What happened to McCall in the second Lewis fight?

[TheLeprechaun]

Today is the 22 year aniversary of this fight

Why did he refuse to fight and then start crying in the ring? Did he ever explain this?

[jameswilson]

High as a kite.

[MasterG]

It was a bizarre site. McCall seemed to have some sort of breakdown.

Whether it was drug related I'm not sure.

[Nightmare Roy]

One of the maddest things in boxing that, he was a really hard man too, one of the few guys that could handle sparring Tyson

[Steveh583]

He was withdrawing from crack cocaine

[banjo]

Bruno in his autobiography recalled him crying during their fight too.

[keirw]

I vaguely remember that he was known to sob a few tears during a fight in order to fire himself up.

The Lewis fight was different though, he was a blubbering wreck, it was unpleasant to watch.

[bigjack]

One of the maddest things in boxing that, he was a really hard man too, one of the few guys that could handle sparring Tyson

I've never once seen his legs buckle in any fight,absolutely hard as nails but complete crackpot.

[danconnollyeire]

Was weird. Also, WTF was Lewis doing. His opponent was standing there, facing the wrong way, hands down, no defense, crying and Lewis was throwing double jabs loooool

[orbtastic]

He used to cry before fights and usually came out to Diana Ross, if I remember. Said it got him emotionally fired up.

He clearly had a crack problem at various stages in his career. I remember the Bruno build-up stuff, he looked off his face in a lot of the footage. The section where he's playing croquet, even Don King looked lost for words.

He was in and out of rehab prior to their rematch, clearly not fit to fight but that's DK for you.

[knockout]

As already mentioned , crack withdrawal is the common theory !

Drugs aside was there a better physical specimen than McCall. He could punch , he had an amazing chin, he had good stamina, he was explosive .

Such a wasted talent.

[stujones]

He definately wasn't right in the Bruno fight, but against Lewis - it was just like he had a breakdown.

[Dixonian]

Was weird. Also, WTF was Lewis doing. His opponent was standing there, facing the wrong way, hands down, no defense, crying and Lewis was throwing double jabs loooool

To be fair Lewis had to be a little cautious in case he suddenly sprung off the ropes and caught him with a sucker punch (again!).

[oogiebe]

If I remember correctly, McCall had some substance abuse and emotional issues prior to the fight. He was just not ready for a fight, as he came back from that too quickly. Shame on his handlers. He literally had a nervous breakdown in the ring.

[big lennox]

Not long before the fight he was arrested for launching a Christmas tree across a hotel lobby. Poor bloke, he was not in a fit state to be in a boxing ring, with the World's gaze upon him.

I've read a couple of interviews in the past with Lennox and he said he half didn't want to get caught by a sucker punch and half felt sorry for him -at the start he thought it was tactics but then began to realise that his opponent was having a breakdown. He added, that he was the only opponent he ever felt sorry for.

[danconnollyeire]

Was weird. Also, WTF was Lewis doing. His opponent was standing there, facing the wrong way, hands down, no defense, crying and Lewis was throwing double jabs loooool

To be fair Lewis had to be a little cautious in case he suddenly sprung off the ropes and caught him with a sucker punch (again!).

True but it's so frustrating to watch. After 4/5 rounds you're think "throw a poxy power punch and put the guy out of his misery already

[danconnollyeire]

Not long before the fight he was arrested for launching a Christmas tree across a hotel lobby. Poor bloke, he was not in a fit state to be in a boxing ring, with the World's gaze upon him.

I've read a couple of interviews in the past with Lennox and he said he half didn't want to get caught by a sucker punch and half felt sorry for him -at the start he thought it was tactics but then began to realise that his opponent was having a breakdown. He added, that he was the only opponent he ever felt sorry for.

Fair play

[Coco]

Lewis also came out with a strange comment saying McCall was intimidated by his white shorts!

[Boxerbeetle]

Lewis also came out with a strange comment saying McCall was intimidated by his white shorts!

Massive shorts!

[tobyh5]

AJ vs McCall?

[oogiebe]

AJ vs McCall?

You want to make him cry again!?

[Tuan_Jim]

King yanked him out of rehab and tossed him in the ring because he wanted that WBC belt back.

[gilgamesh]

If I remember correctly, McCall had some substance abuse and emotional issues prior to the fight. He was just not ready for a fight, as he came back from that too quickly. Shame on his handlers. He literally had a nervous breakdown in the ring.

Yeah it's basically just a case of whatever he had going on in his personal life at that moment was so unstable that he had no business being in ANY fight, let alone a fight at that level of the sport.

[danconnollyeire]

McCall has a fight scheduled for next month lol

[banjo]

He came back a few months ago after 3 or 4 years away, still nobody has knocked the tough bugger out.