Jameel Mcline and Samuel Peters Face-off in front of Don King at the New York City Press conference Friday October 5.
Jameel McCline enters the ring for 4th title shot.
Samuel Peter after victory at the Post press conference.
Samuel Peter: (29-1, 22 KOs): When you were down did you think you were done? “No, no. I am the champion and I needed to defend my belt. When I went down I knew I had to stand up. “I broke my left hand during training camp and both of my hands were hurting me tonight. “I did not over look Jameel McCline. I am going back home to bring the WBC heavyweight championship back to Africa.”
Samuel Peter
Jameel McCline contemplates the decision.
Jameel McCline: (38-8-3, 23 KOs) Were you happy with your performance tonight? Not really. I wasn’t happy with my performance. I could’ve finished him, I should’ve finished and I didn’t. I thought I had him. He got away and that is why he is still champion. I will tell you this. Samuel Peter is a great champion.”
Samuel Peter trainer, Pops Anderson.
Promoter Don King has been telling everyone within earshot that Peter could be the next Tyson (King co-promotes Peter with Duva Boxing), and the Nigerian’s 76-percent knockout percentage backs the claim. His lone loss came by decision in 2005 against Wladimir Klitschko after Peter had knocked him down three times. Peter has since honed his boxing skills to the extent he beat Old School boxing master James “Lights Out” Toney twice in a row in his most recent appearances—both on 12-round decisions. Those victories made Peter the WBC No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger.
Don King in the ring fight night Peter vs McCline at Madison Square Garden.
Peter's, from Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, now residing in Las Vegas, has been waiting around all year while Klitschko attempted to come out of retirement, side step him and go to straight to Maskaev with the WBC title at stake. Klitschko and his promoters dangled millions of dollars in front of the feared Nigerian knockout artist to step aside, but the money and Klitschko’s ability to fight never materialized. Klitschko has yet to participate in his last five scheduled matches and has not been in a prizefight since 2004, although he did run in and lose an election to become mayor of Kiev in his native Ukraine in 2006. The good news came from the WBC on Monday when its board of governors made the decision to declare Peter its interim heavyweight champion. Now Maskaev must face the Peter-McCline winner in his next start or surrender his title if he is unable to participate for any reason.
Peter at the New York City Press conference.
McCline, born in Harlem and now residing in West Palm Beach, Fla. was supposed to meet Vitali Klitschko on Sept. 22 in Munich, Germany, but Klitschko pulled out less than two weeks before the fight. McCline subsequently agreed to fight DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson for the North American Boxing Organization heavyweight title on Oct. 6.
The originally scheduled main event on the Garden card was supposed to have been WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev defending against then-WBC No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Peter; however, Maskaev’s promoter pulled the boxer out of the match on Friday (Sept. 21) due to a reported back injury. The WBC named Peter its interim heavyweight champion on Monday (Sept. 24), and McCline agreed to step into the heavyweight world championship main event to face Peter late on Tuesday. “It’s crazy but that’s why you’ve got to be ready for anything in boxing,” McCline said. “I was in against Vitali, then Vitali was out. I was in against Williamson, and now I’m fighting for the world heavyweight championship against Samuel Peter. “I’m a big, strong and talented heavyweight that can stand up and punch with Peter. This isn’t the first time, McCline last fought in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 13, 2004, against Chris Byrd for the IBF heavyweight crown. McCline stunned Byrd with a staggering right hand that floored the defending champion early in the second round, which almost ended the fight. Byrd amazingly finished the session and the fight, and McCline ended up on the losing end of a razor-thin split decision that could have gone either way. Following the loss to Byrd, and a couple of stumbling blocks, McCline put together a string of six wins to earn another shot at a world title, this time against Nikolai “Russian Giant” Valuev. At a weight of more than 590 pounds, it was the heaviest combined weight for a title belt in history. McCline performed exceedingly well, winning the first two rounds before suffering a twisted knee just as the bell sounded to end the third round. The freak injury left him unable to continue in the bout. A three-sport high school star that went on to play collegiate basketball, McCline began boxing at a “late stage” and after a two-win, two-loss, one-draw record to begin his heavyweight career, he began to soar through the rankings, putting together a streak of 28 fights without suffering a loss. His first world title fight came on Dec, 7, 2002, against then-World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. McCline lost a hard-fought battle by a 10th-round technical knockout before winning his next three fights to set up the meeting with Byrd.
Promoter Dino Duva, president of Duva Boxing, and WBC no. 1 contender Samuel Peter, issued this statement on the injury to heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev, forcing Maskaev to pull out of October 6 title fight at Madison Square Garden:"We are shocked and disappointed that Maskaev is pulling out of the fight. We intend to verify this injury and the extent of it."In the meantime, we are urging the WBC to allow Samuel to fight for WBC interim heavyweight title on October 6. If and when Maskaev gets healthy, we obviously look forward to fighting him at that point in time."Sam Peter has waited too long for this title fight; he can't wait around for Maskaev to get healthy; Samuel Peter should fight for the heavyweight championship on October 6."
Eddie Goldman and Dino Duva
Promoter Lou Duva
The Under card
Polish favorite Andrew Golota (40-6-1,33 KOs), from Warsaw, defeated Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride (34-5-1,29 KOs), from Ireland, for the International Boxing Federation North American championship.
Andrew Golota: “Kevin surprised me. He was faster than I thought he would be and he didn’t get tired.“I proved tonight that I can still fight with anyone.”Andrew Golota exits after Victory.
Kevin McBride (34-6-1,29 KOs): “No, I didn’t think the referee should have stopped it but I was having trouble seeing out of my eye. He really didn’t hurt me until the end. “I thought that I had him out in the first round. It was close. I’m okay now.”
Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. “Kevin was winded. He took a lot of shots. He can fight on another day.”Kevin McBride speaks to the Press.
Daniel Santos(30-3-1,21 KOs), from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, defeated, Two-time 147- and 154-pound world champion Jose Antonio Rivera (38-5-1,24 KOs), from Worcester, Mass., Santos and Rivera squared off in an elimination bout to determine the World Boxing Association super welterweight No. 1 ranking and mandatory challenger to recently crowned champion Joachim Alcine.
Daniel Santos: (31-3-1, 22 KOs) “It was a good fight and he’s a hard puncher. He hit me with some good shots early but my conditioning was so good it wasn’t a problem. Our game plan was to take him into deep water in the later rounds and that’s what I did. “Now I am the mandatory challenger to new WBA super welterweight champion Joachim Alcine. If he’s ready, I’m ready to do it tomorrow.”
Daniel Santos at New York City Press conference.
Jose Antonio Rivera: (38-6-1, 24 KOs) “I had good moments early but I was unable to explode the way we did in the gym leading up to the fight. I stayed in the same rhythm and was unable to pick it up. He had a field day with me. “Daniel fought a great fight. I was in great shape. I did my best. You have to tip your hat to Daniel Santos tonight.”
Jose Riveria and John Scully,trainer at New York City Press conference.
Kali Meehan (33-3, 27 KOs), of Australia defeated Williamson (24-4, 20 KOs), the World Boxing Association No. 4-ranked contender from Denver, Colo., to win the NABO championship; Kali Meehan When asked if he was fighting for his father-in-law Moana Fetelika, lost to liver cancer Thursday, Meehan said, “To be honest, it is the fifth anniversary of my auntie’s death, a good friend of mine died in an accident in September, and my father-in-law died on Friday. Sometimes these things make a difference. “I was never going to lose this fight. I felt better tonight than I did the night I almost stopped Lamon Brewster [for the WBO heavyweight championship].“When I fought Hasim Rahman at Madison Square Garden, I was fighting injured and I was intimidated. After all, it is the Garden. I was not intimidated at all tonight. I knew just what to do.
Meehan talks to the media after victory at Madison Square Garden.
Celebrity Sitings
Don King Lloyd Price and Reggae recording artist Shaggy, who performed.
Roy Jones and Wyclef Jean attend Peter vs McCline bout at Madison Square Garden.
Felix "Tito" Trinidad attends the Peter vs McCline bout at Madison Square Garden.
Mayorga attends Peter vs McCline bout at Madison Square Garden.
Samuel Peter,(l to r) Al Smith, guest, and actors Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Itteme.
Keisha and Riddick Bowe, former Heavyweight champion.
Don King Productions has promoted over 500 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted or co-promoted seven of the 10 largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including three of the top five: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995. DKP has promoted or co-promoted 11 of the top 15 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including four of the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in history.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.
Dino Duva, the president of Duva Boxing, has promoted great fighters and great fights during four decades in boxing. Growing up in a renowned boxing family, the Duva name has become synonymous with excellence in the fight game as the “First Family in Boxing.” Working closely with his Hall of Fame father, Lou, and his late, great brother Dan, Duva has been involved in the promotion of over 100 world championship fights including such titlists as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker, Arturo Gatti, and Mark Breland. Duva is presently the promoter of Samuel Peter, regarded by many as the top young heavyweight contender in boxing.
MSG Sports Properties is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P., owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, which includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.
