Oliver McCall
| Oliver McCall | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | The Atomic Bull |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Reach | 82 in (208 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
April 21, 1965 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 73 |
| Wins | 57 |
| Wins by KO | 37 |
| Losses | 14 |
| No contests | 2 |
Oliver McCall (born April 21, 1965) is an American professional boxer. He is best known for winning the WBC heavyweight title in 1994, after scoring an upset knockout victory over Lennox Lewis. The next year, he defended the title against Larry Holmes before losing it to Frank Bruno. McCall would also become known for an in-ring meltdown during his 1997 rematch with Lewis.
Known as "The Atomic Bull", McCall turned pro in 1985 and slowly worked his way up the heavyweight ranks. He beat Jesse Ferguson and future heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon and lost a very close decision to Tony Tucker before landing the shot against Lewis in 1994. After a close first round McCall came out aggressively in the second and landed his signature counter right hand as Lewis moved forward. Lewis dropped to the canvas and got up before the count of ten, but he was unsteady on his feet, forcing the referee to wave a stop to the fight. In spite of the Lewis camp protests, Boxing Monthly editor Glynn Leach pointed out that Lewis "only seemed to recover his senses once the fight was waved off," and that "in the opinions of everyone I spoke to at ringside, the decision was correct."
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 winning 115-112 115-114 and 114-113 on the score cards, before returning to London to face Frank Bruno in 1995.
During a press conference before the fight McCall claimed he was going to get revenge for America after Gerald McClellan had been rendered brain damaged after a fight with Nigel Benn a few months earlier. He had claimed that he was going to hurt Bruno and that the only thing Bruno would be able to do was throw illegal rabbit punches.
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