by James Slater – Seeing as how 45-year-old Oliver McCall was arrested for cocaine possession back in February, I felt for sure that “The Atomic Bull’s” roller coaster career was finally over. The former WBC heavyweight champion’s scheduled fight with Zuri Lawrence, set for February 15th, was cancelled as a result of his latest instalment of legal troubles, and it looked like McCall would face a long incarceration.
However, if you scan Boxrec.com’s upcoming U.S schedule, you will see that they have McCall down as boxing again on the 15th of this month, against Timur Ibragomiv! Scheduled, according to the invaluable website, to face the 35-year-old from Uzbekistan at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, McCall will likely have a tough night on his hands (if this fight actually does come off).
Ibragimov, the cousin of former WBO heavyweight ruler Sultan Ibragimov, was a fine amateur and as a pro he has yet to be stopped. Currently 27-2-1(15), the Uzbekistan warrior has been keeping himself busy; having won his last six fights. Since losing back-to-back decisions to Calvin Brock and Tony Thompson in 2006/7, Ibragimov has won against so-so opposition – fighting in Germany, the U.S, Sweden and, last time out, in February of this year, Russia.
McCall, by comparison, has not boxed since last October, when the former champ improved to 54-9(37) with a points win over the huge Lance Whitaker. How will this recent inactivity, along with the other “problems” McCall has had, affect the old warrior in this next fight? McCall has proven he can handle big heavyweights, and he had, up until late last year, shown how he’d retained his granite chin. But is Oliver facing a dangerous fight on June 15th?
Ibragiomv is no giant at a little under 6’4″ and approx 222-pounds, but he may well provide McCall with his toughest fight since the loss to Juan Carlos Gomez back in 2007. McCall, if he does indeed get this fight, will have embarked on yet one more astonishing comeback, but is this the fight where he finally reaches the end of the road?
McCall, one tough guy, is coming back against a formidable opponent (indeed, many a young heavyweight would look at Ibragimov and decide he is too dangerous to risk taking on) and he deserves respect for this. A guy with an old-school mentality, “The Atomic Bull” has never done things by halves. It’s tough not to root for him!
Making a prediction for this fight is no easy thing, but the younger, more active man has to be a good bet, surely? Can McCall prove me wrong once again?