09-08-2019, 05:31 PM
Ex-champ Oliver McCall fights in New Mexico Sept 28
By David Finger
It’s a story as old as the sport of boxing itself: the former heavyweight champion on the comeback trail. Far removed from the bright lights of Las Vegas he makes a pit stop in some smaller venue hoping to create enough of a buzz to position himself for one more shot at the title. And yet, it’s a story that has never before been told in New Mexico. Sure New Mexico once hosted a heavyweight title fight in 1912, and two future heavyweight champions fought early in their career in New Mexico. But never had a former heavyweight champ stopped off in New Mexico while on the comeback trial.
Until now.
On September 28th boxing history will be made as a former heavyweight champion will step into the ring in the State of New Mexico for the first time ever. Oliver “The Atomic Bull” McCall (59-14, 38 KOs) is slated to take on the durable journeyman Grover Young (13-27-3, 9 KOs) as he tries to position himself for one more run at the title, and he will do it in Hobbs at the Corral Arena.
At 54-years old the likelihood of another world title shot is miniscule, but McCall is still regarded as a durable and competent fighter despite his age. In fact he is a fighter who has earned a reputation of possessing the best chin in boxing history, having never been dropped in a career that started in 1985. In that time he worked as Mike Tyson’s chief sparring partner before scoring a monumental upset in 1994 when he stopped Hall of Famer Lennox Lewis in the second round to win the WBC heavyweight title. McCall would defend his title once against another future Hall of Famer in Larry Holmes before he dropped a decision to Frank Bruno in 1995.
The McCall-Young clash will be an intriguing featured fight on a loaded card that features several other talented heavyweights, several of whom were in town during a press conference Friday night at the Corral Arena.
By David Finger
It’s a story as old as the sport of boxing itself: the former heavyweight champion on the comeback trail. Far removed from the bright lights of Las Vegas he makes a pit stop in some smaller venue hoping to create enough of a buzz to position himself for one more shot at the title. And yet, it’s a story that has never before been told in New Mexico. Sure New Mexico once hosted a heavyweight title fight in 1912, and two future heavyweight champions fought early in their career in New Mexico. But never had a former heavyweight champ stopped off in New Mexico while on the comeback trial.
Until now.
On September 28th boxing history will be made as a former heavyweight champion will step into the ring in the State of New Mexico for the first time ever. Oliver “The Atomic Bull” McCall (59-14, 38 KOs) is slated to take on the durable journeyman Grover Young (13-27-3, 9 KOs) as he tries to position himself for one more run at the title, and he will do it in Hobbs at the Corral Arena.
At 54-years old the likelihood of another world title shot is miniscule, but McCall is still regarded as a durable and competent fighter despite his age. In fact he is a fighter who has earned a reputation of possessing the best chin in boxing history, having never been dropped in a career that started in 1985. In that time he worked as Mike Tyson’s chief sparring partner before scoring a monumental upset in 1994 when he stopped Hall of Famer Lennox Lewis in the second round to win the WBC heavyweight title. McCall would defend his title once against another future Hall of Famer in Larry Holmes before he dropped a decision to Frank Bruno in 1995.
The McCall-Young clash will be an intriguing featured fight on a loaded card that features several other talented heavyweights, several of whom were in town during a press conference Friday night at the Corral Arena.