Oliver mccall why did he cry

The WBC strap was up for grabs again, only this time neither man was defending it. Mike Tyson had vacated the title rather than face Lewis, opting to pursue a bout with Evander Holyfield instead. McCall had recorded easy wins over Oleg Maskaev and James Stanton prior to the second meeting, but his career had been hampered by stints in rehab. He was also arrested in December after throwing a Christmas tree in a hotel lobby in Tennessee, leading to him being charged with vandalism, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Lewis, meanwhile, looked vastly improved under Steward. The new partnership had won four on the spin, with The Lion primed for a chance at redemption at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. In an unusual act, McCall ran to the ring.

It was an entrance more akin to WWE wrestling than boxing. There was no crying to get emotionally tuned in this time, just a sprint to get proceedings started. For the opening two rounds, Lewis was in complete control. Wary of the right hand that had ended his first reign just under three years earlier, he kept his distance and worked well behind the jab.

But, after Round 3, McCall opted not to return to his corner. While he took laps of the ring, his corner waited.

And waited. If it was all part of a cunning plan his trainer at the time, George Benton, knew nothing about it. In Round 4, McCall dropped his hands low and continued to stroll around. Astonishingly, there were times when he didn't even face up to his rival, offering Lewis the chance to take free shots. In a sport where you're instructed to protect yourself, McCall was a sitting duck. Yet by the middle of the fourth it was clear all was not well with McCall.

Username or Email Address. Remember Me. In their previous meeting McCall defeated Lewis via a second round stoppage , to take the same title away from the Londoner. McCALL had a far from routine preparation for the fight. He twice went into rehab on the back of being arrested for drug charges and antisocial violence. THE favourite Lewis started the fight in confident fashion. The Brit controlled the first three rounds with stiff left jabs and occasional hard rights to the head.

McCall refused to go to his corner after the third round and just walked around the ring. FROM there on the fight became extremely bizarre. McCall, who has admitted to a drug problem, had been tested last Tuesday, a day after his arrival in Las Vegas for the fight. In a rambling, emotional news conference Saturday, McCall insisted that his unorthodox actions were part of a strategy to confuse and eventually wear out Lewis.

I spoke with him. He gave me answers and I made an assessment. He specializes in treating athletes and entertainers and has treated student-athletes at UCLA. The mind fragments, falls to pieces. It could be stress, anxiety or many other causes. It was an emotional breakdown. I observed all the symptoms first-hand. He walked around the ring.

He ignored his corner. His eyes had a glazed look, as if he were in a disassociative state, as if he were not there at all, detached.

All that indicates a breakdown.