O'Neil Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids O'Neil Bell |
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|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) |
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| Rated at | Cruiserweight |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in |
| Reach | 75 in |
| Born | 29 December 1974 Jamaica |
| Died | 25 November 2015 (aged 40) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 32 |
| Wins | 27 |
| Wins by KO | 25 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
O'Neil Bell (born December 29, 1974 – died November 25, 2015) was a professional boxer from Jamaica. He competed in boxing matches from 1998 to 2011. He became a very important champion in the cruiserweight division. In 2006, he held the undisputed cruiserweight title. This meant he was recognized as the best boxer in his weight class by all major boxing organizations. He also held the lineal cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2007.
Contents
O'Neil Bell's Boxing Journey
O'Neil Bell started his professional boxing career in 1998. After losing his second fight, he went on a long winning streak. He quickly became a rising star in the boxing world.
Climbing the Ranks
Bell showed his strength by defeating Arthur Williams twice. Both times, he won by KO. These wins helped him move up in the boxing rankings.
Winning the IBF Title
On May 20, 2005, O'Neil Bell faced Canadian boxer Dale Brown. Bell won this fight by a unanimous decision. This victory earned him the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. This was a big step in his career.
Becoming Undisputed Champion
A major highlight of Bell's career happened on January 7, 2006. He fought against French boxer Jean-Marc Mormeck. Bell won this exciting match by KO. With this win, he added Mormeck's WBA and WBC belts to his own. This made O'Neil Bell the second boxer ever to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion. The first was Evander Holyfield.
Losing a Title
In April 2006, the IBF organization took away Bell's title. This happened because he had to pull out of a planned fight against Steve Cunningham. Bell had a tooth problem that prevented him from competing.
Rematch and Later Fights
O'Neil Bell had a rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck on March 17, 2007, in France. Bell lost his WBA, WBC, and lineal cruiserweight titles in this close fight. Mormeck won by a unanimous decision.
On April 19, 2008, Bell fought Tomasz Adamek in Poland. Bell was knocked down early in the fight. He stopped fighting after the seventh round, saying he felt dizzy and unwell.
After this fight, Bell decided to move to the heavyweight division. He felt that making the cruiserweight weight limit was making him weaker in his recent fights.
O'Neil Bell's Boxing Record Summary
| 32 fights | 27 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 25 | 3 |
| By decision | 2 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
A Scheduled Fight Missed
In August 2007, O'Neil Bell was scheduled to fight Louis Azille. However, he was unable to be reached and did not appear for the fight. His promoter had to remove him from the event a few weeks before it was supposed to happen.
O'Neil Bell's Passing
O'Neil Bell passed away on November 25, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia.
See also
- List of cruiserweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of The Ring world champions
- List of undisputed boxing champions
