MIGUEL “MIGUELITO” CALLIST

World Boxing Association FEDELATIN Super Lightweight Champion
Born on Jan. 30, 1975, in Colon, Panama
Record: 24-6-1 (17 KOs)

Like most young Panamanian kids, Miguel Callist grew up idolizing the legendary Roberto Duran

“He was everybody’s idol,” Callist said.  “We all knew who he was and we all wanted to achieve the kind of success he had.  Duran was one of the greatest fighters pound-for-pound ever.”

Callist is no Duran—but a victory against the young WBC Continental Americas light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (14-0, 8 KOs) on Saturday, March 27, 2008, will take Callist’s career in the right direction.

“This is tough fight for me because Alexander is a well regarded prospect,” Callist said.  “This will go a long way in proving that I am a world-class fighter who deserves a second world title shot.”

Callist, ranked No. 5 in the WBA junior welterweight standings, is in search of his third consecutive victory after dispatching Nestor del Cid last June with a second round TKO and out-boxing Charlie Jose Navarro in an eight round unanimous decision victory last August.

The Colon native showed promise early in his career by rattling off twelve straight victories between August 1997 and March 2003.

Callist’s 12-bout winning streak earned him his first world-title shot fighting for the vacant lightweight championship against former world champion Lakva Sim (21-4-1, 18 KOs)—who was participating in his fifth world-title match.  The fight was also under the big lights of the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on April 10, 2004.

Callist wouldn’t make it past the fifth round with the more experienced Sim, who scored a technical knockout.

After the Sim loss, Callist could have retreated and taken easier fights to work his way back into title contention, but he decided to take tough fights to better his reputation.

Callist has battled back to win six of his last eight fights.  Notable victories include a fifth round TKO over fellow Panamanian Wilmer Gomez (20-5, 16 KOs) in November 2005.

Callist would later win a tough, ten round split decision against Juan Mosquera (22-5-1, 14 KOs) in June 2006.

Callist has fought all of his fights in his native Panama, with the exception of two contests in the U.S. and one each in Argentina and Venezuela.