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Showtime Championship Boxing Recap

October 6, 2007

Madison Square Garden-New York City, New York

WBC Interim Heavyweight (201+) 12 Round Championship Match:

Samuel Peter (28-1, 22 KO's, 250 pounds) (c) vs. Jameel McCline (38-7-3, 23 KO's, 266 pounds)

Peter was awarded the interim version of this championship, when his scheduled opponent for this match, full WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev, withdrew, because of a back injury suffered in training on September 20, 2007.

Showtime's original plan was to have a 3 match mini-tournament to determine a true WBC Heavyweight Champion.  McCline was to face a returning Vitali Klitschko on September 22 in Munich, Germany in one semi-final, and Peter vs. Maskaev was to be the other semi-final.  Peter was in the tournament, because he was the mandatory number one contender to the title.  Maskaev, because he was the current champion.  Klitschko, because he vacated this championship to retire never losing it in the ring.  McCline was in this tournament, because they needed a fourth person, plus he is an American, which might boost some interest in the matches.

Peter had a decorated, but short amateur career.  He was the heavyweight boxing representative for Nigeria at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympiad.  However he only had 20 amateur matches, compiling a record of 18-2.  When named interim heavyweight champion by the WBC, the Nigerian native, became the first boxer from that country to hold any share of the world heavyweight championship.

In his pre-match interview, Peter seemed very relaxed going into this match.  He is still looking to face Maskaev, and the WBC has been mandated the winner of this match face Maskaev in the Russian's return to the ring from injury to unify the title.  Peter did not seem extremely focused on McCline heading into this match.  The Nigerian is going to prove that he is championship material, because the WBC offered Peter the interim championship and the opportunity to wait to compete in the ring again until Maskaev returns without having to defend it tonight.

Peter's last match was a 12 round unanimous decision victory over James Toney on January 6, 2007 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.  The match was to guarantee Peter a title shot at Maskaev.  Maskaev offered Peter $2 million to step aside, and allow the Russian to face an unretiring Klitschko for this title in Moscow.  Peter agreed to the deal, but was never paid.  The match between Maskaev and Klitschko never happened, which left all of the boxers in limbo for months.  An eventual lawsuit by Peter forced Maskaev to accept the mandatory title defense.  This has resulted in a 9 month layoff for Peter, the longest of the champion's career.

Peter is ranked number 2 by The Ring Magazine to its vacant heavyweight championship.  Peter has the longest active streak being ranked among heavyweights by The Ring Magazine.

McCline was named the replacement on September 27.  The challenger had been preparing to face the returning Klitschko on September 22, but that match was postponed because of a back injury to Klitschko.  The resident of West Palm Beach, Florida had been rescheduled to compete versus DaVarryl Williamson on the undercard of this event, therefore McCline will not be at a physical preparation disadvantage taking the match on short notice.

This match was nearly canceled on Friday, because the New York Daily News broke a story linking McCline to the same mail order pharmacy clinic in Florida that had allegedly supplied Evander "Evan Fields" Holyfield and pro wrestlers: Kurt Angle, Shane Helms, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, the late Brian Adams, the late Eddie Guerrero, the late Chris Benoit, among a host of other clients.  The paper reported that from March 2005 through December 2006, McCline bought over $12,000 in steroids, including stanozol and nandrolone, human growth hormone, testosterone, and tamoxifen.  Tamoxifen is an estrogen blocker to stop the formation of feminine physical characteristics, which would be a side effect of steroid abuse.  Boxing authorities are now in communication with the Albany County district attorney's office, which has handled the legal investigation into Signature Pharmacy.  In the mean time New York State Athletic Commission chairman Ron Scott Stevens told the associated press, "So far everything's OK."

Showtime's Jim Gray interviewed McCline in his dressing room before the match about the allegations.  When asked if the story in the New York Daily News was accurate McCline said that he had no comment about that at the time, and would not until after the match.  McCline said he was a clean boxer, but did not know if the sport was clean.  He had taken a urine test in front of 2 commissioners on Friday.  That is convenient, since the shipments stopped in December 2006 right before he suffered a freak knee injury during a match, and it has been documented by numerous sources on this website pre-match testing is easy to beat, especially urine tests.

McCline is coming off a round 3 technical knockout loss, where he suffered that serious knee injury challenging Nikolay Valuev for the WBA Heavyweight Championship at St. Jakob Hall in Basel, Switzerland on January 20, 2007.  McCline may have been winning the early stages of that match, when he tore his patella tendon.  The injury was supposed to take 10 months to rehab, but McCline said it was fully healed in 4 months.  The remaining months of his layoff were to get in back in shape from the excess weight he put on while not training to compete.  McCline had won his previous 6 matches going in to the match with Valuev.

McCline is unranked by The Ring Magazine, and ranked as the number 42 heavyweight by boxrec.com

Peter has the age advantage at 27-years-old, compared to the 37-year-old McCline.  McCline has the height advantage standing 6' 6" tall, while Peter is 6' 1.5" tall.  The challenger has the reach advantage with a 80" wingspan, and the champion has a 77" wingspan.  Neither boxers unofficial weights approaching match time are available.  However, it is unlikely either number has changed much since weigh-ins.  Both boxers will employ the orthodox stance.

The unified rules of boxing are in effect for this contest.  The referee is the excellent Michael Ortega.  Two of the judges are from the state of New York and the other is from New Jersey.

McCline comes out in traditional boxing fashion, with no music.  The entrance receives little crowd reaction.  The quiet entrance did prevent McCline from being booed, which would probably be the reaction today, even for a boxer born in nearby Harlem, New York.

There is a break in the action with 1:22 to go in round 1, because some of the cushioned advertising around the ring has slid into the ring.  With 1:14 to go in the round, and the advertising pushed far back, action is resumed.  Peter was cautioned for hitting McCline on the back of the head at the end of round 1.  A superior left jab wins round 1 for Peter, 10-9.  Round 2 is very close, but with less then 1 second to go in the round McCline lands a big right uppercut that knocks the champion down.  McCline wins round 2, 10-8.  That is the first time Peter has been to the canvas in his career.  The punch landed somewhat on the neck of Peter, and put him down for the 8 count.  Peter satisfactorily answered the count, and went immediately to his corner.  The bell sounded to end the round while Peter was falling, therefore McCline had no chance to try and follow up and finish the match.  Another right hand has the champion staggering backwards into the ropes, with 2:44 to go in round 3.  This match may be stopped, soon.  Peter grabs on with desperation to McCline to try and stay up and recover.  Then another McCline right hand with 2:33 to go in round 3 has Peter falling forward onto the ground, and the champion looks out of it.  The referee applies the 8 count, and allows Peter to continue with 2:19 to go in the round, but Peter looks in bad shape.  Peter goes down with 1:02 to go in round 3.  It is the result of a McCline left hand this time  The referee is gong to employ a count.  The referee allows Peter to continue with 45 seconds to go, but he looks in awful shape.  McCline is exhausted, though having almost completely punched himself out trying to finish this match.  Peter has also landed some huge punches on McCline in this round, which is part of the reason the referee is allowing this match to continue.  Peter survives round 3, and it is an amazing round.  This is a must watch boxing match round.  McCline wins round 3, 10-7.  McCline leads on my scorecard after 3 rounds, 29-25.  This is a really exciting match, but could turn out to be a nightmare scenario for the sport of boxing.

The doctor checked on Peter after rounds 2 and 3, and ruled the champion fit to continue.  McCline lets off the gas in round 4, and Peter wins the round, 10-9.  Press row scoring through 4 rounds has it all in favor of McCline: 38-36, 39-34, 38-36.  My scorecard has McCline leading after 4 rounds, 38-35.  Peter was warned twice in round 5 for hitting behind the head, and after the round the referee told the champion in the corner the next violation will cost him a point.  Peter wins a close round 5, 10-9.  McCline lost his mouthpiece at the end of round 5, because his mouth is wide open.  The challenger is fatiguing and trying to get more air, which is a bad sign.  Peter wins a close round 6, 10-9.  With less then 10 seconds to go in round 6, McCline was warned for hitting on the break.  Through 6 rounds my scorecard has McCline ahead, 56-55.  Some of the members of the press corps and Al Bernstein on color commentary scored round 2 for McCline, only, 10-9, despite the knockdown.  The thinking that the challenger had lost too much of the rest of the round.  McCline is boxing in spurts.  When the challenger is active he tends to be very effective for the less then 5 seconds of life he shows, but will be passive for up to a minute or more in between.  Press row scoring after 6 rounds has McCline still winning on 2 scorecards, and even on the other: 57-55, 58-53, 56-56.

Round 7 is the close, but Peter wins it, 10-9.  Peter wins a close round 8, 10-9.  McCline can win a lot of these rounds by being more active.  The challenger is throwing fewer punches per round the longer the match goes, which is costing him all of the close rounds on my scorecard.  Round 2 and 3, were the only ones that could be decisively awarded to either boxer.  Press row scoring after 8 rounds has a split decision win for McCline with two of the scorecards in his favor, 76-74 and 76-73, and one for Peter, 76-75.  Bernstein has it a draw, 76-76.  My scorecard has Peter ahead after 8 rounds, 75-74.  Peter wins round 9, 10-9, and leads on my scorecard through 9 rounds, 85-83.  This match has had lots of holding and very little sustained action from either boxer for the last several rounds.

The referee had to step in to separate 4 clinches in the first minute of round 10.  The crowd is beginning to boo this match in the middle of round 10, which is fair.  Both boxers need to start doing DDP's Yoga for Regular Guys and build up their conditioning (it really works).  Peter wins round 10, 10-9.  The referee is getting in a great grappling work out in this match separating the boxers.  Peter has a mark under his left eye, probably caused by a clash of heads when the boxers came to together in one of their innumerable clinches.  The abrasion will not be a factor in this match.  Press row scoring after 10 rounds has it scored a draw with one scorecard for Peter, 96-93, one for McCline, 94-93, and one even, 94-94.  My scorecard has Peter ahead after 10 rounds, 95-92.  Peter wins round 11, 10-9.  Peter had McCline in real trouble at the end of the round.  Press row scoring after round 11 has a majority decision win for Peter with one card even, 103-103, and him winning on the others, 106-102, and 104-103.  Peter is winning on my scorecard after 11 rounds, 105-101.  Peter wins round 12, 10-9.  The crowd boos the final 30 seconds of what Bernstein calls an entertaining heavyweight match up.  That is similar to being called the best looking canine at the world's ugliest dog competition.  My scorecard has Peter winning the match, 115-110.  McCline may have lost this match in the gym by not showing up in shape to box for a hard 4 rounds, or a hard 3 rounds and a consistently paced 9 more rounds.

After a long delay to add up the scores, the official scores are read by the always "Classy" Jimmy Lennon, Jr.: 113-112, 115-111, 115-110, all for the winner by unanimous decision and still WBC Interim Heavyweight Champion of the World, Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter.  The win moves Peter to 29-1, with 22 of those wins coming by way of knockout.  Some of the crowd boos the decision, but they probably would have booed it either way.  Peter would have been booed for winning despite being knocked down 3 times, and McCline for winning despite holding on to Peter for much of the match.

McCline was forced in to a post match interview in the ring, when he was attempting to leave, but got pinned in a corner by Gray, while trying to exit the ring.  The challenger complained about the decision, and its lopsidedness.  McCline said the reason that Peter was still champion was because he (McCline) let Peter off in round 3.  McCline concluded the interview by going between the ropes and leaving the ring with Gray still asking him questions.  Not a classy job done by McCline.

Peter said he broke his right hand 3 weeks before the match in training camp, but decided to compete anyway.  The champion said that created a lot of his problems in this match.  He was having a hard time making a fist with the hand, and it was also causing him problems defensively with proper hand placement.  Peter says he will be healthy, and ready to compete again though in December or January.

The champion's only loss came to Wladimir Klitschko, where coincidentally Peter scored 3 knockdowns, only to lose a unanimous decision.  On every scorecard, the only rounds Peter won in that match were those where he scored a knockdown.  It appears in this match the only rounds McCline won on 2 of the scorecards were 2 and 3, where he scored the knockdowns, and one judge also, scored a round even, 10-10.  Peter appears in great shape to face Maskaev, probably in early January or February at the latest.  Peter still has a lot to improve on in that time, including conditioning.  He is young, and will continue to get better.  The fact he came back from the three knockdowns in this match can be viewed as a positive in his development.  Giving Peter's camp things to work on defensively, and proving he can come back from adversity during a match.

McCline's career may be over with this match, if there is a commission that does something with the allegations of illegal use of performance enhancers.  His no comment response to Gray, is not much of a denial to the serious allegations.  However, Evander Holyfield with a much stronger link to illegal use of performance enhancers is competing for a world championship next week.  Should McCline continue to compete, he needs to step up his conditioning training substantially.  Being a heavyweight is not an excuse to be "heavy".  McCline is a large individual, but losing 20 pounds properly would help his speed and stamina without sacrificing his power.  The challenger lost this match by not being in championship condition.  With the loss, McCline is 0-4 in championship matches, and has only won a single 12 round decision (2001).  McCline is past his prime, and this was probably the last big shot of his career.  He needs to decide if he wants to move back down the ranks, commit himself to training harder then ever, or retire.

The sport of boxing got very lucky that McCline showed up out of shape tonight.  Had McCline not gassed, out the title would be around the waist of a boxer linked to heavy abuse of performance enhancers.  A young boxer that is considered the future of the sport would have suffered an embarrassing defeat to a person facing suspension.  Then if McCline is not suspended, because it appears he may not turn up a positive test, the sport looks like more of a joke with a disgraced champion that commissions will not take action against.

The opening 3 rounds of this contest are worth finding at some effort (the next replay is Tuesday at 7 PM Pacific time), after that watch the end of Mallrats on Encore West.