Boxing
Oliver McCall’s heavyweight ranking of 60 raises questions
Published
2 months agoon
Former heavyweight champion Oliver McCall still appears in the US heavyweight rankings at the age of 60, an unusual entry that immediately raises questions about how those rankings are calculated.
BoxRec currently ranks McCall 51st among American heavyweights and in the top 250 in the world, which puts the “Atomic Bull” ahead of several energetic fighters.
Below McCall are DeAndre Savage (No. 54), Josh Popper (No. 59), Curtis Harper (No. 61), Ed Latimore (No. 70) and Tyrrell Herndon (No. 83).
What stands out about these spots is that many of these players have been much more energetic in recent years, while McCall’s appearances have been constrained. Several of them also faced noticeably stronger opposition.
Oliver McCall’s ranking anomaly
McCall, whose professional career began in 1985, has a record of 61-14-1 with 40 knockouts and remains one of the most recognizable heavyweight champions of the 1990s.
The Chicago native defeated Lennox Lewis to win the WBC title before building one of boxing’s longest-lasting careers.
Despite turning 60, McCall still wrestles occasionally under the Country Box banner. His last appearances were in Nashville, Tennessee, where he recorded wins over Gary Cobia and Stacy Frazier and a draw with Carlos Reyes.
McCall fought just three times in six years and drew once. The level of his opponents doesn’t even register on any significant scale compared to some of the fighters listed around him, especially Tyrrell Herndon, who could reasonably be rated higher simply for surviving a seven-round loss to Deontay Wilder.
The anomaly raises a broader question. Is this just a quirk of the ranking system or something that requires further explanation?
It is known that BoxRec uses a points-based formula, but it is unclear whether the calculations are currently fully automated and whether human supervision still plays a role in determining the order.
Mike Tyson Rating
For context, Mike Tyson’s return to Jake Paul – when Tyson was two years younger than the current McCall – placed the former undisputed champion at No. 74 in the United States and No. 338 in the world.
That ranking was about a hundred places below McCall’s current global standing, even though Tyson’s return attracted much more attention and faced a much more vital opponent.
McCall turned professional at the age of 19, meaning the former heavyweight champion is still appearing in the rankings more than forty years after his debut.
On this basis, the existence of a plain nostalgia factor can probably be ruled out.
Instead, the situation indicates that algorithm-based rankings can sometimes produce results that do not reflect activity or opposition.
Whether the breakdown reflects a system working exactly as designed or an anomaly worthy of closer examination is a fair question.
About the author
Phil Jay is a seasoned boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As editor-in-chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and covered boxing’s biggest nights in the ring. View all articles by Phil Jay.
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The weigh-ins quickly turned tense when Albright apparently sent a message directly to Davis during their bout.
“Be a professional,” Albright said in a recording later released by DAZN Boxing.
The lack of weight immediately sparked a backlash online, as Davis has dealt with weight issues before. Last year, Davis lost his WBO lightweight title after losing more than four pounds ahead of his scheduled defense against Edwin De Los Santos.
Friday also marked the second time Davis has failed to make weight in his last three fights.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum admitted that Davis was having difficulty gaining 140 pounds and suggested that the problem may still exist.
“Well, obviously he has issues at 140,” Arum told Fighthype. “The problem is the next category is seven pounds. That’s a gigantic difference.”
Arum also compared Friday’s setback to the loss of Davis, who was previously more than four pounds compact before his canceled fight with De Los Santos last year.
“It was inexcusable because he was five pounds overweight,” Arum said.
“He is now 0.1 weight off which he will improve and get down to 140 or less.”
Keyshawn was later asked by DAZN what he told Albright during Friday’s matchup.
“I didn’t say anything,” Davis said. “That’s what I do. I knock people out.”
When asked what kind of performance he expected in the rematch, Keyshawn gave a compact answer.
“An unexpected spectacle.”
There was already bad blood in the rematch after their first fight in October 2023 was later changed to a no-contest after Keyshawn tested positive for marijuana. Their original meeting initially resulted in Keyshawn winning by a majority vote.

Boxing
Dave Allen weighed at his lightest in seven years, causing ‘biggest brawl in British boxing history’ in match against Hrgovic
Published
3 hours agoon
May 15, 2026
Dave Allen kept his word and will enter the fight with Filip Hrgovic in decent shape.
The fan-favorite Briton has been emotional throughout his career, often revealing after defeats that he could have trained harder and prepared better.
This weekend he will be looking to claim the biggest scalp of his campaign in Hrgovica world-class, well-trained and sturdy Croatian, whose only defeat was against the up-to-date world champion Daniel Dubois.
Although he still considers the main event at London’s O2 Arena against Lucas Browne to be the biggest achievement of his career, Allen will be fighting in front of 10,000 fans at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, and the importance of this event has not crossed his mind.
He clearly has a tough trainer, tipping the scales at 248.8 pounds. This is an impressive drop compared to the 271 he weighed in his last appearance – in February he defeated Karim Berredjem in the first round. In fact, this is the lowest weight Allen has registered since his 2019 loss to David Price.
Speaking about the transformation, “Dazzling” Dave said:
“I’ve just eaten less chocolate, less sweets… People talk about sacrifices but I’m actually very elated. I spend a lot of time with my family, my children and boxing for a living. Everyone here doing a 9-5, it’s a sacrifice. It wouldn’t be fair to talk about sacrifice, I live my dreams every day. Sometimes it’s difficult in the gym, sometimes I feel like eating something, but I’ll go out in front of 10,000 people in Doncaster against one of the best heavyweights in the world. world. It was my dream and I will make it come true soon.
Regardless of his shape, most consider Hrgović too gigantic a mountain for Allen to climb. He is aware of this but believes it could cause one of the worst disturbances ever seen on British shores.
“He’s a great fighter, but I’m not afraid of him. He’s been trying to tell me all week that I don’t want to look at him. I don’t care about Filip Hrgovic. It’s a boxing match.
“On paper I shouldn’t even be in the ring with him, but I feel tomorrow at Donny’s will be a special night where I’ll experience one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history.”
If Allen fails to disrupt the odds and Hrgovic emerges unscathed, he is widely expected to face Moses Itauma in August.
Boxing
David Morrell says a career doesn’t end after a KO defeat
Published
5 hours agoon
May 15, 2026
David Morrell says his career isn’t over after his knockout loss to Zak Chelli last Saturday in England, but questions are already being raised about whether Morrell should return to 168 pounds after another tough run at lithe heavyweight.
Morrell was stopped in the 10th and final round after a competitive bout on the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois heavyweight undercard. The defeat was Morrell’s second defeat in his last three fights following a decision loss to David Benavidez in February 2025.
“This doesn’t mean David Morrell’s career is over,” Morrell said on the I shownstagram. We must take this as a lesson and move on with greater strength.
“We’ll be back soon and we’ll have more news for you.”
Morrell also assured fans that he was recovering quickly from the knockout.
“For those who are worried: thank God, I am well and robust.
“A person is not measured by the number of times he falls, but by the number of times he gets up.
“This is the beginning of a fresh stage, not the end of the race.”
The loss to Chelli increased criticism of Morrell’s move to 175 pounds. Since moving up from super middleweight in August 2024, Morrell entered 2025 undefeated, but has now lost two of his last three fights since moving up to lithe heavyweight.
Morrell dropped a split decision victory over previously undefeated Imam Khataev last July before losing to David Benavidez and being stopped by Zak Chelli.
Boxing analyst Chris Mannix was among those who suggested Morrell may need to rebuild at super middleweight after the defeat.
The 28-year-old Cuban currently has a record of 12-2 with nine knockouts, having entered 2025 undefeated and viewed as one of the most perilous newborn fighters in boxing.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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Last update: 2026/05/14 at 23:49
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