Iceman John Scully

Last updated
John Scully
Born (1967-07-28) July 28, 1967 (age 57)
Other names"Iceman"
OccupationFormer boxer
Known forFormer world-ranked light heavyweight

'Iceman' John Scully (born July 28, 1967) is a former American boxer. Formerly a world-ranked professional light heavyweight, he is now a boxing trainer [1] who has trained two light heavyweight champions in Chad Dawson and Artur Beterbiev and is an analyst for the ESPN Classic television network. John is also known for his work with disadvantaged former fighters and charity for them as well as organizing events targeting former amateur standout fighters and reconnecting them with the boxing community.

Contents

Amateur career

Scully graduated from Windsor (Connecticut) High School in 1985. He began boxing in 1982 and won numerous championships at middleweight (165 pounds or 75 kilograms), including the 1987 Ohio State Fair (Columbus, Ohio), the 1987 National PAL (Jacksonville, Florida) and the 1988 Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials (Fayetteville, North Carolina).

Scully defeated World 165-pound (75 kg) Amateur Champion Darin Allen to win the Eastern Trials, future heavyweight contender Melvin Foster to win the Ohio Fair, and nationally rated Kertis Mingo at the National PAL.

Scully won Outstanding Boxer awards at both the 1987 Western Massachusetts Golden Gloves and the 1988 Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials tournaments.

In February 1988, the 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) boxer was named to the All-Time team (in the middleweight spot), for the WM Golden Gloves in Holyoke, Massachusetts, joining fellow standouts Mike Tyson (heavyweight) and Marlon "Magic Man" Starling (honorable mention at welterweight). Scully won four straight WM Golden Gloves titles (1985–1988) and three consecutive New England Golden Gloves titles (1986–1988).

He defeated fellow future world-title challenger Joey DeGrandis to win the 1988 New England Golden Gloves championships.

Scully also advanced to the championship round of the National Golden Gloves tournament on two occasions, losing on a 3–2 split decision in 1987 at Knoxville (to Fabian Williams of Michigan) and a highly disputed 3–2 call in Omaha in 1988, to Keith Providence of New York City.

Scully also notably scored two decision victories en route to each of those national final appearances in 1987 and 1988 over hard-punching future WBC #1 Middleweight contender Lamar "Kidfire" Parks of Greenville, South Carolina.

The "Iceman" concluded his amateur career with a Bronze medal winning performance at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials in Concord, California, defeating # 3 ranked Joe Hill of Omaha in the quarter-finals before losing a 4–1 decision to World Champion Darin Allen of Columbus, Ohio in the semi-final rematch of their Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials final just one month earlier.

Scully turned professional with a final amateur record of 57–13 (not including two junior olympic bouts at age 15 and two exhibition matches).

Professional career

Scully turned professional in 1988 and finished his career in 2001 with a 38–11 record (21 knockouts). He fought for the International Boxing Federation world light heavyweight championship at Leipzig, Germany in 1996, losing a 12-round decision to unbeaten champion Henry Maske. On December 8, 1995, Scully fought two-time world champion Michael Nunn for the WBO NABO super middleweight title. Although ESPN commentators had the fight close, Nunn was awarded a unanimous win, including a curiously wide score on the card of judge Harold Gomes.

His victories include a unanimous ten-round decision over Art Baylis (On Prime TV Network), a ten-round decision over WBC International 154-pound (70 kg) champion Billy Bridges at Harrah's in Atlantic City (on ESPN)

Scully also captured a November 1989 unanimous decision on USA's Tuesday Night Fights, over the former #1 nationally ranked 156-pound (71 kg) amateur Alphonso Bailey of Kentucky. Scully-Bailey was the co-feature to Simon Brown's IBF 147-pound (67 kg) title defense against Luis Santana.

On May 22, 1992 at Agawam, Massachusetts Scully captured a unanimous 12-round decision over Southern Boxing Association champion Melvin Wynn of Atlanta, Georgia as well.

Scully also frequently served as a sparring partner for some of the biggest names in the sport, including the highly regarded world champions Henry Maske, Mike McCallum, Vinny Pazienza, Roy Jones Jr. and James "Lights Out" Toney.

In November 2010, "Iceman" John Scully was inducted into the fifth class of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Connecticut.

Professional boxing record

38 Wins (21 knockouts, 17 decisions), 11 Losses (1 technical knockout, 10 decisions) [2]
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes
Win13-1 Flag of the United States.svg Cleveland NelsonSD822/06/2001 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaScully puts on a superb display of boxing and punching, featuring an accurate left jab.
Loss24-9-2 Flag of the United States.svg Ernest Mateen UD819/04/2001 Flag of the United States.svg New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Loss11-0-2 Flag of the United States.svg Sam AhmadMD804/06/1999 Flag of the United States.svg Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Loss29-8-1 Flag of Malawi.svg Drake Thadzi TKO702/08/1998 Flag of the United States.svg Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. IBO Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:37 of the seventh round with a severely weight drained Scully putting up a surprisingly lackluster performance.
Win13-7-1 Flag of the United States.svg Scott LopeckTKO618/12/1997 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Loss23-7-1 Flag of the United States.svg Ernest Mateen UD1029/06/1997 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Loss38-4-1 Flag of Germany.svg Graciano Rocchigiani UD1022/03/1997 Flag of Germany.svg Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
Loss29-0 Flag of Germany.svg Henry Maske UD1225/05/1996 Flag of Germany.svg Leipzig, Germany IBF Light Heavyweight Title.
Win0-6 Flag of the United States.svg Jose Luis FelicianoTKO115/03/1996 Flag of the United States.svg Revere, Massachusetts, U.S.
Loss47-3 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Nunn UD1208/12/1995 Flag of the United States.svg Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S. WBO NABO Super Middleweight Title.
Win16-11-2 Flag of the United States.svg Willie BallTKO220/09/1995 Flag of the United States.svg Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S.
Win13-18 Flag of the United States.svg Willie KempPTS817/05/1995 Flag of the United States.svg Mashantucket, Connecticut], U.S.
Win0-14 Flag of the United States.svg Luis OliveiraTKO114/03/1995 Flag of the United States.svg Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win10-7 Flag of the United States.svg Art BaylissPTS1020/10/1994 Flag of the United States.svg Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S.
Win6-10-1 Flag of the United States.svg Tim CooperPTS818/08/1994 Flag of the United States.svg Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S.
Win13-11 Flag of the United States.svg Willie KempPTS825/06/1994 Flag of the United States.svg Revere, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win12-39-4 Flag of the United States.svg David McCluskeyTKO412/03/1994 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win7-29 Flag of the United States.svg Jose VeraTKO406/11/1993 Flag of the United States.svg Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.
Loss32-5-1 Flag of the United States.svg Tony Thornton UD1016/03/1993 Flag of the United States.svg Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Loss19-0 Flag of the United States.svg Tim Littles UD1213/11/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. IBF USBA Super Middleweight Title.
Win7-23 Flag of the United States.svg Jose VeraPTS624/09/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Randolph, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win4-3 Flag of the United States.svg Herman FarrarTKO620/08/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Milford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win15-23 Flag of the United States.svg Danny ChapmanTKO306/08/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win10-30-4 Flag of the United States.svg David McCluskeyPTS630/06/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
Win12-8 Flag of the United States.svg Melvin WynnUD1222/05/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Agawam, Massachusetts, U.S.WBF Intercontinental Super Middleweight Title. Scully and Wynn put on a spirited main event with Scully finishing strongly over the second half of the bout to secure the unanimous win
Win7-18 Flag of the United States.svg Jose VeraPTS627/02/1992 Flag of the United States.svg Agawam, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win13-6 Flag of the United States.svg Willie KempPTS1022/11/1991 Flag of the United States.svg Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win22-20-1 Flag of the United States.svg Randy SmithPTS1027/09/1991 Flag of the United States.svg Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win7-17 Flag of the United States.svg Jose VeraUD823/10/1991 Flag of the United States.svg Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Loss19-5-1 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin WattsUD1018/03/1991 Flag of the United States.svg Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Win16-0 Flag of the United States.svg Billy BridgesSD1012/12/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Win13-3-1 Flag of the United States.svg Alphonso BaileyUD809/11/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win5-1 Flag of the United States.svg Tony DaleyUD1029/09/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.New England Middleweight Title.
Win2-9 Flag of the United States.svg Victor KingTKO408/09/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Taunton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Win2-8 Flag of the United States.svg Victor KingUD625/08/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
Loss23-4 Flag of the United States.svg Brett LallyUD1011/07/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Win2-7-3 Flag of the United States.svg Mike CaminitiTKO616/06/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win1-4-1 Flag of the United States.svg Mike "The Heat" BonislawskiTKO505/05/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win0-1Jerry FlemingTKO301/05/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win1-3 Flag of the United States.svg Mike BonislawskiPTS617/03/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win1-13 Flag of the United States.svg Bob SaxtonTKO117/02/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
Win--John BerkinsKO106/01/1989 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win1-3 Flag of the United States.svg Rahim MuhammadTKO415/12/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Rochester, New York, U.S.
Win-- Flag of the United States.svg Vic FerrerTKO410/12/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Salem, New Hampshire, U.S.
Win--Jerry FlemingTKO402/12/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
Win-- Flag of the United States.svg Frank AmbroseTKO425/11/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Win-- Flag of the United States.svg John WilkinsonTKO428/10/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.Referee stopped the bout at 2:42 of the fourth round.
Win0-2 Flag of the United States.svg Steve JeffersonTKO122/10/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Salem, New Hampshire, U.S.Referee stopped the bout at 1:05 of the first round.
Win1-9 Flag of the United States.svg Paulino FalconeTKO116/09/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.Referee stopped the bout at 1:16 of the first round. Sold out crowd at Hartford Civic Center.

Post retirement career

Scully trained several standout amateurs while pursuing his own boxing career, including 1997 National Junior Olympics Champion Sammy Vega, 1995 Ohio State Fair Champion Greg Cuyler, 1998 National PAL Champion Dwayne Hairston and 2000 U.S. Armed Forces Champion Orlando Cordova.

Since 2001, has been successful as a professional trainer, guiding four boxers to world championships (WIBF Lightweight Champion Liz Mueller, WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Jose Antonio Rivera, IBO Super Bantamweight Champion Mike Oliver and WBC Light heavyweight Champion "Bad" Chad Dawson).

The crowning moment may have been when he masterfully guided Rivera to the WBA Junior Middleweight Championship, with a clear points victory on Showtime over defending champion Alejandro "Terra" Garcia.

Scully has also had a hand in the professional training of notable boxers Israel "Pito" Cardona, Matt Godfrey, "Sucra" Ray Olivera, Scott "The Sandman" Pemberton, Lawrence Clay-Bey, Matt Remillard, Francisco "The Wizard" Palacios and George "Monk" Foreman III.

The Iceman also assists in the training camps of former world amateur champion and now IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev, who fights out of Montreal, Canada by way of Chechnya (head trainer is Marc Ramsay).

He is considered an important part of the development of future WBC light heavyweight world champion "Bad" Chad Dawson. Scully first trained Dawson for three successful fights in 2004 and 2005 before unforeseen promotional problems caused Dawson to leave to train in Florida with Dan Birmingham.

Scully and Dawson, however, reunited as a team early in the summer of 2011. Scully later guided Dawson to the biggest win of his professional career on April 28, 2012 at the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The HBO televised matchup saw Dawson capture a 12-round decision to take the WBC Light heavyweight title from legendary champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins. Notably, when Dawson seemingly began to mentally falter at the halfway point of the match, Scully masterfully kept the challenger steady, focused and on track between rounds. The exceptional cornerwork was properly noted by HBO's ringside broadcast team of Larry Merchant, Emanuel Steward and Jim Lampley.

Known for his insightful takes on the sport of boxing, especially his corner work between rounds of televised fights, Scully has written a highly praised boxing book entitled, "The Iceman Diaries" that details his life within the sport. He appears often on ESPN Classic, working alongside Joe Tessitore, as a ringside analyst for that network's ESPN Classic Boxing Series.

A frequent and widely acclaimed columnist for Britain's "Boxing News" magazine, Scully has also been featured several times on ESPN News, before and after major fights, previewing and analyzing the action, including Pay-Per-View battles between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley, and Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.

In 2015 Scully joined the cast of the Nuvo-TV boxing reality show "KNOCKOUT" alongside Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Sugar Shane Mosley.

Scully was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in November 2009 at the Mohegan Sun Casino. He was also inducted into the Billy C. Boxing Hall of Fame (along with Ernie Shavers and Marlon Starling) at South Glens Falls, New York on November 19, 2011.

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References

  1. Aycock, Colleen; Scott, Mark (2011). The First Black Boxing Champions: Essays on Fighters of the 1800s to the 1920s. McFarland. p. 185. ISBN   9780786461882 . Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  2. "John Scully". BoxRec.