Jameel McCline

Infobox_Boxer
name=Jameel McCline
nationality = American Flagicon|USA
realname = Jameel McCline
nickname=Big Time
weight=Heavyweight
birth_date=Birth date and age |1970|5|20
birth_place=New York City, NY flagicon|USA
style=Orthodox
total=50
wins=38
KO=23
losses=9
draws=3
no contests=0|

Jameel “Big Time” McCline (born 20 May 1970 in Harlem, NY) is a professional heavyweight boxer notable for his size, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and weight of around 120 kg (265 lb). He is currently ranked at number 9 in the WBC heavyweight ratings. McCline is managed by Scott Hirsch and trained by Mathew Drayton.

Life Before Boxing

McCline spent five years in prison for gun running prior to becoming a professional fighter [http://www.boxing-monthly.co.uk/content/0112/two.htm] . Graduating from Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.

Professional career

He has taken part in four world Heavyweight title clashes with Chris Byrd, Wladimir Klitschko, Nikolai Valuev and Samuel Peter, losing all four times. Uniquely, each of these title bouts was for a different version of the world title. He has captured several wins against notable fighters, including Alfred Cole, Michael Grant, Lance Whitaker, Shannon Briggs, Charles Shufford, Cedric Boswell, and Terry Smith but has been unable to replicate these performances in title fight situations, although the loss to Chris Byrd was by only one point in a controversial split decision. In addition to the aforementioned title fight losses, he has lost to Gary Bell, Greg Pickrom, Calvin Brock and was upset by the underdog Zuri Lawrence in 2005.

On January 20, 2007 McCline challenged WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev, in what was the first ever heavyweight title fight on Swiss soil. The fight was also reportedly the "biggest" championship fight in history, with the two fighters having a combined weight of approximately 600 pounds (270 kilograms) on fight night. Valuev was declared the winner by TKO when McCline suffered a dislocated knee in the third round while throwing a punch and was unable to continue. At the time of the stoppage McCline was behind on 2 of the judges scorecards.

McCline was most recently set to face Vitali Klitschko, in the latter’s first fight back since retiring from the ring in 2005, but due to an injury Klitschko was forced to pull out, and instead McCline fought Samuel Peter on 6 October 2007 for Peter's WBC interim title. Despite managing to put Peter on the canvas 3 times in the early rounds of the fight (the first knockdowns of Peter's career) McCline would go on to lose to a unanimous decision on the judges scorecards.

On March 8, 2008 McCline faced former two-time WBA World Heavyweight champion John Ruiz in Mexico. McCline lost a unanimous decision in a 12 round scheduled bout.

teroid Allegations

Just prior to his bout with Peter, it was reported by the New York Daily News that McCline had received more than $12,000 of drugs including the steroids stanozolol and nandrolone, along with human growth hormone, testosterone and tamoxifen from Signature Pharmacy in 2005 and 2006. Even while allegedly using steroids, McCline has not been able to defeat any title-contenders, and with his advancing age, his career appears in jeopardy. [http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Aix.WFiwXFI6b7j.y_p.nVaUxLYF?slug=ap-peter-mccline&prov=ap&type=lgns] .

External links

* [http://www.jameelbigtimemccline.com/ Personal Website]
* [http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=8943 Career record]
* [http://www.boxen-artur.de/eng_page_1184391_mccline Boxing-Encyclopedia]

References

*boxrec|008943