One more up-and-comer looking to make a statement

Photo: TOM CASINO/SHOWTIME
Jameel McCLine (left) weighed 269 pounds Thursday for his 10-round fight with Cedric Bowell (228 pounds) Friday on "ShoBox: The New Generation" on Showtime (9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The man in the middle is promoter Dan Goossen.

By Janne Romppainen

02.10 - Last weekend there was the “Night Of The Young Heavyweights” where six heavyweight prospects took on each other. An action-packed night that has already been reviewed on this site saw Joe Mesi, Dominick Guinn and Juan Carlos Gomez overcoming their opponents and taking a step closer to the top of the heavyweight. Out of the three, especially Mesi and Guinn were impressive in their bouts. Six days later, on the 3rd of October, one more new face is aiming to join them as a legitimate prospect and some feel that he might prove to be the best of the group. The fighter is Cedric Boswell, 34-year-old heavyweight who takes on “Big Time” Jameel McCline in a ten-round heavyweight bout.

As you can conclude from Boswell’s age, he isn’t actually a newcomer in boxing circles. He first started his career already back in 1994. Between years 1994-99 he scored sixteen straight victories until he retired from the ring for three years. He launched comeback last year because, according to his own words, he saw what the state was at heavyweight and felt that he still had his word to say for its future. After his comeback Boswell has scored five victories over mediocre opposition. Now the time has come for him to step up in competition. He was ready to do that already in summer in Lennox Lewis – Kirk Johnson title fight undercard but those plans were cancelled. Boswell was supposed to face Vitaly Klitschko but when Johnson pulled out, Klitschko replaced him and Boswell was left without a fight. Now he has a new chance.

Cedric Boswell has even been compared to the legendary Sonny Liston, although the same has been said about much lesser fighters than the promising American. And indeed, from his looks the comparison could be made. Boswell is a big, strongly-build fighter standing at 6’3 and weighing over 230lbs without any extra baggage. His shaven skull and mean look added to his fierce fighting style indeed resemble the legendary heavyweight champion. He has been impressive so far, gathering a record of 21 victories without a loss with sixteen knockouts. His best weapons seem to be a strong, accurate left jab and a very good punching power. Also his chin seems to hold up well. What is yet to be seen is whether he is anywhere near the championship calibre though, after next Friday we should know something more about that.

Unlike was the case last weekend, Boswell’s opponent is no green fighter. He faces a guy who one year ago was a highly touted new figure himself. Jameel McCline is a big, impressive-looking mountain of muscle, standing at 6’6 and weighing over 260lbs. McCline made his own breakthrough by blasting out Michael Grant in one round and followed up with solid point victories over Lance Whitaker and Shannon Briggs. These victories raised McCline the top-10 of heavyweights and gave him a chance to challenge the then-champion Wladimir Klitschko for his WBO title. It was supposed to be McCline’s big chance but it turned out to be a fight that spoiled his reputation in the eyes of many. McCline fought very passively, even looking gun-shy and lost by a stoppage after ten one-sided rounds. He made a comeback by fighting Charles Shufford in May. In that fight McCline was in great difficulties in the second round until he escaped with a controversial stoppage victory in the next round.

McCline is a big, athletic fighter who has good knowing of the boxing basics and he is able to let his hands go pretty quickly for such a huge fellow. Like Boswell, McCline also possesses a good, rangy jab. On the contrary, his punching power is not all what you could presume from it considering the size of the fighter. Also earlier, but especially after the Klitschko fight there has been a big question mark over McCline’s heart too. It seems that when he gets hit too hard, he retreats to his shield and doesn’t come out anymore. Now McCline is looking to score his 30th victory in his career that also includes three defeats and three draws.

Personally I have seen Boswell quite little, but for what I have seen, he has impressed me. Especially his easy, brutal stoppage victory over the useful Talmadge Griffis in two rounds was a solid showing. In this fight, much of his success depends on his punching power. He should have no problem finding his much larger opponent, what happens when he does that is the key for the fight. If his punch is as effective against better opponents as it has been so far, then he should be able to take the fight out of McCline in the same manner Klitschko did and pound his way to a decision victory or even to a knockout considering that McCline’s chin hasn’t always been totally reliable. If Boswell can’t put the hurt on McCline, then the “Big Time” will test his boxing ability and McCline himself is a good boxer. In that scenario McCline’s reach and nice hand-speed could turn the fight in his favour.

Even though picking the fights of the prospects is much of guessing game, I have a strong feeling about this one. I think Boswell will show that he is for real and take McCline’s place in the top-20 rankings. I believe Boswell will drive McCline to the ropes with his jab and practically pound away there as long as McCline has to succumb. McCline will give him some trouble with his own jab and possibly test his chin with a couple of good shots but I don’t think it will be enough. Boswell by a ninth-round stoppage is my pick.

The fight is a brave move by both fighters, they both have a lot to lose. A second loss for McCline in short time would be fatal considering especially that Boswell is still quite unknown name. Boswell for his part is getting up in age. If he loses, he probably doesn’t have the time to build his career again. Nice to see that there are fighters who have the guts to take fights like this. Unfortunately, only one of them can come out as a winner.

Comments/questions: janneromppainen@hotmail.com