Former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver “The Atomic Bull” McCall was arrested on Saturday night for possession of cocaine and a crack pipe in Fort Lauderdale Saturday.
McCall (54-9, 37 KOs), who upset Lennox Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs) by second round TKO for his title in September 1994, was scheduled to fight Zuri Lawrence (24-15-4-1, 8 KOs) this week at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in nearby Hollywood, Florida.
“The Atomic Bull,” who was raised on the South Side of Chicago, has amassed an extensive criminal record outside of the ring and last weekend’s infraction is a direct violation of his probation.
Inside the ring and at his peak, McCall was a slightly above average pugilist who possessed formidable power in both of his fists.
Unfortunately, the two-time Golden Gloves champion from “The Windy City” is a longstanding dope fiend whose emotional state has made him a pathetic laughingstock.
“My neighbor used to smoke crack,” said Quincy native Mike Cardello, 28. “It was truly sad because he was such a good guy. But, he never could overcome his personal demons. He died two years ago at only 49.”
More than two years after McCall shockingly knocked Lewis onto Queer Street, the combatants fought in a February 1997 rematch in Las Vegas.
The first three rounds between McCall and Lewis were nine minutes of uneventful and lackluster “action.”
When the fourth round began, McCall flatly refused to defend himself against Lewis.
If McCall’s lack of guard and retaliation wasn’t bizarre enough, the Chicagoan subsequently started to uncontrollably bawl like a woman watching Beaches as the round came to a close.
Ultimately, McCall’s loopy behavior forced referee Mills Lane to stop the match and award Lewis with a fifth round TKO victory.
“In the third round, he (McCall) got in close, and then seemed frustrated, and then he just back off and put his arms down,” said Lane. “I thought he was playing possum but then I saw his lips started to quiver and I thought ‘My God, is he losing it?’ I wanted to fix the fight for him, but he started crying, so I had to stop the fight.”
At an old 44, McCall has absolutely zero business trying to box again.
Oliver McCall is an unstable man who is in dire need of both psychological and substance abuse rehabilitation centers.
Impressively, McCall has never been knocked down as a professional prizefighter.
However, if he doesn’t receive immediate help, Oliver McCall will never rise and survive the count of life.
