Oliver McCall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oliver McCall |
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McCall in 2013
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| Nickname(s) | The Atomic Bull |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in |
| Reach | 82 in |
| Born | April 21, 1965 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 76 |
| Wins | 60 |
| Wins by KO | 39 |
| Losses | 14 |
| No contests | 2 |
Oliver McCall (born April 21, 1965) is an American professional boxer. He started his professional boxing career in 1985 and has been a part of the sport for over 30 years. He is famous for winning the WBC heavyweight title in 1994. He won this title by a surprising knockout victory against Lennox Lewis.
The next year, he successfully defended his title against Larry Holmes. However, he later lost it to Frank Bruno. Oliver McCall is also known for a very unusual moment during his 1997 rematch with Lennox Lewis. A remarkable fact about McCall is that he was never knocked down in his 76 professional fights. This shows he had a very strong "chin," meaning he could take a lot of punches without falling. He was also a top sparring partner for the famous boxer Mike Tyson.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Boxing
Oliver McCall was born in Chicago. He later moved to Racine, Wisconsin, to live with his mother. He went to high school there and was a talented basketball player. In 1981, McCall moved back to Chicago. He then started focusing on boxing and won two Chicago Golden Gloves titles.
As an amateur boxer, McCall competed in the super heavyweight division. This means he weighed more than 201 pounds.
Amateur Highlights
- In March 1985, at the National Golden Gloves in Little Rock, Arkansas, he lost a fight by decision.
- In April 1985, at the Chicago Championships in Chicago, Illinois, he won a fight against Roderick Wilbur.
- In July 1985, he won the 5th Sarge Johnson Memorial Boxing Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana. He defeated Larry Thomas by a referee stopping the contest (RSC) in the first round.
Professional Boxing Career
Oliver McCall is known as "The Atomic Bull." He became a professional boxer in 1985. He slowly worked his way up in the heavyweight boxing world. His trainer at that time was the former champion Joe Frazier. Oliver had some tough fights early on. He lost his second fight and also lost to Mike Hunter and Buster Douglas in 1988 and 1989. However, he also beat strong opponents like Jesse Ferguson and future heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon. In 1992, he lost a very close fight to Tony Tucker. But this led to his big chance against Lennox Lewis in 1994.
Winning the WBC Title
McCall's biggest moment came when he fought Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title. After a close first round, McCall came out strong in the second round. He landed a powerful punch that knocked Lewis down. Lewis got up, but he was unsteady. The referee had to stop the fight, giving McCall a big win. Many people at the fight agreed that stopping the fight was the right decision.
This victory was very important for boxing promoter Don King. It was his first heavyweight title win since Mike Tyson lost his title in 1990. McCall then defended his title against 45-year-old former champion Larry Holmes. McCall won this fight by a close decision.
Losing the Title to Frank Bruno
After defending his title, McCall went to London to fight Frank Bruno in 1995. Before the fight, McCall made some strong statements. He said he wanted to get revenge for America after another boxer, Gerald McClellan, was seriously injured in a fight a few months earlier.
The fight took place at the famous Wembley Stadium. Bruno started the fight well, using his jab and landing strong punches. McCall seemed less interested in fighting in the early rounds. He was far behind on the scorecards as the fight went into the later rounds. By round 9, Bruno had a big lead. McCall finally started fighting harder in round 10. He landed several big punches in the last three rounds and hurt Bruno a few times. But Bruno managed to hold on and won the title by a unanimous decision.
This made Oliver McCall the first heavyweight champion in history to both win and lose his title to a British boxer. He was also the first American heavyweight champion to win and lose the title in Britain (and Europe).
Six months after losing his title, McCall returned to the ring. He quickly defeated Oleg Maskaev in less than three minutes. His trainers at this time were Greg Page and George Benton. A month later, McCall also beat James Stanton.
Rematch with Lennox Lewis
Oliver McCall and Lennox Lewis fought again on February 7, 1997. This fight was very unusual. In the fourth and fifth rounds, McCall stopped fighting. He seemed upset and eventually, the referee had to stop the fight. Lewis was given the victory. The referee, Mills Lane, later said that McCall seemed frustrated and then just stopped defending himself.
Working Towards Another Title Shot
In 2001, at 36 years old, McCall restarted his career. He knocked out Henry Akinwande in the tenth round. This was a big win because Akinwande was a highly respected boxer. This performance ranked McCall as number 4 in the world.
In December 2004, he lost a close fight to DaVarryl Williamson. In 2005, he fought Juan Carlos Gomez in Germany. McCall lost that fight, but the loss was later removed from his record because Gomez failed a drug test.
McCall continued his boxing career. He began a new push for a title in June 2006, winning by TKO in the first round against Kenny Craven.
On September 9, 2006, McCall defeated Darroll Wilson by TKO in the fourth round. This win earned him the WBC Fecarbox Championship. On December 9, 2006, he knocked out Yanqui Diaz in the seventh round.
On June 16, 2007, McCall won the WBC International Heavyweight Championship. He defeated Sinan Samil Sam by a unanimous decision in Ankara, Turkey.
After a period of not fighting, McCall returned on May 22, 2009. He defeated Australian John Hopoate by TKO in the second round. This won him the IBA intercontinental heavyweight belt. McCall controlled the fight and knocked Hopoate down twice.
He defended his IBA continental belt twice more in 2009. He won against Franklin Lawrence and then against Lance Whitaker, both by unanimous decisions.
McCall's next opponent was Timur Ibragimov. McCall lost this fight by unanimous decision. This was his first loss since his comeback in 2009.
Oliver McCall's Boxing Record
| 76 fights | 60 wins | 14 losses |
| By knockout | 39 | 1 |
| By decision | 20 | 13 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| No contests | 2 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | Win | 60–14 (2) | Stacy Frazier | TKO | 2 (4), 2:45 | Nov 19, 2024 | Texas Troubadour Theatre, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 75 | Win | 59–14 (2) | Hugo Lomeli | RTD | 2 (8), 3:00 | May 31, 2019 | Centro de Convenciones Mundo Nuevo, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico | |
| 74 | Win | 58–14 (2) | Larry Knight | UD | 6 | Nov 30, 2018 | HEB Tennis Centre, Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | |
| 73 | Loss | 57–14 (2) | Marcin Rekowski | UD | 10 | Apr 26, 2014 | Arena Legionowo, Legionowo, Poland | |
| 72 | Win | 57–13 (2) | Marcin Rekowski | SD | 8 | Feb 1, 2014 | Hala Okrąglak, Opole, Poland | |
| 71 | Loss | 56–13 (2) | Krzysztof Zimnoch | UD | 8 | May 18, 2013 | Arena Legionowo, Legionowo, Poland | |
| 70 | Loss | 56–12 (2) | Francesco Pianeta | UD | 10 | May 16, 2012 | Brandenburg-Halle, Frankfurt, Germany | |
| 69 | Win | 56–11 (2) | Damian Wills | UD | 10 | Aug 20, 2011 | Athletic Fencing Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. | Won vacant WBF (Foundation) Intercontinental heavyweight title |
| 68 | Loss | 55–11 (2) | Cedric Boswell | UD | 10 | Mar 18, 2011 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | For vacant WBA–NABA and WBC Latino heavyweight titles |
| 67 | Win | 55–10 (2) | Fres Oquendo | SD | 12 | Dec 7, 2010 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | Won vacant IBF Inter-Continental heavyweight title |
| 66 | Loss | 54–10 (2) | Timur Ibragimov | UD | 12 | Jun 15, 2010 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | For vacant WBA–NABA heavyweight title |
| 65 | Win | 54–9 (2) | Lance Whitaker | UD | 10 | Oct 23, 2009 | The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 64 | Win | 53–9 (2) | Franklin Lawrence | UD | 10 | Aug 21, 2009 | The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 63 | Win | 52–9 (2) | John Hopoate | TKO | 2 (10), 1:26 | May 22, 2009 | The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 51–9 (2) | Juan Carlos Gómez | UD | 12 | Oct 19, 2007 | Estrel Hotel, Berlin, Germany | Lost WBC International heavyweight title |
| 61 | Win | 51–8 (2) | Sinan Şamil Sam | UD | 12 | Jun 16, 2007 | Atatürk Sport Hall, Ankara, Turkey | Won WBC International heavyweight title |
| 60 | Win | 50–8 (2) | Marion Wilson | UD | 8 | Feb 24, 2007 | ABC Sports Complex, Springfield, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 49–8 (2) | Yanqui Díaz | KO | 7 (10), 2:28 | Dec 9, 2006 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | |
| 58 | Win | 48–8 (2) | Darroll Wilson | TKO | 4 (12), 0:40 | Sep 3, 2006 | Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | Won vacant WBC FECARBOX heavyweight title |
| 57 | Win | 47–8 (2) | Kenny Craven | TKO | 1 (10), 1:09 | Jun 30, 2006 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 46–8 (2) | Wallace McDaniel | TKO | 3 (8), 1:37 | May 27, 2006 | The Plex, North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| 55 | NC | 45–8 (2) | Juan Carlos Gómez | UD | 10 | Oct 15, 2005 | Burg-Wächter Castello, Düsseldorf, Germany | Originally a UD win for Gómez, later ruled an NC after he failed a drug test |
| 54 | Win | 45–8 (1) | Przemysław Saleta | TKO | 4 (10), 2:40 | Aug 13, 2005 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 53 | Win | 44–8 (1) | Kelvin Hale | UD | 8 | May 10, 2005 | Kennel Club, Sarasota, Florida, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 43–8 (1) | Cornelius Ellis | UD | 8 | Apr 16, 2005 | M.C. Benton Jr. Convention Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 42–8 (1) | Marion Wilson | DQ | 6 (8) | Feb 5, 2005 | Convention Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. | Wilson disqualified for repeated holding |
| 50 | Loss | 41–8 (1) | DaVarryl Williamson | UD | 10 | Nov 13, 2004 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 41–7 (1) | Vernon Woodward | TKO | 3 (8), 1:26 | Sep 25, 2004 | Firelake Casino, Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 40–7 (1) | Dennis McKinney | TKO | 3 (10) | Apr 24, 2003 | The Plex, North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 39–7 (1) | Henry Akinwande | KO | 10 (10), 2:13 | Nov 17, 2001 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 38–7 (1) | Matt Green | TKO | 1 (10), 1:38 | Sep 29, 2001 | Martinsville, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 37–7 (1) | Sedreck Fields | SD | 10 | Aug 11, 2000 | Paris Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 36–7 (1) | Marcus McIntyre | KO | 3 (10), 0:57 | May 25, 2001 | Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 43 | Win | 35–7 (1) | Ric Lainhart | TKO | 1 (10), 2:25 | Feb 12, 2001 | Jim Davidson Theatre, Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S. | |
| 42 | Win | 34–7 (1) | Will Hinton | TKO | 1 (10), 1:17 | Dec 18, 1999 | Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 41 | NC | 33–7 (1) | Samson Cohen | NC | 2 (10) | Sep 25, 1999 | High School, Bassett, Virginia, U.S. | Cohen unable to continue after falling out of the ring |
| 40 | Win | 33–7 | Samson Cohen | KO | 1 (10) | Feb 24, 1998 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 39 | Win | 32–7 | Abdul Muhaymin | UD | 10 | Feb 3, 1998 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 31–7 | Mike Acklie | KO | 1 (10) | Jan 6, 1998 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 30–7 | Mike DeVito | TKO | 2 (8) | Dec 16, 1997 | Music City Mix Factory, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 29–7 | Brian Yates | TKO | 8 (10) | Nov 4, 1997 | Music City Mix Factory, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 35 | Loss | 28–7 | Lennox Lewis | TKO | 5 (12), 0:55 | Feb 7, 1997 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | For vacant WBC heavyweight title |
| 34 | Win | 28–6 | James Stanton | RTD | 6 (10), 0:01 | Mar 23, 1996 | Miami Arena, Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 27–6 | Oleg Maskaev | TKO | 1 (10), 1:38 | Feb 24, 1996 | Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 32 | Loss | 26–6 | Frank Bruno | UD | 12 | Sep 2, 1995 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | Lost WBC heavyweight title |
| 31 | Win | 26–5 | Larry Holmes | UD | 12 | Apr 8, 1995 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBC heavyweight title |
| 30 | Win | 25–5 | Lennox Lewis | TKO | 2 (12), 0:31 | Sep 24, 1994 | Wembley Arena, London, England | Won WBC heavyweight title |
| 29 | Win | 24–5 | Dan Murphy | TKO | 1 (10) | Feb 26, 1994 | Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England | |
| 28 | Win | 23–5 | Art Card | KO | 1 (10) | Dec 18, 1993 | Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla City, Mexico | |
| 27 | Win | 22–5 | Francesco Damiani | TKO | 8 (10), 1:09 | Apr 23, 1993 | The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 21–5 | Mike Dixon | TKO | 2 (10), 2:48 | Jan 30, 1993 | The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 20–5 | Lawrence Carter | KO | 3 (10) | Jan 30, 1993 | The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 24 | Loss | 19–5 | Tony Tucker | SD | 12 | Jun 26, 1992 | CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | For NABF heavyweight title |
| 23 | Win | 19–4 | Mike Rouse | TKO | 4 (10), 2:54 | Feb 15, 1992 | The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 18–4 | Jesse Ferguson | UD | 10 | Aug 8, 1991 | Trump's Castle, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 17–4 | Danny Wofford | TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 8, 1991 | Civic Center, Salem, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 16–4 | Bruce Seldon | TKO | 9 (10), 2:37 | Apr 18, 1991 | Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 19 | Loss | 15–4 | Orlin Norris | SD | 10 | Nov 17, 1990 | Lee County Civic Center, Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 15–3 | Lionel Butler | SD | 10 | Jul 16, 1990 | Central Plaza Hotel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 17 | Loss | 14–3 | Buster Douglas | UD | 10 | Jul 21, 1989 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 14–2 | Bruce Johnson | KO | 1 (10), 2:05 | Oct 1, 1988 | International Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 13–2 | Wesley Smith | TKO | 2 (8) | Sep 16, 1988 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 12–2 | David Jaco | UD | 10 | Jun 30, 1988 | Pavilion Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 13 | Loss | 11–2 | Mike Hunter | UD | 6 | Jan 22, 1988 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Kim Adams | TKO | 2 (8), 0:51 | Aug 30, 1987 | Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Richard Scott | KO | 2 (8), 2:50 | Aug 11, 1987 | UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Tim Morrison | KO | 1 (6), 1:01 | May 30, 1987 | DiVinci Manor, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Fred Whitaker | UD | 6 | Mar 21, 1987 | DiVinci Manor, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Al Evans | UD | 6 | Dec 16, 1986 | Condesa Del Mar, Alsip, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | Bashir Wadud | UD | 6 | Oct 25, 1986 | DiVinci Manor, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Larry Roberson | TKO | 1 (4), 2:31 | Sep 13, 1986 | DiVinci Manor, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–1 | James Churn | KO | 1 (4), 1:19 | Aug 14, 1986 | Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 3–1 | Kimmuel Odum | MD | 4 | Aug 14, 1986 | DiVinci Manor, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–1 | Felix Shorter | TKO | 2 (4) | Jan 18, 1986 | DiVinci Manor, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 2 | Loss | 1–1 | Joey Christjohn | UD | 4 | Dec 6, 1985 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Lou Bailey | TKO | 1 (4), 2:35 | Nov 2, 1985 | Odeum Expo Center, Villa Park, Illinois, U.S. |
See also
In Spanish: Oliver McCall para niños
