Tom McNeeley

Last updated August 11, 2024

Thomas William McNeeley Jr. (February 27, 1937 – October 25, 2011) was a heavyweight boxer in the 1950s and 1960s. He came from Arlington, Massachusetts, and played football for Michigan State University. His son, Peter McNeeley, and father, Tom McNeeley Sr., were also boxers.

Career

Tom McNeeley had his first professional bout at the Norwood Stockcar Arena July 17, 1958. On December 4, 1961, McNeeley challenged Floyd Patterson for the world heavyweight championship, McNeeley's most famous bout. McNeeley was on the November 13, 1961, cover of Sports Illustrated . He later served eight years as the boxing commissioner of the Massachusetts State Boxing Commission.^{[ citation needed ]}

Death

McNeeley died on October 25, 2011, at the age of 74 of complications from a seizure.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Professional boxing record

37 Wins (28 knockouts, 8 decisions, 1 DQ), 14 Losses (5 knockouts, 8 decisions, 1 DQ)
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	20–19–1	Curtis Bruce	MD	10	14/06/1966	Four Seasons Arena, Walpole, Massachusetts
Loss	2–2	Boston Jacobs	PTS	10	24/03/1966	Portland Exposition Building, Portland, Maine
Win	3–1	Jean-Claude Roy	SD	10	08/03/1966	Lewiston City Hall, Lewiston, Maine
Win	7–2	Dick Greatorex	TKO	7	12/02/1966	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	New England Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:00 of the seventh round.
Win	18–3–1	Marion Connor	TKO	9	13/12/1965	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	New England Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:10 of the ninth round.
Loss	17–3–1	Marion Connor	UD	12	15/10/1965	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts	New England Heavyweight Title.
Loss	35–1–1	José Torres	UD	10	31/07/1965	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Loss	13–2	James J Beattie	KO	5	27/03/1965	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	McNeeley knocked out at 2:50 of the fifth round.
Win	18–1	Arnie Brower	TKO	10	13/02/1965	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	New England Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:20 of the tenth round.
Loss	21–2	Thad Spencer	KO	5	09/11/1964	Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California	McNeeley knocked out at 1:39 of the fifth round.
Win	27–9–2	Hal Carter	KO	5	13/10/1964	Woodhouse Arenatorium, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Loss	5–0	Oscar Bonavena	TKO	5	21/08/1964	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	13–5–1	Leslie Borden	KO	4	16/07/1964	Burlington, Vermont
Win	23–8	Don Quinn	TKO	4	25/04/1964	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Loss	22–4–1	Doug Jones	TKO	5	03/02/1964	New York Coliseum, New York City, New York
Win	17–14–2	Duke Sabedong	UD	10	09/12/1963	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	16–13–1	Duke Sabedong	DQ	2	14/10/1963	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts	Sabedong disqualified at 1:55 of the second round for a low blow.
Win	8–18–2	Earl Atley	TKO	2	16/09/1963	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts	Referee stopped the bout at 2:01 of the second round.
Win	19–2–1	Bill Nielsen	TKO	8	17/06/1963	Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska
Loss	27–9	Brian London	PTS	10	29/01/1963	London Olympia, London
Loss	34–4–1	Bob Cleroux	SD	10	14/12/1962	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	9–9	Billy Tisdale	TKO	7	15/11/1962	Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts	Referee stopped the bout at 2:43 of the seventh round.
Win	8–15–2	Earl Atley	TKO	8	01/11/1962	Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts	Referee stopped the bout at 1:55 of the eighth round.
Loss	16–5–1	Don McAteer	DQ	6	08/06/1962	Celtic Hall, Totowa, New Jersey
Loss	53–10–6	Willie Pastrano	UD	10	01/05/1962	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	19–3	Don Prout	UD	10	16/03/1962	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Loss	17–3	Don Prout	SD	10	22/01/1962	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island
Loss	37–2	Floyd Patterson	KO	4	04/12/1961	Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario	World Heavyweight Title. McNeeley knocked out at 2:51 of the fourth round. Jersey Joe Walcott refereed the bout.
Win	49–17–2	Kitione Lave	TKO	3	21/03/1961	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	15–3–1	George Logan	UD	10	20/12/1960	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	Rocky Marciano refereed the bout.
Win	15–2–1	George Logan	MD	10	15/11/1960	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	6–12–3	Jim Wyley	TKO	3	17/10/1960	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island
Win	20–3–4	Ulli Ritter	TKO	8	16/05/1960	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts	Referee stopped the bout at 2:52 of the eighth round.
Win	15–8–1	Tunney Hunsaker	TKO	9	12/04/1960	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts	Referee stopped the bout at 1:30 of the ninth round.
Win	42–19–7	Willi Besmanoff	PTS	10	14/03/1960	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	12–1–1	George Logan	TKO	4	01/01/1960	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	Referee stopped the bout at 3:00 of the fourth round.
Win	3–10	Louis Jones	TKO	4	27/11/1959	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	Referee stopped the bout at 0:19 of the fourth round.
Win	3–8	Louis Jones	UD	6	31/07/1959	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	10–3–1	Cardell Farmos	KO	3	27/06/1959	Hill Arena, West Yarmouth, Massachusetts
Win	0–1	Jeff Holmes	KO	2	25/05/1959	Arcadia Ballroom, Providence, Rhode Island
Win	3–2	Charlie Lopes	KO	1	02/05/1959	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	--	Leo Pinto	KO	2	21/04/1959	Woodrow Wilson Hall, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Win	2–18–1	Joe Louis Brown	KO	2	17/03/1959	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	Brown knocked out at 1:38 of the second round.
Win	12–5	Art Mayorga	KO	3	30/01/1959	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	7–0	Bobby Halpern	PTS	4	19/12/1958	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	6–0	Mossie Walker	KO	1	28/11/1958	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	Walker knocked out at 0:55 of the first round.
Win	5-0	Eddie Allen	KO	3	17/10/1958	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	Allen knocked out at 1:17 of the third round.
Win	4-0	Eddie Walker	KO	1	06/10/1958	Mechanics Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	3-0	Temple Jones	KO	3	14/08/1958	Mark's Stadium, Fall River, Massachusetts
Win	2–0	Bob Harris	KO	5	04/08/1958	Arena, Norwood, Massachusetts
Win	1–0	Richie Norden	KO	2	17/07/1958	Arena, Norwood, Massachusetts	Norden knocked out at 2:00 of the second round.

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References

↑ Weber, Bruce (October 31, 2011). "Tom McNeeley, Contender For Heavyweight Title, Dies at 74". The New York Times.
↑ "Tom McNeeley Jr. Dies At 74 – ESPN Video – ESPN". Espn.go.com. October 27, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.^{[ dead link ]}
↑ "CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Fighting – Boxing: Boxer McNeeley dead at 74". Slam.canoe.ca. October 27, 2011. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

External links

Boxing record for Tom McNeeley from BoxRec (registration required)

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[1] Weber, Bruce (October 31, 2011). "Tom McNeeley, Contender For Heavyweight Title, Dies at 74". The New York Times.

[2] "Tom McNeeley Jr. Dies At 74 – ESPN Video – ESPN". Espn.go.com. October 27, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.^{[ dead link ]}

[3] "CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Fighting – Boxing: Boxer McNeeley dead at 74". Slam.canoe.ca. October 27, 2011. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

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