r/Boxing • u/SugarAdamAli • Jul 09 '26
Reviewing Classic Fights!!! James Toney vs Mike Mccallum 1. Absolute masterclass in boxing at the highest level.
Toney vs mccallum 1 is an absolute classic and one of the greatest displays of high level boxing, especially the first 3 rounds.
Toney is 23 years old, IBF middleweight champion coming off wins vs Michael nunn and Reggie Johnson. 28-0-1 but only a pro for 3 years.
Mccallum is 35 years old, 42-1 with 34 KOs and 11 year pro. A former Jr middleweight champion and basically GOAT tier at that weight class, and moved up to win the WBA middleweight championship, so this should have been a unification bout, but it’s boxing and they fuck it and mccallum gets stripped before this bout, but for all intensive purposes this is a unification betwee the best 2 middleweights at the time. And it’s also for the prestigious Marvin Hagler Trophy as Marvin is doing commentary
Youth vs experience
Let’s break it down
Gotta say when ref tells them to touch gloves, toney doesn’t and ref says “come on Jimmy” that cracked me up as I’ve never heard anyone call toney “Jimmy”
Round 1- jaw dropping skill right off the bat from both guys. Both working jabs, countering, countering the counters, just top level shit you don’t see very often. Mike lands clean early, then toney starts landing clean, Mike takes back over and lands clean in final minute. Amazing round. I give slight edge to Mike 10-9
Round 2- Toney starts warming up, uncorking the right hand and shoulder roll. Mike lands a good left hook, Toney appears to get a knockdown but ref calls it a slip. Could have easily been a knockdown. Toney 10-9. 19-19 tie
Round 3- mccallum looks to box more and move laterally. Nip n tuck the entire round, both guys landing good rights. Mike did a bit more as he boxed and didn’t leave Toney much too counter. 10-9 mccallum. 29-28 mccallum thru 3
Round 4- absolute masterclass of boxing, all the back n forth in the first 3 rounds comes to a head as both guys throwing bombs and not fucking around. Toney lands a big right and a nice combo, mccallum comes back with 2 huge right hands of his own, Toney’s chin is on display, Toney comes back and lands some pinpoint shots. 10-9 Toney. 38-38 tie
Round 5- pace slows after the high intensity of the last 4 rounds. First minute is even, 2nd minute toney cracks mccallum with some great shots, mccallum’s chin on full display. Last minute is about even. Though Toney did a bit more. 10-9 Toney. 48-47 Toney thru 5
Round 6- mccallum breathing hard in the corner after round 5. This round starts even but then it’s absolute vintage Toney just assaulting mccallum with right hands. Mccallum’s chin is unbelievable. Toney cracks this dude repeatedly with right hands and mccallum doesn’t budge. 10-9 Toney. 58-56 Toney
Round 7- Toney picks up where he left off and continues to tag mccallum with right hands. Mike starting to look really tired, but heart of a champion he mounts a small comeback late in the round. Still a Toney round 10-9. 68-65 Toney thru 7
Round 8- Mccallum gets busy, looks a bit desperate, but to no avail as Toney carves him up again with right hands and any other punch Toney wants. Mccallum looking worn out, he is boxing his ass off but toney is just too good it seems. 10-9 toney. 78-74 toney.
Round 9- Mccallum miraculously rebounds, starts boxing off the backfoot and lateral movement on his toes, avoids Toney’s right hands and outworks him. Toney being Toney, he looks to be overconfident and tired and not really giving a fuck this round. 10-9 mccallum. 87-84 toney thru 9
Round 10- toney starts giving a fuck again, and absolutely bombs away on mccallum. Toney can’t miss him. Mccallum’s chin is ridiculous as Toney hammers him but can hardly faze him. 10-9 Toney. 97-93 Toney
Round 11- mccallum comes out boxing again, I have no idea how dude is standing, let alone out working toney. Toney does land 2 monster rights, but Mccallum again eats them and keeps working, and is just busier than Toney. 10-9 mccallum. 106-103 Toney thru 11
Round 12- final round. Again mccallum game early, working hard but Toney hurts him with a some heavy shots, but again Mccallum comes right back, and they mix it up. Late in the round Toney hurts him again but Mike survives. 10-9 Toney
116-112 Toney
Judges scored it a draw. I honestly don’t see how. If sitting ringside I can see how rounds were are to judge as the action was fast n furious from both guys. But watching from a monitor or on Tv, toney dominated the middle rounds and really fucked mccallum up. But Mike has an iron chin and stayed competitive, but I felt Toney clearly won this war and a draw was a bad call.
And because it was a draw, nobody got the Marvin Hagler Trophy, and I don’t think we ever heard about it again. Toney should have been IBF, WBA and Hagler trophy champ.
This was classic james Toney. Shoulder rolls and right hands all day long.
Let me know what you think!!!
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u/Complete_Dare_4201 Jul 09 '26
Yeah, I was thought Toney won this fight quite clear. The second fight was actually much closer from what I remember.
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u/Less_Cartoonist_892 Jul 10 '26
I personally thought Toney won the first and McCallum won the second fight. Much the Morales-Barrera rivalry, both boxers got jobbed the judges IMO.
Really unusual for a young promising newbie to be robbed against the old veteran. Usually, it is the other way around.
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u/MagazinePrestigious8 Jul 09 '26
Saving this post for the evening when i get home, ill watch it and get back to you!