everyone always went around Mike McCallum, and that says a lot about him,” Jones said. “Not even Marvin [Hagler] ever talked much about fighting Mike McCallum. You don’t have to listen to what they say [about him]. You watch what they do and everyone wanted to go around him for a reason.”
In a post on X, the WBC said: “Rest in Peace to the legendary Mike ‘The Body Snatcher’ McCallum. Former WBA world champion and one of the most technically gifted fighters of his era. Thank you for the fights, the lessons, and the greatness.”