The 15-round championship fight was televised on HBO from the Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion in Paradise, Nevada. Richard Steele served as referee, while Guy Jutras, Jerry Roth and Ove Ovesen handled the goals. The official attendance numbers have never been widely reported, but the event attracted a lot of attention as one of the biggest championship fights of 1987.
McCallum was defending the sixth WBA junior middleweight title he won in 1984. Nicknamed “The Body Snatcher,” the Jamaican-born tactician had taken out all his opponents during his title reign. Even with those accomplishments, sportsbooks have him listed as a 2-1 underdog.
Curry entered as the WBA's top contender after holding the WBA, WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine welterweight titles. Moving up to 154 pounds gave him a new opportunity to reestablish himself among boxing's elite and put himself in even bigger fights.
This war also reaped huge financial rewards. McCallum earned a reported $475,000, while Curry earned $425,000, the best purses for a championship contender at the time.
With four rounds, the betting odds seem reasonable. Curry's jab repeatedly beat McCallum's target. His hand speed, combinations and movement made the champion unable to settle into his rhythm, and a sharp right hand in the second round buckled McCallum's knees. By the end of the fourth, Curry had held his own on all three cards. McCallum was always a threat, but he looked back as Curry controlled the action.
At 1:14 of Round 5, Curry stepped inside and drove a right hand to McCallum's body. McCallum anticipated this attack, gave a subtle body shot of his own, then unleashed a crushing left hook that landed on Curry's jaw. The battle ended instantly.
Curry crashed onto his back, staring at the lights as Steele began to count. He regained consciousness at about seven o'clock but did not gather himself in time to continue. The referee ended the count, and McCallum retained his championship with one memorable punch.
The show won the KO Magazine Knockout of the Year award and remains one of the best knockouts ever to air on HBO. Ironically, Sugar Ray Leonard worked the radio that night after Curry objected to his presence on the radio, bringing more drama to an already memorable night.
McCallum later vacated the WBA title to pursue the middleweight and light heavyweight championships, eventually becoming a three-division world champion and earning induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Although he never fought personally against Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns or Roberto Durán, his career cemented his reputation as one of boxing's most successful champions.
Curry's defeat proved more devastating than anyone expected. He won a few fights after that but never got back to the level that made him one of the pound-for-pound stars, losing to Michael Nunn and Terry Norris before retiring.
More than three decades later, McCallum's left hook remains one of the greatest knockouts in championship boxing history and the defining moment of an unforgettable title fight.
