Jamaica’s first ever World Boxing Champion Mike McCallum, reportedly died from a cardiac arrest while he was driving to a gym in Las Vegas where he trained fighters last Saturday May 31 – He was was 68 years old.

McCallum, one of boxing most accomplished boxers of the 1980’S and 90’S won world titles in three weight classes and became a successful trainer once he retired.

McCallum was born in Kingston, on December. 7, 1956.

He represented Jamaica at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and remained an amateur for four more years before he made his pro debut in January 1981.

Former Jamaica Olympic Association President Mike Fennel describes McCallum as one of the all time greats.

A proficient technician with power, a high ring IQ and a granite chin, McCallum became known as “The Body Snatcher” because he often hurt and knocked out opponents with body punches.

His left hook to the body instilled fear in many of his opponents and he was never knocked out in 55 professional fights.

He was a champion in the junior middleweight, middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. McCallum competed professionally for 16 years, retired with a record of 49-5-1, including 36 knockouts, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Ring named him its eighth best middleweight champion in boxing history in 2011.

McCallum won his first world title in October 1984, when he defeated Sean Mannion by unanimous decision in a 15-round fight for the vacant WBA 154-pound crown at Madison Square Garden in New York.

McCallum made six successful defenses of that WBA belt and won all six of those bouts by knockout. Three of those stoppages were recorded against top 154-pound opponents — Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory and Donald Curry — from August 1986-July 1987.

Fourteen months after Sumbu Kalambay upset McCallum to retain his WBA middleweight title, he traveled to London and defeated England’s Herol Graham by split decision to win the WBA middleweight title in May 1989. McCallum defended that belt three times, including a split-decision victory over Kalambay in their rematch in April 1991.

At the advanced age of 37, McCallum became a three-division champion in March 1994. He stopped Randall Yonker in the fifth round of that bout to win the vacant WBC light heavyweight title.

McCallum retired after rival James Toney beat him by unanimous decision in their third fight, which took place in February 1997. Toney previously defeated McCallum by majority decision in August 1992 and fought him to a draw in December 1991.

Three of McCallum’s five losses came against Toney and Roy Jones Jr., two fellow Hall of Fame fighters.

In retirement, McCallum was praised for his work as a trainer in gyms throughout Las Vegas.