McCallum Takes On Ex-Sparring Partner

At one time, David Braxton was a sparring partner for Mike McCallum, doing what he was told and trying to make McCallum a better fighter.

Braxton and McCallum will be in the ring together again today, but this time Braxton will be trying to take away McCallum’s World Boxing Assn. junior-middleweight crown in a scheduled 15-round bout.

McCallum, 23-0 with 21 knockouts, won the vacant WBA title in October and has successfully defended it once, defeating Luigi Minchillo in December. Braxton, 30-1, is ranked second by the WBA. His only loss came in February of 1981 to Duane Thomas in Braxton’s hometown of Detroit.

Both boxers say that their sparring will give neither an advantage in Sunday’s bout.

“A sparring session is in the gym,” said McCallum, 28, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, who now lives in Detroit. “I’m not a gym fighter. I wouldn’t judge a fighter just on sparring. Some guys spar good in the gym and can’t box in the ring.”

Braxton, 31, also says the sparring sessions give an advantage to no one.

“No, there is no advantage,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it’s been a while, so I don’t think it has anything to do with it.”

However, the time spent training together has allowed both men to develop a respect for each other. Both just believe they are the best fighter.

“I’m very confident about the fight,” Braxton said. “I’m not overconfident. I know Mike’s a good fighter. I’m not scared of the man or anything like that. I’m just going into the ring to take his title.

“I’m here to take his crown from him and put in on top of my head. I think he’s a good fighter, but I think I’m a great fighter.”

“David is a good fighter,” McCallum said. “But he’s not going to beat me. I don’t like to lose. I’ve never been beaten.”

McCallum, who likes to go to the body, said he has trained nine weeks for the fight, running five miles a day and doing the usual work on the bags and in the gym.

Braxton said he also has been running five miles a day and putting in 10 rounds per day in the ring.

“My training has been very stern,” Braxton said. “I’ve pushed my body to the limit. I can go 15 rounds. I’m ready for the fight, physically and mentally.”

“I’ve trained diligently for this fight,” McCallum said. “I’ve trained very hard for this fight. This is a serious fight, I take every fight seriously.”

Braxton, who gave up fighting for three years for personal reasons, also has suffered a variety of hand injuries and other setbacks since he began his pro career in 1977.