Jameel McCline
Nickname: ‘Big Time’
Height: 6’6
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Date of Birth: May 20, 1970
Birthplace: Harlem, New York
Hometown: Clifton, New Jersey
Professional Record: 32-5-3 (20 KOs)

Forty-three seconds.  That’s all it took for Jameel McCline to stop Michael Grant, the top contender and former title challenger in July of 2001.  In the process of his less than a minute in the ring, McCline became a household name in the always-crowded heavyweight division and hasn’t looked back since, as he parlayed that victory into bigger and bigger fights as he chases after the championship of the world. 

But for those that looked at the New York native as an ‘overnight success’, the road to the top was anything but quick and easy.

McCline, who will look to move closer to his goal of becoming heavyweight champion with a victory over his next foe, veteran Zuri Lawrence, on October 21st, was born in Harlem, New York on May 20, 1970.  As he grew up, it was obvious that young Jameel was a gifted athlete, starring in both basketball and football in high school.  He even took his talents to the college level, playing tight end in football and forward in basketball for Oneonta State.

Unfortunately for the budding star, the lure of the streets got the better of him, and in 1989, McCline served a five-year prison sentence.  Told by renowned trainer Don Turner of the virtues of boxing while incarcerated, McCline turned his sights to the sweet science as a means of turning his life around upon his release from prison.

With no amateur experience to speak of, McCline entered a Newark, New Jersey boxing gym in 1994. He fought once as an amateur, and after scoring a first round KO, he was thrust into the pro ranks, stopping well-traveled journeyman Brian Nix in a single frame. After two fights and two first round KOs, "I figured I was Godzilla," McCline remembered. 

But just a month later, McCline was matched with the more experienced and highly regarded Gary Bell.  McCline hurt Bell early, but his inexperience showed, as he got careless, got caught, and was stopped in the first by his foe.  Over the next five months, a first round win over Dwayne Evans, a draw with 14-1 Albert Williams, and a decision loss to Greg Pickrom followed.  McCline was a 26-year-old heavyweight with a 2-2-1 record.  For some, that would have been a sign to pack it in.  For Jameel, it was a sign to get going.

He hasn’t looked back since.

McCline soon began sparring with some of the best fighters the heavyweight division had to offer, fighters like Lennox Lewis, Hasim Rahman, Ray Mercer, David Tua, Andrew Golota, Henry Akinwande, Larry Donald, Oleg Maskaev, and future foe Michael Grant. “I've come a long way for someone who has only been in the game five years as a pro with no amateur background,” McCline said. “Sparring with all those guys I worked with, that was my amateur career.”

In between his time in the school of hard knocks as a sparring partner, McCline was making his bones in the ring, scoring win after win over experienced journeymen as well as fellow prospects.  Jameel went 19-0-2 over the four years after the loss to Pickrom, with the only blemishes being two controversial draws with Ron Guerrero and Sherman Williams.  Included were impressive wins over Kimmuel Odum (KO 4), Mike Dixon (TKO 1), and Garing Lane (W 8).

Midway through 2000, McCline went on a tear, leading boxing observers to sit up and take notice of the heavyweight giant with the athleticism to set him apart from the pack.  After dominant summer wins over Shannon Briggs conqueror Sedreck Fields and Reynaldo Minus, McCline was matched with fellow prospect King Ipitan in Las Vegas on January 24 of 2001.  On the line was an HBO date against the comebacking Michael Grant.

The fight was no contest.  “All I had in my mind was attack, attack, attack,” McCline said afterwards. “I was conscious that every time I touch this guy to make sure I take something from him. That was my objective.”  McCline stopped Ipitan in less than a round, but he still had one more obstacle to clear, former world champion Al ‘Ice’ Cole.

Dropping the sturdy chinned Cole in the eighth, at the end of ten rounds, McCline left no doubt in the eyes of the fans and judges as to who the winner of the bout was.  All that was left was to let the boxing world know that he had arrived.

With a frightening intensity, McCline locked himself away from the world with trainer Jimmy Glenn, and the two devised a plan to derail Michael Grant’s comeback.  Even Grant’s trainer Teddy Atlas didn’t like the bout, preferring to bring his charge along slowly, not against a fighter the caliber of Jameel.

On July 21, before a national HBO television audience, McCline made Atlas’ worst nightmares come true.  “Jimmy (Glenn) said go get him with a quick left hook and I did what I was told."  Indeed he did.  The first punch McCline threw, a left hook, crashed against Grant’s jaw and dropped him to the canvas.  Grant rose unsteadily, having broken his ankle in the fall.  McCline pounced on his opponent, and after a follow-up barrage, Grant had had enough.  “When he got hit, I knew he was hurt, so I didn't want to let him get off the hook," McCline said. "I wanted to get on him and finish him." The time of the stoppage was 43 seconds of the first round.

"I wanted to make a statement and I did," said Jameel after the fight.  But while the boxing world was shocked, the division’s new star wasn’t. "I wasn't stunned," said McCline. "I sacrificed immensely for this. Was I surprised? No."

Next for McCline was another giant contender, 6-8 Lance Whitaker, and on December 1, 2001, McCline scored an impressive 12 round decision win over Whitaker to win the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight title.

Five months later, Jameel impressed a hometown crowd at the Theatre of Madison Square Garden with a ten round victory over former lineal heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs, and with these wins in hand, McCline signed to fight hard-hitting Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO heavyweight title.

But McCline’s excitement over his first world title shot led him to overtrain for the bout, and once the bell rang on December 7, 2002, his energy was sapped and he was stopped in the tenth round.

Undeterred, McCline took a six month break from the ring and came back stronger than ever – and not against lackluster foes – as he stopped contenders Charles Shufford, Cedric Boswell, and Wayne Llewelyn in successive bouts.

On November 13, 2004, McCline would receive his second world title opportunity, this time against good friend Chris Byrd.  The two buddies didn’t fight like friends though, as they went to war for 12 entertaining rounds.  Yet despite scoring a second round knockdown of the champion, McCline would lose a disputed 12 round split decision, losing the bout on one scorecard by a single point.

In April of 2005, McCline continued on his quest for only big fights when he battled unbeaten former Olympian Calvin Brock on pay-per-view in Las Vegas.  Again, McCline would score a knockdown of his foe, only to lose a close decision, this time over 10 rounds.

But from here on out, Jameel vows to bring his own judges into the ring – his fists – and he’s not letting the judges get involved this time.  To show this renewed vigor and promise, McCline pounded out a decisive third round knockout over Steve Pannell on August 26, and he plans on doing the same to Lawrence on October 21st.