Ex-World Heavyweight Champion Oliver McCall, 61, Stops Jeremiah Williams in Fifth
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Corpus Christi, Texas (November 6th, 2026)– At age 61, former World Heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, age 61, continues to be the Jack Johnson of the modern era. McCall, 62-14-1 with 41 knockouts, Corpus Christi, Texas, scored a fifth round stoppage of veteran Jeremiah Williams, age 54, 19-15-2 with 13 knockouts, Cincinnati, Ohio, on a four pro bouts card at Plaza Mariachi, Nashville, Tennessee, on Election Day, Tuesday November 3, 2026.
Referee Blake Waddell ruled an apparent knockdown of McCall by Williams in round four to be a slip, and stopped the bout at 2:52 of round five of the scheduled six rounder, due a severe bloody cut over the left eye of Williams, who appeared able to continue.
Among industry critics and cynics, outspoken boxing promoter Lou DiBella slammed the Tennessee Commission for sanctioning the bout between the two ring dinosaurs with a combined age of 115, calling the odd match up to be “immoral, dangerous and sad.” On September 24, 2026, at a VFW Post on Lowell, Indiana, former World Heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, age 53, attempting a comeback after 12 years out of the ring, lost a six round points decision to Phillip Triantafillo, age 40.
The prizefighting.tv event ‘Legends Never Die’ had planned a bout between McCall and former top rated heavyweight contender Ike Ibeabuchi for Thanksgiving weekend on November 26, 2026, in Nigeria. The scheduled fight and fight card was cancelled because it failed to reach the required number of pay-per-view pre-orders. The bout taking place was conditional upon pre-selling 12,500 Pay-Per-View buys at $9.95 by October 31, 2026. Fight fans did not show enough interest, with pre-fight buys falling well short of the target goal required, and promoters then scrapped the event, with automatic full refunds issued. “We will not hide behind injuries, scheduling conflicts or vague ‘unforeseen circumstances,'” Prizefighting.tv stated to World Boxing News. “The fans were given the chance to decide whether this fight would happen, and not enough of them bought it. We respect that answer.” McCall, still in training, then got a bout on the Nashville card which took place on the same date as the originally scheduled bout.
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