McCrory, Curry Fight to Unify Welterweight Title Before Moving On

Donald Curry and Milton McCrory, a pair of undefeated welterweight champions who have boxed in the shadow of Sugar Ray Leonard, fight Friday to unify a title neither expects to hold very long.

Both fighters, who have struggled for recognition since winning parts of the title Leonard vacated upon his retirement, each stand to earn as much as $1 million in what could be their last fight in the 147-pound division.

Promoter Bob Arum said the winner may get a title shot against World Boxing Assn. champion Mike McCallum in the 154-pound class, and Curry, whose last two fights have been at the higher weight, said his mind is already made up.

“My immediate plans are to move up right after this fight,” he said.

McCrory said he had also plans to step up after the fight, but is so pleased with the weight he has lost during training that he might take one more bout as a welterweight.

“I’m not sure yet, my weight’s been coming down good,” McCrory said. “I might stick around for another welterweight fight.”

McCrory, who holds the World Boxing Council version of the title, is a decided underdog among Las Vegas bookmakers, who favor Curry by as much as a 3-to-1 margin.

But the Detroit fighter complains he is only the underdog because he has gotten so little attention since winning the vacant title with a decision over Colin Jones in August of 1983.

“I always play second fiddle to everybody,” said McCrory, who fights out of the Kronk gym with Thomas Hearns. “This is the time for me to stand on top of the world.”

The 23-year-old McCrory enters the fight with a record of 27-0-1 with 22 knockouts. The only blemish on his record was a draw with Jones the first time the two fought for the crown that Leonard vacated.

Still, McCrory has been criticized for not fighting top-caliber boxers--a charge he heatedly denies.

“I fought all the fighters in the top 10 when I was coming up and I fought all of them in one year,” he said. “I took all the hard fights and I won them all.”

Curry, on the other hand, has built a reputation as a punishing puncher who has knocked out six of seven opponents since winning the vacant WBA welterweight title with a 15-round decision over Jun Sok Hwang in February 1983. He also holds the International Boxing Federation crown.

“I don’t think I have to prove myself to anybody,” said Curry. “I’ve fought the best welterweights out there. I’ve fought the number one, two and three contenders.”

Curry, of Fort Worth, Texas, owns a 23-0 record with 18 knockouts. He stopped Jones in the fourth round of his last title defense on Jan. 19 in Birmingham, England, and knocked out James Greene and Pablo Baez in 154-pound battles since then.

“I have no fear of any man, especially Milton,” said Curry, who predicts a fifth-round knockout. “I’ve always felt I was a better fighter than Milton.”

McCrory, though, feels Curry lacks the fortitude to fight a boxer of his caliber.

“Donald doesn’t have a lot of heart, going all the way back to his amateur days,” said McCrory. “He can come in with his peek-a-boo style, but I’ll eventually knock him out.”

McCrory’s manager, Emanuel Steward, said his fighter’s determination to make a name for himself might make more of a difference than the 2 1/2-inch inch height and 1 1/2-inch reach advantage McCrory holds over Curry.