Jameel McCline (born May 20, 1970) is an American former

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

. He challenged for the world heavyweight title on an unprecedented four occasions, losing all four attempts to

Wladimir Klitschko Wladimir Klitschko; an equivalent English spelling is Vladimir Klichko . His full name in uk, label=Ukrainian is, Володимир Володимирович Кличко, Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko, . ( uk, Володимир Вол� ...

Chris Byrd Christopher Cornelius Byrd (born August 15, 1970) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2009. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having first won the WBO title in 2000 after an upset corner stoppage over th ...

Nikolai Valuev Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev (, rus, Никола́й Серге́евич Валу́ев, p=vɐˈlujɪf; born 21 August 1973) is a Russian politician and former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1993 to 2009, and held the WBA heav ...

and

Samuel Peter Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980) is a Nigerian professional boxer. He held the WBC heavyweight title in 2008, when he stopped Oleg Maskaev in six rounds. In his prime, he was known for his rivalry with the Klitschko brothers, havi ...

. Despite never winning a world title, McCline did defeat former champions and top contenders in Michael Grant,

Lance Whitaker Lance Whitaker (born May 29, 1971) is an American former professional boxer. As an amateur in the super heavyweight division, he won a bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games. Nicknamed "Mount", or more recently "Goofi", Whitaker was known ...

Al Cole Alfred Rudolph Cole (born April 21, 1964), best known as Al Cole, is an American former professional boxer. He won the IBF cruiserweight title and was a major force in the division until moving up to heavyweight, where he had less success. In 20 ...

Cedric Boswell Cedric Boswell (born July 21, 1969) is an American professional boxer. He was touted as a future heavyweight contender early in his pro career, which began in 1994. As an amateur, he defeated Shannon Briggs on points at the National Golden Glo ...

and

Shannon Briggs Shannon Briggs (born December 4, 1971) is an American former professional boxer. He is a two-time heavyweight champion, having held the lineal heavyweight championship from 1997 to 1998, and the WBO title from 2006 to 2007. Briggs is known for h ...

. McCline retired in 2012 at the age of 42.

Championship titles held

* WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion (2001) * WBO-NABO Heavyweight Champion (2006)

Life before boxing

McCline grew up in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

, New York City, living in group homes, foster homes, and orphanages where he learned to live independently. Graduating from Comsewogue High School in

Port Jefferson Station, New York Port Jefferson Station is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Brookhaven, in Suffolk County, in New York, United States. The population was 7,838 as of the 2010 census. History The area now known as Port Jefferson Station w ...

, McCline spent five years in prison for gun running prior to becoming a professional fighter. Big Time Beckons

Professional career

Starting at the late age of 25 years and having no amateur experience, McCline took straight to the pro ranks taken part in four world Heavyweight title clashes with

and

, 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,

, Charles Shufford,

, but has been unable to replicate these performances in title fight situations, although the loss to

was by only one point in a very controversial split decision. Also losing a championship fight in which he had the champion (Sam Peter) down three times during the fight. In addition to the aforementioned title fight losses, he has lost to Greg Pickrom,

Calvin Brock Calvin Vance Brock (born January 22, 1975) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2007. He was ranked as the world's No.9 heavyweight by BoxRec at the conclusion of 2005. Calvin Brock was trained by Tom Yankello. In ...

and was upset by the underdog

Zuri Lawrence Zuri Lawrence (born June 22, 1970) is an American professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2009. He is most well-known for having never scored a knockout win in 44 professional fights. Career Lawrence has never fought for a major heavyweigh ...

in 2005. After which, he went on a six fight win streak that led him back to a World Title fight yet another two times. On January 20, 2007 McCline challenged WBA heavyweight title holder

, 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 patellar tendon rupture of his left knee at the end of the third round while throwing a punch and was unable to continue. At the time of the stoppage McCline was behind on only 1 of the judges scorecards. Fighter introductions on Showtime

McCline was most recently set to face

Vitali Klitschko Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko (; uk, Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́ ; born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer who serves as mayor of Kyiv Samuel Peter Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980) is a Nigerian professional boxer. He held the WBC heavyweight title in 2008, when he stopped Oleg Maskaev in six rounds. In his prime, he was known for his rivalry with the Klitschko brothers, havi ...

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 controversial unanimous decision on the judges scorecards. On March 8, 2008 McCline faced former two-time WBA heavyweight title holder

John Ruiz John Ruiz (born January 4, 1972) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2010, and held the WBA heavyweight title twice between 2001 and 2005. Ruiz is of Puerto Rican descent, and is the first Latino boxer to win a w ...

in Mexico. McCline lost a unanimous decision in a 12-round scheduled bout. McCline defeated

Mike Mollo Mike Mollo (born February 11, 1980) is an American former professional boxer. A fan favorite for his aggressive style in Chicago, Mollo is perhaps best known for his bouts with Polish fighters Art Binkowski, Artur Szpilka, Andrew Golota, and Kr ...

by unanimous decision on November 7, 2008. He fought

Chris Arreola Cristobal Arreola (born March 5, 1981) is an American professional boxer who has challenged three times for the WBC heavyweight title. He was ranked by BoxRec as the world's No.8 heavyweight at the conclusion of 2007 and as No.7 heavyweight fro ...

on April 11, 2009 on the undercard of the Paul Williams vs.

Winky Wright Ronald Lamont "Winky" Wright (born November 26, 1971) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1990 to 2012. He is a two-time light middleweight world champion and was the last to hold the undisputed title at that weight until ...

bout but lost the fight by 4th-round knockout. He made a comeback on December 3, 2011, where he defeated Dennis McKinney by TKO in the 4th round. The venue for the fight was

Greensboro Coliseum The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, commonly referred to as Greensboro Coliseum (the first and biggest building on the site), is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight ven ...

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Result , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Record , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Rounds , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , -align=center , Loss , , align=left,

Magomed Abdusalamov Magomed Abdusalamov (russian: Магомед Абдусаламов; born 25 March 1981) is a Russian former professional boxer who competed from 2008 to 2013. As an amateur he won the 2005 and 2006 Russian national championships in the super-h ...

, TKO , 2 , 08/09/2012 , align=left, Olympic Indoor Arena, Moscow, Russia , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , , align=left, Artur Szpilka , UD , 10 , 30/06/2012 , align=left, Atlas Arena,

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

, Poland , align=left, , -align=center , Win , , align=left, Livin Castillo , SD , 8 , 31/03/2012 , align=left, Hamilton Manor, Hamilton Township, New Jersey , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , , align=left, Harold Sconiers , MD , 8 , 04/02/2012 , align=left, Guilford Convention Center,

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , , align=left, Dennis McKinney , TKO , 4 , 03/12/2011 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Loss , , align=left,

, KO , 4 , 11/04/2009 , align=left,

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and The Blackstone Group and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circu ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 39-9-3 , align=left,

, UD , 12 , 07/11/2008 , align=left, Sichuan Gymnasium,

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese pro ...

, China , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 38-9-3 , align=left,

, UD , 12 , 08/03/2008 , align=left, Plaza de Toros,

Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...

, Mexico , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 38-8-3 , align=left,

, UD , 12 , 06/10/2007 , align=left, Madison Square Garden, New York City , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 38-7-3 , align=left,

, RTD , 3 , 20/01/2007 , align=left, St. Jakob Halle,

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

, Switzerland , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 38-6-3 , align=left, Terry Smith , UD , 10 , 21/07/2006 , align=left, Million Dollar Elm Casino,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 37-6-3 , align=left, Marcus Rhode , KO , 2 , 02/06/2006 , align=left, Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort,

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 36-6-3 , align=left,

Rob Calloway Rob Calloway (born July 18, 1969) is an American boxer. He had forty amateur bouts, was the Kansas City Golden Gloves champion three times, and a semifinalist for the 1992 US western Olympic trials. He has held the World Boxing Council Contine ...

, UD , 10 , 26/04/2006 , align=left, Buffalo Run Casino,

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, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 35-6-3 , align=left, Marcus McGee , UD , 10 , 24/03/2006 , align=left, Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 34-6-3 , align=left, Dan Ward , KO , 1 , 27/01/2006 , align=left, Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 33-6-3 , align=left, Andy Sample , KO , 1 , 26/11/2005 , align=left, Convention Center,

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 32-6-3 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , 21/10/2005 , align=left,

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, also known as The Guitar Hotel, due to its tower constructed to resemble a Gibson Les Paul guitar, is a hotel and casino resort near Hollywood, Florida, United States, located on of the Hollywood Res ...

, Hollywood, Florida , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 32-5-3 , align=left, Steve Pannell , KO , 3 , 26/08/2005 , align=left,

, Hollywood, Florida , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 31-5-3 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , 23/04/2005 , align=left, Caesars Palace,

, align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 31-4-3 , align=left,

, SD , 12 , 13/11/2004 , align=left, Madison Square Garden, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 31-3-3 , align=left, Wayne Llewellyn , TKO , 1 , 15/04/2004 , align=left,

Hammerstein Ballroom The Hammerstein Ballroom is a ballroom located within the Manhattan Center at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The capacity of the ballroom is dependent on the configuration of the room; it seats 2,500 people for theat ...

, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 30-3-3 , align=left,

, TKO , 10 , 03/10/2003 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 29-3-3 , align=left, Charles Shufford , TKO , 3 , 09/05/2003 , align=left, Bally's Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 28-3-3 , align=left,

, RTD , 10 , 07/12/2002 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 28-2-3 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , 27/04/2002 , align=left, Madison Square Garden, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 27-2-3 , align=left,

, UD , 12 , 01/12/2001 , align=left,

Jacob Javits Center The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, commonly known as the Javits Center, is a large convention center on Eleventh Avenue between 34th Street and 38th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. It was designed by architect James I ...

, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 26-2-3 , align=left, Michael Grant , TKO , 1 , 21/07/2001 , align=left, Caesars Palace,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 25-2-3 , align=left, Alfred Cole , UD , 10 , 25/05/2001 , align=left, Norfolk, Virginia , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 24-2-3 , align=left, King Ipitan , TKO , 1 , 24/01/2001 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 23-2-3 , align=left, Reynaldo Minus , UD , 8 , 14/09/2000 , align=left, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 22-2-3 , align=left, Sedreck Fields , UD , 10 , 27/07/2000 , align=left,

, New York , align=left, , -align=center , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 21-2-3 , align=left, Sherman Williams , PTS , 10 , 29/06/2000 , align=left,

, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 21-2-2 , align=left, Eddie Richardson , UD , 8 , 31/03/2000 , align=left,

, New York , align=left, , -align=center , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 20-2-2 , align=left, Ron Guerrero , PTS , 8 , 27/01/2000 , align=left,

, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 20-2-1 , align=left, Jimmy Haynes , TKO , 3 , 14/09/1999 , align=left,

Yonkers Raceway Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New Y ...

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 19-2-1 , align=left, Harry Daniels , PTS , 6 , 24/06/1999 , align=left,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 18-2-1 , align=left, Garing Lane , PTS , 8 , 27/03/1999 , align=left, Jai Alai Fronton,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 17-2-1 , align=left, Bryant Smith , SD , 8 , 04/12/1998 , align=left,

Coliseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 16-2-1 , align=left, Mike Dixon , TKO , 1 , 04/12/1998 , align=left,

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 15-2-1 , align=left, Guy Sonnenberg , TKO , 5 , 24/09/1998 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 14-2-1 , align=left, Kimmuel Odum , KO , 4 , 27/08/1998 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 13-2-1 , align=left, Shane Hykes , KO , 2 , 30/07/1998 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 12-2-1 , align=left, Carlton Davis , KO , 1 , 25/06/1998 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 11-2-1 , align=left, Floyd Womack , TKO , 2 , 04/04/1998 , align=left, Sons Of Italy,

Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Beach, previously named Lake Worth, is a city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located about north of Miami. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Worth ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 10-2-1 , align=left, Robert Colay , TKO , 5 , 21/03/1998 , align=left, National Guard Armory,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 9-2-1 , align=left, Marcus Harden , UD , 4 , 25/02/1998 , align=left, The Ritz,

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southe ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 8-2-1 , align=left, Frankie Hines , KO , 1 , 29/01/1998 , align=left, Richmond, Virginia , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 7-2-1 , align=left, Rowyan Wallace , KO , 2 , 01/11/1997 , align=left, Apollo Theater, New York , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 6-2-1 , align=left, Charles Cue , PTS , 6 , 27/09/1997 , align=left, Shepherd's Gym,

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 5-2-1 , align=left, Curt Paige , PTS , 4 , 15/07/1997 , align=left, Riverside Convention Center,

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...

, align=left, , -align=center , Win , 4-2-1 , align=left, Mark Whittaker , TKO , 3 , 05/05/1997 , align=left, Harrah's Marina Hotel Casin, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 3-2-1 , align=left, Charlie Brazell , KO , 1 , 21/08/1996 , align=left, The Ritz,

, align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 2-2-1 , align=left, Greg Pickrom , UD , 8 , 12/04/1996 , align=left, Fernwood Resort,

Bushkill, Pennsylvania Bushkill is an unincorporated community in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portions of Bushkill were seized by the United States government during the controversial Tocks Island Dam project and are now part of the Delaware Water Gap ...

, align=left, , -align=center , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 2-1-1 , align=left, Albert Williams , PTS , 4 , 15/03/1996 , align=left, Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 2–1 , align=left, Dwayne Evans , KO , 1 , 09/02/1996 , align=left, Tropworld Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 1–1 , align=left, Gary Bell , KO , 1 , 18/11/1995 , align=left, Tropworld Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Brian Nix , TKO , 1 , 10/10/1995 , align=left,

, align=left, , -align=center

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCline, Jameel Living people 1970 births African-American boxers American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in boxing Heavyweight boxers Boxers from New York City Sportspeople from Manhattan American male boxers 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople