Monday, February 19, 2007

McCall vs. Wilson February 24 in Springfield!

Beltway Boxing fans in Springfield, VA will get a rare treat on Saturday, February 24 on the Sugar Han Productions card at the ABC Sports Complex.

Former WBC heavyweight champion "The Atomic Bull" Oliver McCall of Martinsville, VA will headline the show. McCall will face loooonngg-time veteran Marion "Jackhammer" Wilson of Hillcrest Heights, MD in an eight-round rematch. The two veterans met on February 5, 2005 at the Washington Convention Center. Wilson was disqualified in that bout in the sixth round for excessive holding.

The Wilson win started a nine-bout unbeaten streak for the 41-year old McCall (49-8, 36 KO's) who won his WBC title with his second-round TKO of Lennox Lewis in 1994. McCall is 8-0 with one no contest in his last nine and he has scored five knockouts in his last six bouts.

A knockout will be hard to come by against the durable Wilson (12-40-4, five KO's) who holds the distinction of never having been stopped in his 56-bout career; a career that includes bouts against seven current or former world champions (McCall, Hasim Rahman, Oleg Maskaev, Orlin Norris [a former WBA Cruiserweight champ], Shannon Briggs, Ray Mercer and Greg Page) as well as numerous current and former heavyweight contenders.

Wilson, who will turn 50 in October, has not fought since losing a four-round unanimous decision to Chazz Witherspoon on June 16, 2005 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.

There will be another veteran on the card, DC middleweight Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers who will face undefeated John Mackey of Montgomery, AL in a four-round encounter. Brothers is 6-23-3 with four KO's and has lost his last eight bouts including his four-round unanimous decision loss to Tommy Karpency on January 26 in Morgantown, WVA. Mackey, who was born in DC, is 3-0, two KO's and is coming off a second-round TKO over Tim Leonard on January 19 in Key West, FL.

Also on the card will be Gaithersburg, MD heavyweight Calvin Riley. who will take on Raymond Daye of Indianapolis, IN in a four-round bout. Riley won his pro debut at the ABC Complex on April 29, scoring a first-round TKO over Mike Needling. Daye lost his pro debut by second-round TKO to Shawn Baker on July 22 in Indianapolis.

Fresh off his pro debut victory this past Saturday in Winchester, VA, Edgar Torres will fight in his hometown of Springfield when he takes on Tony Green of Indianapolis in a four-round encounter. Green is 0-2 and has been stopped in the first round in both his bouts, including his pro debut against Thomas "KO" Snow on July 28 in Louisville, KY.

Also scheduled to appear on the show are Beltway Boxers "Money" Mike Sawyer, Horace "The Reason" Grant and Kay Koroma. Their opponents are yet to be determined.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does anyone care about this? McCall came very close to koing Wilson at the DC Convention Center but Wilson held on so he would not be knocked out. This is a dreadful fight. All it does is increase the brain damage to Wilson. What is the Va. commission even thinking to allow this to take place. And what is this promoter even thinking?
Gary- why don't you use some of your journalistic skills here and make a comment about what a travesty this is.

Anonymous said...

I agree Wilson is going to get hurt!

Anonymous said...

Unless a boxer is suspended then it is hard to keep them from fighting. Now you can stop most of these guys by finding something that requires them to get expensive medical test. That can stop them but when you have money like Holyfield he can afford the test so he continues. Tommy Hearns still has a licenseand you can barely understand what he says. Don't blame the states blame the feds for not passing regulations.

Gary Digital Williams said...

That's pretty much the case. If you see Wilson, you would know that he is still in good shape. I only hope I'm in that good a shape when I hit 50.

In all honesty, for a card of this size and venue, I'm not totally against this. Sometimes a smaller promoter needs a drawing card and it is not every day that a former world heavyweight champion comes into your venue. I would like to think boxing fans are intelligent enough not to expect a whole lot from these guys.

This is all about making money. Hopefully, once a promoter starts to make a little cash, the promoter would not have to rely on past-their-prime boxers to beef their cards.

If this were a pay-per-view or a bigger card, I would have more of a problem with this.

Anonymous said...

Wilson knocks out Oliver in round 9

Anonymous said...

In their last fight, Wilson was not competitive at all. He did not throw many punches, took some very heavy shots to the head and when his bell was rung, he would just get a hold of McCall and hold on for dear life. I would not expect anything different this time.
Many states require more elaborate tests after age 36 or 40. Wilson has probably taken more heavy hits to the head then any other fighter, as he was a sparring partner for much of his career in the heavyweight camps. Really, after his performance the last time, he should not be allowed to fight. Period. And in this particular case you CAN blame the state because they are letting it happen. Just as they are letting another fighter fight there this month who is unable to fight in any other state.
The State of Virginia is putting itself at risk twice this month. And so are the promoters. Either one of these fighters has problems and that is the last we will see of these promoters.

Anonymous said...

Correction- Wilson and the other at risk fighter are both on this card. Promoter and State should beware of the real danger and liability that they are facing.

Anonymous said...

Yo Tom,

Who's the other "at risk" guy? I've got your answer, it's all of them! I love boxing, but boxing is a dangerous sport! I know a lot of boxers and most of them show symptoms of varying degrees of neurological damage. That's right MOST of them! If anybody out there disagrees with that, you are in serious denial! Some guys are in really bad shape, slurred speach, shuffling feet, etc. I'm sure when these guys get older, it won't be pretty. I fought as an amateur in Memphis, TN and I'm a little messed up because of it. But I'm sure there are a ton of other older athletes that show the wear and tear of their sports, football players, baseball players, etc. News flash Tom, getting hit in the head is not good for your brain regardless of your age! With that said, Marion Wilson has never been knocked down, he has never been knocked out, he has a valid Federal Boxing ID (from Maryland I believe), and he is an American Citizen with a right to make a living. Anonymous said it right when you're talking about the possibility of a big lawsuit for not allowing someone to fight just because of their age. Can you say DISCRIMINATION? Marion Wilson won't win the fight, but Digital was right, who else can he fight on this type of show? Would Derek Amos be a better choice in your mind? Amos is 38 years old, 12 years younger than the 50 year old Wilson (Wilson is 50 by the way, not 49). Amos would probably get knocked out by McCall. So who's more of a risk? The 38 year old or the 50 year old? Is McCall going to knock out Wilson? Probably not. Is it going to be a great fight? Probably not. If Marion Wilson and Oliver McCall want to fight each other, that's their choice. If you want to buy a ticket, that's your choice. It's all about freedom of choice, simple as that. If you're that worried about these guys, just ban the whole sport and be done with it! I'm not advocating the sport of boxing to be banned, but it is as Mike Tyson so eloquently put it "The Hurt Business". Sure it's the Sweet Science too, but the object is to put a skillful, artistic ass whoopin' on the other guy! Sure it's sad to see guys like Ali shuffling and shaking, and sure it's sad to see a boxer die in the ring. It's their choice, it's their risk, it's what they want to do. OH EWE TEE ya'll!

Anonymous said...

The Boxing Commissioners of each state have the right and the full authority to approve or disapprove any fight that they want. They do not have to answer to anyone. If challenged they can tell you anything that they want. But if Virginia had a commissioner that was not asleep at the wheel, when the McCall vs. Wilson fight was proposed he could have rejected it on the basis of his not considering it an acceptable match-up. That is all he needs to say. He could ask for the promoter to present him with a more competitive match-up. Simple as that. The fact of the matter is that their last fight was not competitive. Period. End of discussion and this fight would not happen. The real promoters of Oliver McCall would know that they need to put him in a decent match-up in order to fight him in Virginia. Hell, they would not dare propose that fight for Maryland, NY, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, California or many other states that try to prevent this sort of ill advised match-up.

As to the personal freedom issue, I do not want people to drive on either side of the double yellow line, or ignore stop signs, or drink and drive. With more discretionary items, I want the government to stop internet hackers and stop people from spreading kiddie porn on the internet. In terms of so called victimless crimes, if people want to gamble, smoke pot or pay for sex, then that is their choice and as far as I am concerned their "freedom of choice". But allowing one combatant to beat up another combatant in some level of mismatch is something that government is already involved in regulating and as far as I am concerned they should continue to regulate it. Marion Wilson may be a tough, very tough guy. But as the State of Virginia does not require an MRI, we have no idea of what the shape of his 50 year old brain is. And you may think that it is Marion's "freedom of choice" to put his life at risk in front of some paying customers. I do not.

Anonymous said...

If you're that concerned about it, call the VA Boxing Commission. I'm sure their number is easy enough to find. While you're at it, why don't you ask them to ban all blows to the head and wear 50 oz. gloves? And by the way, who in the heck else are you going to get to fight Oliver McCall for the amount of money a promoter is limited to paying for a non-televised show? Plus it's at The ABC place, which is to put it politely, a hole in the wall that couldn't hold over 700 people. The people that hanldle McCall want him to get a win. Marion Wilson wants the fight because he probably thinks he can beat McCall. He probably wants the paycheck that goes along with it too. It will be a bad fight I'm sure. Most of Marion Wilson's fights are bad fights. Either buy a ticket and go to the fights, or don't buy a ticket and sit at home. Your choice. It's not the end of the world.

Anonymous said...

To Billy D- Your a callous ass. You clearly do not give a hoot if Mo Wilson gets his head caved in. Have some respect for the fighters. They are not there fighting just to satisfy your lousy blood lust. Why don't you just go watch some tough man contests. There are some rules in the sport and guidelines for promoters and the commissions that are there to protect the fighter. Tom M. be a bit over protective, but the rules are there for a reason. The fact that Virginia does not care if the fighters get hurt fighting, take fights when they are already hurt or sick and in general just care about the revenue that the state earns, is pathetic. If you are a fan of the sport you should show just a litle more empathy for the fighters.

Anonymous said...

Okay send him for a CAT scan or a MRI. Who pays for it? The promoter that is trying to make some money or the boxer who would spend more than he is making?

And so you know McCain started the ball rolling but he is too busy running for president to worry about some boxers.

Anonymous said...

For the person that says VA doesn't care name a boxer that has been hurt in the state. VA officials are very concerned about a boxer's health.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous,

I have the utmost respect for boxers and the sport of boxing. I LOVE the sport! You're darn right I care if a fighter gets hurt, it hurts me very badly. I care if I talk to a fighter who slurs his words or walks with a shuffle. But you better face the facts Jack, getting hit in the head is bad for your health, end of sentence, end of story. The object of professional boxing is to hit the other fighter and if possible render a knockout. I am not a bloodthirsty person. I never want to see a guy get seriously hurt while in the ring. But don't think for one second that someone who appears okay in the ring or during his boxing career isn't going to suffer long term damamge from getting hit in the head. As I said, almost all fighters have some signs of neurological damage after their careers are over. That's just the way it is. As long as a fighter realizes that when he decides to become a boxer, then it's simply a matter of choices that's all. Besides, I'm not the one busting Marion Wilson upside the head, it's McCall. You guys better wake up and get real to what the sport is all about. It's not ballet, it ain't tiddlywinks, it's boxing and it's a MAN's game! You anonymous guys make me sick. Go put on your short skirt with the high heels and dance around your boyfriend why don't you! Like I said before, by your same logic, just ban the darn sport!

Anonymous said...

Ehh......I don't like this one here AT ALL. Wilson is in very good shape, but this guy ain't 20, 30, or even 40...he's FIFTY. And like the one guy more or less said -- he might have the physique of a guy in his 20's or 30's, but he could soon have a brain of a man in his 90's. And yeah, I certainly know that bad things can happen to younger guys as well, but a guy of 50 really has no business being in a pro ring, and he DEFINETLY has no business being in the ring with a guy who is probably the best 40 yr.old hvy in the world, and possibly a top-20 or top-30 guy.

I hope this doesn't turn into another Page-Crowe...

Anonymous said...

...And you would think that the fact that he was getting battered and was disqualified for HOLDING in their fight a few years ago, they would kinda say: "Uhh...maybe we shouldn't put him in there with this level of opponent at this stage???" I don't like ever seeing gross mismatches - regardless of age - but this one here just strikes me as particuarly abhorrent, disgusting, and assinine.

I'm sure they could have gotten a half-way reasonable & fairly young D-level type opponent for what they are paying Wilson.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have contact information for ABC arena?

Gary Digital Williams said...

Contact Han Kim at 703-830-7777 or 703-909-8077.

Anonymous said...

With all due respect Gary, I just don't quite get your comment/post on here. I don't see what the size of the card or whether it's a PPV or not really has to do with putting Wilson in with McCall. And as far as the "promoter using past-their-prime boxers to beef up their cards", if by that you mean McCall, certainly. And I have no problem with that. But McCall has recently shown that he can be and is still competitive with upper-level hvy's, whereas Wilson has not. And while Wilson may perhaps sell a few extra tickets because he's from the area and become kind of a 'folk hero/legend' of sorts, I couldn't imagine him selling THAT many extra tickets. While Oliver may be 40 and no 'spring chicken' himself, 40 is a bit different than 50, and I don't say that Oliver is "the best 40 yr.old hvy on the planet" lightly. This guy is still a top-20 or top-30 hvy. At one point Wilson was a good journeyman hvy with one heckuva chin and a helluva lot of heart. At 50 -- he's just plain not anymore.

Only the heart (and perhaps the chin) remain. And that makes it even more disturbing...

* Perhaps there is something here I don't know about. By that I mean this perhaps: A few years back a near-50 guy named Roberto Duran fought a top-level middleweight from your area named William Joppy. (McCall isn't quite where Joppy was at this stage, but Wilson isn't quite where Duran was at that stage either) Anyways, that fight was a disturbing farce and really never should have happened. However, many people kept on saying how "cruel" it was to put Duran in that fight, and how he was just being "used". Well...the latter was perhaps true to an extent, and on the surface it did indeed seem a bit cruel and inhumane, but what some people didn't know/realize was this: Duran was SO BROKE at that time, the guy put barely put food on the table. (Incidentally it appears as though he hasn't been putting food on the table lately, but just in his mouth!) Anyhow, that may be a bit of a slight exaggeration, but Duran was indeed in dire need of financial help. In that respect, the promoter actually helped him and did him a big favor.

I know it's a 'reach', but perhaps there is something along those lines with this situation here. Although with this fight here...we just aren't even in the same ballpark (Duran-aprx.500k) in terms of money...

Anonymous said...

* While I said "40 isn't 50", I do realize that there are some 40 yr.old hvy's that Wilson could beat or be highly competitive with.

But McCall is just not one of them.

Oliver at 40 could still beat the vast majority of hvy's in their 20's and 30's, and probably be 'competitive' with all of them. Unless Oliver doesn't go 'full throttle', I would be very surprised if Wilson goes distance or wins a single round, and/or doesn't take a beating. And I wouldn't be shocked if he was seriously injured or suffers lasting damage.

Anonymous said...

Wilson is a complete bum. He doesn't get Koed because he hold to much. He cant't beat himself out of a wet paper bag (LAUGH)

Gary Digital Williams said...

If you have a card that is made up of a solid amount of today's talent, a card wouldn't need a McCall-Wilson type matchup. A small promoter trying to make money would be more likely to put on a card with an established name to beef up sales.

Anonymous said...

Well...I understand that much Gary, and that does in fact explain/justify McCall, but Wilson??? I'm a bit confused there...

Anonymous said...

Anyone see this fight? What happened?