Oliver McCall
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Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall, born 21 April 1965 is a professional Heavyweight boxer known for his outstanding ability to take a punch and winning the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship in 1994 as a result of knocking out Lennox Lewis in Lennox's home town of London, England.
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[edit] Amateur Career
McCall had a strong amateur career prior to turning pro, twice a winner of the Chicago Golden Gloves.
[edit] Professional Career
Known as "The Atomic Bull", McCall turned pro in 1985 and slowly worked his way up the heavyweight ranks before landing the shot against Lewis and winning the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1994. McCall's win over Lewis marked Don King's return to power in the heavyweight division, since none of his stable of fighters had been able to win the heavyweight title since Mike Tyson lost it in 1990. He successfully defended the title in a bout against 45 year old ex-champ Larry Holmes in Las Vegas, before returning to London and losing it to Frank Bruno on points in 1995.
[edit] Lewis vs. McCall II
Lewis and McCall squared off again on February 7, 1997 in Las Vegas. In one of the most bizarre fights ever seen, McCall refused to fight in the fourth and fifth rounds, beginning to cry and eventually forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Lewis the victory [1]. The referee for the fight, Mills Lane, stated in an interview after the match, "In the third round, he got in close, and then seemed frustrated, and then he just backed off and put his arms down. . . . I thought he was playing possum but then I saw his lips started to quiver and I thought, 'My God, is he crying?'" [2]. Lane stopped the fight when McCall had refused to defend himself for several rounds.
In 2001 at the age of 36 he shockingly resurrected his career with a tenth round knockout of Henry Akinwande, at the time one of the most avoided contenders in the world, on a high profile Lennox Lewis undercard in Las Vegas. McCall was ranked number 4 in the world off this performance however was arrested shortly afterwards and imprisoned for over a year, losing his ranking.
In December 2004 he lost a close points decision to fellow contender DaVarryl Williamson on a high profile Don King undercard from New York, and in 2005 he travelled to Germany for an eliminator to skillful and well regarded Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez, and was outpointed over ten rounds. However this loss was removed from McCall's record as Gomez later failed a drug test.
[edit] Legal Troubles
Although never knocked down as a professional boxer, McCall's career has been mottled by several stints in drug rehabilitation facilities [3] and arrests for disorderly behavior. He has attempted numerous comebacks, though the efforts have repeatedly been frustrated by run-ins with the law.
In January, 2006 he was arrested by police in Nashville, Tennessee, who say they had to use a Taser on McCall after he tried running away from officers trying to arrest him for trespassing in a public housing development [4].
Police told reporters that McCall had in his possession a glass pipe and a five-dollar bill containing a small amount of cocaine. They say the 40-year-old McCall later spat at an officer and threatened to kill him [5].
He was held on $299,000 bond and charged with criminal trespass, resisting arrest, assaulting police officers, threatening to kill an officer, and being a fugitive from justice on charges in his home state of Virginia, he was released on 8th May 2006.
[edit] Aiming for another Shot at the Title
Despite his legal troubles, Oliver's career has since continued. He possibly may have positioned himself for a shot at a title with a first round TKO of Kenny Craven in June of 2006.
Most recently, McCall defeated Darroll Wilson in a fourth-round TKO in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 9, 2006, for the WBC Fecarbox Championship.
[edit] Personal
McCall was raised on the south side of Chicago, and is married with four daughters and one son.
[edit] External links
| Previous champion Lennox Lewis |
WBC World Heavyweight 18th Champion September 24, 1994 - September 2, 1995 |
Next champion Frank Bruno |
