By Laz Izada: This past Friday night ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” was in the house, at the Hard Rock Live Arena, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fl. On the under card of the welterweight match-up between Brad Solomon and Demetrius Hopkins was a heavyweight showdown that caught the attention of fight fans and media.
The big boys, the heavyweights veteran contender Cedric “The Boz” Boswell (34-1, 26 KOs) and former WBC world heavyweight champion (Lennox Lewis conqueror) Oliver “The Atomic Bull” McCall (55-11, 37 Kos) were to battle. Boswell ranked No.15 by the WBC was originally scheduled to fight Alonzo “Big Zo” Butler (28-1-1, 21 KOs) then “Smokin” Bert Cooper (38-22, 31 KOs) none of those two fights developed and then McCall stepped up to the challenge, the week of the fight.
McCall now 45 years old, was coming into the fight with a split decision victory over Fres Oquendo (32-6) last December. Boswell had TKO’d Dominique Alexander (20-9-1) in the 2nd round of his last fight in January of this year.
McCall weighted in at 259Lbs, while 41 year old Boswell (that doesn’t look his age), came in at a fit and solid 226Lbs.
The scheduled 10 rounder went the distance as Boswell displayed superior hand and foot speed throughout the match, connecting with impressive lead left jabs to McCall’s head and body and left-right combination’s, sealing the victory and perhaps ending McCall’s long career that began professionally in 1985.
Final scores winning the match for Boswell by unanimous decision were 99-91,99-92, and 98-92.
Boswell felt good with the victory over a tough, experienced veteran like McCall. Boswell had previously beaten Owen Beck by knockout in December of 2010, and an undefeated Roman Greenberg by TKO in August of 2008.
It was Boswell’s 13th victory in a row, since losing a tough fight in 2003 to Jameel McCline where many have felt he had won every round except the last round when the fight was stopped, and McCline was declared the winner.
It was Boswells third fight with his new promoters The Heavyweight Factory which have been keeping him active fighting every 2 months.
Boswell feels that he deserves and is ready for a world title shot that things are “getting better and better” for him, he will take on anybody in his path to a heavyweight world title shot. He feels that he is a better fighter than others that have had a chance to face the Klitschko’s.
With the victory Boswell now has 3 heavyweight titles under his belt the NABA, IBF Inter-Continental and WBC Latino heavyweight belt. With these 3 belts he should move up in the rankings and face top opponents and eventually get a world title shot.