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08/11/2005 Archived Entry: "Bio: Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall"
Bio: Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall
Former World Boxing Council Heavyweight Champion
Born on April 21, 1965, Chicago, Illinois
Height: 6' 2 1/2” Weight: Heavyweight (238)
Record: 44-8, 31 KOs
[Editor's note: McCall will be fighting Przemyslaw “Chemek” Saleta at the United Center in Chicago this Saturday]
Few thought Oliver McCall would become world heavyweight champion in 1994, but he did it. Recently, few thought he would return to world title contention, but it’s 2005 and he’s close to earning another world title shot.
McCall knows that he can thank the world's greatest promoter, Don King, for giving him his shot and for remaining loyal to him during the down times.
“I knew the only way for me to get a title shot was to be promoted by Don King. I put my trust in him, and he has always delivered more than what he promised,” said McCall.
As the first man to defeat then-world champion Lennox Lewis in a crushing second-round knockout, McCall proved to the world that he was not just a sparring partner, as some had labeled him. According to McCall, he was the one doing the damage in the workouts.
“I got the best of everyone I sparred with, including [former heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike] Tyson. I picked up knowledge sparring with those guys.”
Those guys included Tyson, former champions “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, Michael Spinks and Pinklon Thomas; Frank Bruno; and Carl “The Truth” Williams. While he waited patiently to climb in the rankings, he maximized his time keeping in shape by working with the best in the business.
It all paid off for McCall on Sept. 24, 1994, in London, England. Knowing it might be the only world title shot he would ever get, McCall trained harder for the fight with the World Boxing Council champion Lewis than he had for any previous bout. It was this seriousness and dedication that McCall showed that led to his knockout of Lewis.
Though Lewis was a five-to-one favorite, McCall wasted no time in exposing his weakness. McCall caught Lewis with a sharp right hand that connected perfectly to the face of the charging Lewis. After crumbling to the canvas, Lewis did rise but couldn't maintain his balance, and the fight was stopped.
In the first defense of his WBC crown, McCall faced the legendary Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes on April 8, 1995, in the headliner of a five-fight world championship card, Don King billed as “Burden of Proof” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. McCall vowed to show everyone his victory over Lewis was no fluke. Holmes gave McCall trouble in the early rounds, but he started to wear down the ring veteran as the fight wore on, winning a unanimous decision. Despite not looking his best, McCall showed he could go 12 rounds and do what it takes to defeat a ring legend.
For his second defense, McCall again traveled across the Atlantic to face one of Britain's boxing heroes, Frank Bruno, on Sept. 2, 1995. Having sparred hundreds of rounds with Bruno, McCall believed he knew everything that the challenger could deliver.
With all the pomp and circumstance that England could muster, Wembley Stadium was packed with 70,000 fight fans to witness what they hoped would end with a British heavyweight champion being crowned. Bruno started strong, dominating the first half of the fight. McCall repeatedly was backed up by Bruno's big right hands, but the big Brit began to tire as the rounds moved on, and McCall was on the comeback trail. By round 12, the final round of the fight, McCall was dominating, but in the judges’ eyes, he had not come back enough to take the decision.
Following his loss to Bruno, he rebounded with two consecutive wins in 1996, knocking out Oleg Maskaev in one round and James Stanton in six. Ranked as the No. 1 contender by the World Boxing Association, and No. 2 in the WBC and the International Boxing Federation, McCall got his shot at the title again as he attempted to prove his knockout of Lewis was not a fluke in a rematch for the vacant WBC crown on Feb. 7, 1997.
Unfortunately, what began as a heavyweight title fight at the Las Vegas Hilton turned into one of the most bizarre events in boxing history. The fight was relatively even going into the third round when McCall, for unexplained reasons, stopped fighting. For two more rounds McCall circled the ring not throwing any punches. In between rounds, tears streamed down the Chicago-native’s face. Finally, midway through the fifth round, referee Mills Lane stopped the fight, awarding the title to Lewis. McCall was promptly suspended and fined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Following another stint in rehab for substance abuse, McCall resumed his career after eight months, on Nov. 4, 1997, in Nashville by recording an eighth-round knockout of Brian Yates. He won four straight after that, including three by knockout, but on Oct. 14, 1998, he was convicted on battery and assault charges during a run-in with a police officer and was sentenced to a year in jail.
McCall’s on-again, off-again pro career re-started on Sept. 25, 1999, against the same guy it left off against, Samson Cohen. Back on Feb. 24, 1998, McCall blistered him in a smashing first-round kayo. Six months after being released from a Virginia prison after the battery and assault charge, McCall traveled the short distance to Bassett, Va., and clubbed Cohen with a punch that sent him reeling through the ropes in the second round. Cohen injured his shoulder in the fall and could not continue. The bout was ruled a no contest.
All totaled, McCall went undefeated in 13 fights since he lost to Lennox Lewis in 1997 including a stunning, final-round knockout of former world champion Henry Akinwande at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Nov. 17. McCall was behind on all three judges’ scorecards going into the 10th and final round—knowing he needed a knockout to win. That’s exactly what he did with a devastating right hand with less than a minute to go in the fight.
On the cusp of a world title challenge, McCall’s personal demons surfaced and he spent nearly two years out of boxing.
McCall’s latest comeback began in April 2003 where he won six of seven, losing only a close decision at the Garden on Nov. 13, 2004, to DaVarryl Williamson, the IBF’s current top-rated heavyweight.
“I can’t hide from the past, I have to accept what I have been through and learn from my mistakes to move forward with my life,” said McCall. “I am resolved to the fact that I have a great deal of work ahead of me to earn back the respect and trust of promoters, fighters, the athletic commissions and boxing fans. With God’s help and the support of good people like Don King, I know I can make it.”
Don King continues to stand by his man. “Oliver could be a shining example to those on their knees suffering from the same debilitating affliction he’s gone through,” King said. “What he’s going through in his life is a day-to-day process. He says he’s okay today, then I’ll believe him today.”
McCall was born April 21, 1965, in Chicago. He moved to Racine, Wis., while in elementary school, but moved back to Chicago during high school. He began boxing as an amateur in 1982, and he racked up an impressive record of 31-1 with 28 KOs. He won the Wisconsin and Illinois Golden Gloves titles in 1984 and 1985, and then decided it was time to turn professional.
The nickname “The Atomic Bull” was given to McCall by his father. At a young age, he had a hard time avoiding objects. “I was always knocking things over,” said McCall. This, along with the fact that McCall's zodiac sign is a Taurus, led his father to start calling him “the Bull.” Then, as McCall got older, he decided he was more than just a bull. When McCall continued to knock over things, mostly opponents, the word “Atomic” was added and the nickname stands to this day.
He won 11 of 12 bouts in his first three years as pro. On Jan. 22, 1988, on the undercard of the “Iron” Mike Tyson/Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes fight, he fought Mike “The Bounty” Hunter and lost by decision. His trainer at the time, Joe Frazier, had committed to McCall. However, because Frazier's nephew was fighting in the same time in another city, Frazier did not show up and McCall was left to face Hunter without his trainer.
Posting three straight wins, McCall got his shot at recognition when he faced then-No. 2-ranked contender James “Buster” Douglas. The fight was not a crowd pleaser, but McCall tagged Douglas in the 10th and had the future champion out on his feet. But Douglas survived to win by decision.
It was difficult for McCall to line up fights because potential opponents were aware of his ability; however, on April 18, 1991, he got a chance to show that ability when he stopped Bruce Seldon in the ninth round, in Atlantic City, N.J.
