Latest news with #OliverMcCall
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Former WBC heavyweight champion continues age defying comeback
Oliver McCall will return to the ring for the second time this year to fight Carlos Reyes in Nashville on the 3rd of June. Now, 60-years-old, McCall is the oldest former heavyweight champion to ever win a professional boxing fight. He last fought in February of this year, claiming a win after his opponent retired in their corner at the end of the first round. The comeback began in 2024 when McCall, who had been away from boxing for five years, beat Stacy Frazier via technical knockout in the second round. In a career spanning 40 years and 75 fights, the only years since 1985 that McCall has not had at least one bout were between 2015-2017 and 2020-2023. The Chicago-born fighter, renowned for his durability, has shared the ring with some of the best heavyweight to ever grace a ring such as James 'Buster' Douglas, Tony Tucker, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno and Larry Holmes. McCall is most famous for his second-round knockout of Lennox Lewis in 1994 in front of Lewis' home support at Wembley Arena, which saw him capture the WBC heavyweight title. McCall would defend the WBC title once before losing it to Frank Bruno in 1995. He would go one to challenge for a world title once more in a highly anticipated rematch with Lennox Lewis, for the vacant WBC belt. The fight, which became infamous for its conclusion, saw a crying McCall pulled out of the fight in the fifth round. He had left rehab for addiction in order to compete against Lewis. McCall has had public struggles throughout his life with drugs and mental health. The former champion is now 4-0 in his last four fights, showing no signs of slowing down, and has suggested he would be open to fights against Shannon Briggs or Bruce Seldon. McCall has said he has no long-term goals for his return to boxing, taking it fight by fight and is instead turning his attentions to a future managing or training fighters. He told One Round With George: 'If I lose a fight, it's over with as far as boxing, that's a no brainer. That's what makes me take it more or less fight by fight, getting to know the business more and dealing with people more. Just going through the things I've learned over the years and how to translate that over to the fighters [I'm training] so they can do what I want them to do, when they need to do it.' Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bruno 'can't wait to get back to work' after illness
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno says he "can't wait to get back to work" after falling ill on a plane and being taken to 63-year-old spent nearly two weeks in a hospital in Doha after becoming unwell, external on a flight that took off from Heathrow on 3 boxer said on X, external: "Morning, so my illness story is out! Now you know why I have been quiet on social media."The last three weeks have been tough, especially not knowing what was wrong with me and a viral infection can mean loads of things."The office tells me already this morning I have had hundreds of messages from well-wishers so thank you. Can't wait to get back to work."An 'Evening with Frank Bruno' event that was scheduled for this Sunday in Manchester has been won 40 of his 45 professional fights between 1982 and 1996, beating American Oliver McCall in 1995 to win the WBC heavyweight title.
