McCallum Still Has Legs, Punch and Crown

The cynics who said Mike McCallum’s legs would let him down were wrong.

The Jamaican-born New Yorker, who admits to being 33, bounced around the ring at the Royal Albert Hall for 10 rounds on Saturday, then demolished British challenger Michael Watson, eight years his junior, with a right hand that ended the fight late in the 11th round.

The knockout punctuated McCallum’s 11th world title bout and enabled him to retain his World Boxing Assn. middleweight title in a most convincing way.

“It was a great fight,” he said. “Michael Watson came to fight tonight and gave it everything, but I had too much for him.

“I knew exactly how to take him out. To his credit, he came out to show me that he wanted to fight and he showed great heart and determination. But I was not going to let him have any glory. It’s my title and I was determined to keep it.”

McCallum, well ahead on points, cornered the challenger in the final minute of the next-to-last round and sent him sprawling to the canvas with a right hand to earn his 38th victory against one loss. McCallum was on course to win his fifth consecutive decision before the knockout at 2:20.

McCallum kept Watson, 25, off balance throughout with a variety of punches. But Watson (22-2-1) kept coming forward despite swelling around his right eye.