| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname |
| |||||||||||
| Born | Peter Smith McNeeley 6 October 1968 Medfield, Massachusetts, U.S. | |||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | |||||||||||
| Weight | Heavyweight | |||||||||||
| Boxing career | ||||||||||||
| Reach | 77 in (196 cm) | |||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||
| Boxing record [1] | ||||||||||||
| Total fights | 54 | |||||||||||
| Wins | 47 | |||||||||||
| Win by KO | 36 | |||||||||||
| Losses | 7 | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Peter McNeeley (born 6 October 1968) is an American former heavyweight boxer best known for his green shorts and 1995 fight with Mike Tyson.
John Peter Smith McNeeley was born on 6 October 1968 in Medfield, Massachusetts, U.S.; the child of Nancy McNeeley, (née Gray) (1944–2018) and Tom McNeeley (1937–2011). [2] McNeeley grew up in Medfield, alongside his three brothers Brian, Tom, and Shawn. [3] His father was a former heavyweight contender who challenged Floyd Patterson for the world heavyweight championship, and later served eight years as the boxing commissioner of the Massachusetts State Boxing Commission. [2] McNeeley's grandfather, Thomas McNeeley Sr. was a New England boxing champion and fought on the 1928 Olympic boxing team. [4] McNeeley graduated from Bridgewater State College with a bachelors degree in political science. [5]
McNeeley first became interested in boxing when he was 7 years old he found an old boxes of his fathers boxing memorabilia, this included his fathers appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated from November of 1961 from here he became enthralled by the sport. [6] His parents split when he was 10 years old, during his visits with his father he began getting involved in sport of boxing with his father taking him and his younger brother to the Catholic Youth Organization program in Newton, Massachusetts, additionally he would train with the equipment his father had at his house. [6]
McNeeley then stepped away from boxing during high school instead focusing his time playing on the schools football team. During his first year at Bridgewater State College he initially flunked out after partying to much. He was able to get back in on academic probation. This is when he decided to start boxing once again to help eliminate alcohol and drugs from his life. [6]
McNeeley had 21 amateur fights, finishing his amateur career with the record 15–6. [7] Albeit a brief amateur career, he successfully represented the United States, wherein he defeated Wayne Bernard, the world Maritime heavyweight champion; and the first round knockout of No. 1 ranked US amateur James Johnson. [8] He won the New England Golden Gloves in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1989 and the New England Diamond Belt Tournament later that year. [8]
During his last year of college in 1987 McNeeley met his manager Vinnie Vecchione who had been out of the fight game for nearly a decade. McNeeley stated "Vinnie basically taught me how to fight all over again. Between my heart and my determination and Vinnie's teaching, I got better even quicker now." [6]
McNeeley made his pro debut on August 23, 1991 at Nickerson Field in Boston, Massachusetts, where he defeated Van Dorsey by technical knockout in the first round after just 50 seconds. [9] McNeeley fought two more times in 1991 both in his home state of Massachusetts. The first came on October 24, where he got a first round TKO of Fabian Arroyo, he then scored another first round TKO vs. Kevin Chisolm on December 7. [9] He started out 1992 with another first round TKO over Phil Prince on February 15. This was shortly followed by two more round one TKO’s in his following bouts. [9] His next fight vs John Basil Jackson June 13, was his first to go the distance as a won via PTS after four rounds breaking his streak of 13 straight Knockouts to start his career. His next fight came just 6 days later vs. Jimmy Harrison which he won via unanimous decision, he then rematched Harrison 2 months later and scored a third round TKO. [9]
McNeely fought 4 more times from September 28 to December 10, scoring 3 more KOs in the process and improving his record to 13-0. [9] His first bout of 1993 came on January 30, vs. Ron Drinkwater where he scored yet another first round TKO. His next 6 fights also ended via stoppage improving his record to 20-0. [9] He then fought three more times from September 10, to November 24 all resulting in unanimous decision victories. [9] Following a first round TKO victory vs. Larry Davis on January 21, 1994 Neely then got his first title shot vs. Stanley Wright for the then vacant USA New England heavyweight title. The bout which took place on February 18, seen McNeeley suffer the first loss of his career via a 8 round TKO. [9] McNeely then bounced back scoring 3 straight TKO victories bringing his record to 28-1. [9] In June of 1994 McNeely signed with Don King Productions, [6] he then followed this up with one of his biggest wins of his career on June 24, when he scored a second round RTD victory over the former WBC light heavyweight champ J. B. Williamson. [10] Following two more KO victories McNeely then faced Williamson in a rematch and once again beat him via first round KO. [9]
Following Williamson rematch McNeely won an additional 5 bouts all by TKO/KO, with a record of 36-1. During his time he also had his First Nation wide exposure on Showtime, March 17, 1995. The St. Patrick's Day boxing special was held in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he faced Danny Lee Wofford and got a second round KO. [8] He also set a at the time world record for fastest knockout in a pro match on April 22, 1995 when he KO Frankie Hines in 6 seconds. [11]
McNeely was originally scheduled to get a WBC World Heavyweight title shot vs Oliver McCall following McCall’s upset win over Lennox Lewis, however organization blocked the bout due to McNeely not being ranked in the top 10 at that point. [6]
Around the time of his fight with Mike Tyson he had gained a No. 7 ranking by the World Boxing Association and a No. 10 rank by the WBC by early 1995. [12]
Main Article Mike Tyson Vs. Peter McNeely
Following getting denied a title shot Don King then offered McNeely a bout vs. Mike Tyson who was set to be be released from prison. [6]
McNeeley is best known for his bout with Tyson that took place on August 19, 1995, Tyson’s first fight after being released from prison, before which McNeeley had said he would wrap Tyson in a "cocoon of horror." [13] [14] McNeeley fought aggressively but was knocked down twice within the first two minutes. McNeeley was disqualified after his manager Vinnie Vecchione stepped into the ring to stop his fighter from taking any more punishment after the second knockdown. TV Guide included the fight in their list of the 50 Great TV Sports Moments of All Time in 1998. [15]
Despite losing the bout McNeely gained decent exposure and started appearing in TV commercials and making speaking appearances. [16]
Following his bout with Tyson, McNeely returned to the ring on October 27, 1995 at the TD Garden where he defeated Mike Sams via second round KO to win the USBF heavyweight title. [9] [17] He then fought 3 more times between December 12, 1995 and June 22, 1996 winning all 3 fights by KO. [9] his win streak was the stopped on July 13, 1996 when he was stopped by club fighter Louis Monaco in the fifth round. [18] McNeely then went on another win streak which was started on August 12, 1996 in a DQ victory over Domingo Monroe an additional four wins came from then till October 8, 1998 three coming via unanimous decision and one by DQ. [9] This brought his record to 43-3 overall.
McNeely then flew to Denmark for his first international bout to challenged at the time undefeated 47-0 fighter Brian Nielsen on February 12, 1999. He lost the bout via third round KO. [19] He then dropped his following bout to Eric Esch better known as Butterbean on June 26, via first round TKO. [20] McNeely then took five months off before returning to the ring to face Jeff Jones and quickly won the bout via first round knockout. McNeely didn’t fight again to June of 2000 when he faced Joe Siciliano once again winning by first round KO, this would mark tye final win of his career. [9]
McNeely then faced Henry Akinwande on March 17, 2001 for the vacant WBC International heavyweight title he lost the bout via second round KO. [21] On June 1 of the same year McNeely travelled to South Africa for his final bout vs. Mike Bernardo for the WBF heavyweight title however he lost the match via first round KO. Putting a end to his 10 year career, he finished with a total record of 47-7 with 36 knockouts. [22]
McNeely has one daughter named Nadiya. [5] His wife Annarita Petrosillo-McNeeley died unexpectedly in 2023. [23] He still resides in Massachusetts and is involved with the local boxing scene. [24]
In 1995, McNeeley was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. [25] In March 2006, McNeeley was arrested in Norwood, Massachusetts, after he punched a man and stole his wallet containing $200. [26] In June 2006, McNeeley was arrested for driving the getaway car used in a robbery of a Walgreens in Stoughton, Massachusetts. After searching the car, police recovered $180 in cash and a black fanny pack which had also been stolen from the store. [27] The charges were later reduced to larceny.
| 54 fights | 47 wins | 7 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 36 | 6 |
| By decision | 9 | 0 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | Loss | 47–7 | Mike Bernardo | TKO | 1 (12), 0:41 | 8 Jun 2001 | Grand West Casino, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa | For WBF heavyweight title |
| 53 | Loss | 47–6 | Henry Akinwande | KO | 2 (12), 2:05 | 17 Mar 2001 | The Moon, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. | For WBC International heavyweight title |
| 52 | Win | 47–5 | Joe Siciliano | TKO | 1 (4), 2:57 | 17 Jun 2000 | Leominster Armory, Leominster, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 46–5 | Jeff Jones | TKO | 1 (10), 1:05 | 18 Nov 1999 | Gold Strike Tunica, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 50 | Loss | 45–5 | Eric Esch | TKO | 1 (4), 2:59 | 26 Jun 1999 | Mandalay Bay, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 49 | Loss | 45–4 | Brian Nielsen | KO | 3 (8), 1:54 | 12 Feb 1999 | Falkoner Center, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 48 | Win | 45–3 | Harry Funmaker | UD | 6 | 8 Oct 1998 | Harrah's North Kansas City, North Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 44–3 | Dan Kosmicki | UD | 6 | 17 Apr 1998 | Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 43–3 | Larry Menefee | DQ | 8 (8), 2:19 | 10 Jan 1998 | Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City, California, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 42–3 | Doug Davis | UD | 6 | 5 Dec 1997 | The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 41–3 | Domingo Monroe | DQ | 4 (10), 1:03 | 12 Aug 1996 | Saratoga City Center, Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S. | |
| 43 | Loss | 40–3 | Louis Monaco | TKO | 5 (6), 2:57 | 13 Jul 1996 | Mammoth Events Center, Denver, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 42 | Win | 40–2 | Marc Machain | TKO | 1 (6) | 22 Jun 1996 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 39–2 | Juan Quintana | KO | 2 (6), 0:46 | 27 Apr 1996 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 38–2 | Harold Reitman | TKO | 1 (10), 2:32 | 12 Dec 1995 | Charlotte Memorial Auditorium, Punta Gorda, Florida, U.S. | |
| 39 | Win | 37–2 | Mike Sams | KO | 2 (12), 1:43 | 27 Oct 1995 | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Won USBF heavyweight title |
| 38 | Loss | 36–2 | Mike Tyson | DQ | 1 (10), 1:29 | 19 Aug 1995 | MGM Grand Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | McNeeley was disqualified after his manager entered the ring |
| 37 | Win | 36–1 | Frankie Hines | TKO | 1 (10), 0:06 | 22 Apr 1995 | Hot Springs Convention Auditorium, Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 35–1 | Danny Wofford | RTD | 1 (10), 3:00 | 17 Mar 1995 | Worcester Memorial Auditorium, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 34–1 | Jerry Barnes | KO | 1 (8), 2:38 | 10 Feb 1995 | Fort Smith Convention Center, Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 33–1 | Kevin Wyrick | TKO | 1 (8), 1:22 | 20 Jan 1995 | Foxboro Raceway, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 32–1 | Lorenzo Boyd | TKO | 1 (8), 1:22 | 11 Nov 1994 | Foxborough Raceway, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 31–1 | J.B. Williamson | TKO | 1 (8), 1:01 | 8 Oct 1994 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 30–1 | Quinton Hardy | KO | 1 (8), 2:50 | 29 Aug 1994 | Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 29–1 | Dwayne Hall | TKO | 1 (8), 2:25 | 22 Jul 1994 | Memorial Hall, Plymouth, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 28–1 | J.B. Williamson | RTD | 2 (10), 3:00 | 24 Jun 1994 | Foxborough Raceway, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 27–1 | Wayne Perdue | TKO | 1 (6), 1:20 | 30 Apr 1994 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 26–1 | Lopez McGee | TKO | 1 (8) | 13 Apr 1994 | The Ritz, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 25–1 | Herman Jackson | TKO | 2 (8) | 8 Apr 1994 | Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. | |
| 25 | Loss | 24–1 | Stanley Wright | TKO | 8 (10), 1:49 | 18 Feb 1994 | Westin Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | For vacant USA New England heavyweight title |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Larry Davis | TKO | 1 (8), 1:40 | 21 Jan 1994 | Sheraton Inn, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Howard Kelly | UD | 8 | 24 Nov 1993 | Robarts Arena, Sarasota, Florida, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Dwayne Hall | UD | 6 | 6 Nov 1993 | Foxborough Raceway, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Juan Quintana | UD | 8 | 10 Sep 1993 | Wonderland Greyhound Park, Revere, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Robert Pagan Perez | RTD | 2 (6) | 14 Aug 1993 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Miguel Rosa | TKO | 2 (8), 1:55 | 7 Jun 1993 | Wonderland Greyhound Park, Revere, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Marc Machain | KO | 7 (8), 1:40 | 8 May 1993 | Foxborough Raceway, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Phil Prince | TKO | 1 (6) | 9 Apr 1993 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | John Basil Jackson | TKO | 5 (6), 2:55 | 5 Mar 1993 | Whitman Armory, Whitman, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Jesus Rohena | TKO | 2 (6), 1:11 | 20 Feb 1993 | Foxborough Raceway, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Ron Drinkwater | TKO | 1 (8), 2:08 | 30 Jan 1993 | National Guard Armory, Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Jimmy Harrison | UD | 6 | 10 Dec 1992 | Teachers Union Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Lorenzo Poole | KO | 2 (6) | 13 Nov 1992 | Foxborough Raceway, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Shawn Bryant | TKO | 1 (6) | 21 Oct 1992 | Westin Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Van Dorsey | TKO | 1 (5), 1:02 | 28 Sep 1992 | Vista International Hotel, Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Jimmy Harrison | TKO | 3 (6) | 12 Sep 1992 | Wonderland Greyhound Park, Revere, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Jimmy Harrison | UD | 4 | 19 Jun 1992 | Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | John Basil Jackson | PTS | 4 | 13 Jun 1992 | Mount Carmel Recreation Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Jerry Arentzen | TKO | 1 (4), 2:15 | 23 Apr 1992 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Jesus Rohena | TKO | 1 (4), 0:40 | 28 Feb 1992 | Westin Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Phil Prince | TKO | 1 (4), 2:39 | 15 Feb 1992 | Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Kevin Chisolm | TKO | 1 (4), 1:51 | 7 Dec 1991 | Bank Street Armory, Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Fabian Arroyo | TKO | 1 (4), 0:24 | 24 Oct 1991 | DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Van Dorsey | KO | 1 (4), 0:50 | 23 Aug 1991 | Nickerson Field, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Date | Fight | Billing | Buys | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 19, 1995 | Tyson vs. McNeeley | He's Back | 1,600,000 [28] | Showtime/King Vision |
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