By Keith Idec
Jameel McCline’s comeback took a significant hit when the former heavyweight contender dropped an eight-round majority decision to Harold Sconiers on Feb. 3.
Sconiers, a journeyman from Clearwater, Fla., entered what was supposed to be a tune-up fight for McCline with a 17-23-2 record. He had been stopped in the first round of his previous bout by Kevin Johnson and was just 3-18 in his previous 21 fights, dating back to December 2000.
Nevertheless, the 41-year-old McCline doesn’t plan to let that dubious defeat prohibit him from continuing his comeback.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound McCline (40-11-3, 24 KOs) will return to the ring Saturday night in Hamilton, N.J. The West Palm Beach, Fla., resident will box against Atlantic City’s Livin Castillo (16-11, 10 KOs) in another eight-round fight, the co-main event of a 10-bout card at Hamilton Manor.
McCline, who fought four times for world heavyweight titles from 2002-2007, figures to out-weigh Castillo by more than 70 pounds. Castillo, 36, has lost six of his last seven fights, five by knockout.
Before Sconiers upset him, McCline defeated Dennis McKinney (28-54-1, 14 KOs) by fourth-round technical knockout on Dec. 3 in Greensboro, N.C. That was his first fight in 2½ years, following a fourth-round knockout loss to Chris Arreola (35-2, 30 KOs).
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com.
