Iceman John Scully

'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] and an analyst for the ESPN Classic television network.

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) and a second-round stoppage over former IBO 168-pound (76 kg) world champion Willie Ball at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut.

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 in a fight contested for the World Boxing Federation Intercontinental Super Middleweight title.

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 weight drained technical knockout, 10 decisions)[2]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Win 13-1 Cleveland "Lord" Nelson SD 8 22/06/2001 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Scully puts on a superb display of boxing and punching, featuring an accurate left jab.
Loss 24-9-2 Ernest "M-16" Mateen UD 8 19/04/2001 New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Loss 11-0-2 Sam Ahmad MD 8 04/06/1999 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Loss 29-8-1 Drake "Nightmare" Thadzi TKO 7 02/08/1998 Boston, Massachusetts, United States IBO World 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.
Win 13-7-1 Scott Lopeck TKO 6 18/12/1997 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Loss 23-7-1 Ernest "M-16" Mateen UD 10 29/06/1997 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Loss 38-4-1 Graciano "Rocky" Rocchigiani UD 10 22/03/1997 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
Loss 29-0 "Gentleman" Henry Maske UD 12 25/05/1996 Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany IBF World Light Heavyweight Title. 109-119, 108-120, 108-120.
Win 0-6 Jose Luis Feliciano TKO 1 15/03/1996 Revere, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 47-3 Michael "Second To" Nunn UD 12 08/12/1995 Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States WBO NABO Super Middleweight Title. 110-118, 109-119, 108-120. Scully fought the fight of his career, outpunching the two-time champion in total number of punches and in overall percentage of punches connected.
Win 16-11-2 Willie Ball TKO 2 20/09/1995 Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Win 13-18 "Brick City" Willie Kemp PTS 8 17/05/1995 Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Win 0-14 Luis Oliveira TKO 1 14/03/1995 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win 10-7 Art Bayliss PTS 10 20/10/1994 Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Win 6-10-1 Tim "Super" Cooper PTS 8 18/08/1994 Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Win 13-11 "Brick City" Willie Kemp PTS 8 25/06/1994 Revere, Massachusetts, United States
Win 12-39-4 David "The Road Warrior" McCluskey TKO 4 12/03/1994 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win 7-29 Jose "Kid Cuba" Vera TKO 4 06/11/1993 Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 32-5-1 Tony "Punching Postman" Thornton UD 10 16/03/1993 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States 92-99, 91-99, 90-100.
Loss 19-0 Tim "Doctor of Style" Littles UD 12 13/11/1992 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States IBF USBA Super Middleweight Title.
Win 7-23 Jose "Kid Cuba" Vera PTS 6 24/09/1992 Randolph, Massachusetts, United States
Win 4-3 Herman Farrar TKO 6 20/08/1992 Milford, Connecticut, United States
Win 15-23 Danny "Thunderhand" Chapman TKO 3 06/08/1992 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win 10-30-4 David McCluskey PTS 6 30/06/1992 Pensacola, Florida, United States
Win 12-8 Melvin Wynn UD 12 22/05/1992 Agawam, Massachusetts, United States 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
Win 7-18 Jose "Kid Cuba" Vera PTS 6 27/02/1992 Agawam, Massachusetts, United States
Win 13-6 "Brick City" Willie Kemp PTS 10 22/11/1991 Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Win 22-20-1 "Very" Randy Smith PTS 10 27/09/1991 Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Win 7-17 Jose "Kid Cuba" Vera UD 8 23/10/1991 Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 19-5-1 Kevin "Killer" Watts UD 10 18/03/1991 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States 95-96, 93-98, 94-97.
Win 16-0 Billy "The Kid" Bridges SD 10 12/12/1989 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States 95-94, 95-94, 94-96.
Win 13-3-1 Alphonso "Fonz" Bailey UD 8 09/11/1989 Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Win 5-1 Tony "Tiger" Daley UD 10 29/09/1989 Hartford, Connecticut, United States New England Middleweight Title.
Win 2-9 Victor King TKO 4 08/09/1989 Taunton, Massachusetts, United States
Win 2-8 Victor King UD 6 25/08/1989 Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
Loss 23-4 "Irish" Brett Lally UD 10 11/07/1989 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 2-7-3 Mike Caminiti TKO 6 16/06/1989 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win 1-4-1 Mike "The Heat" Bonislawski TKO 5 05/05/1989 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win 0-1 Jerry Fleming TKO 3 01/05/1989 Rochester, New York, United States
Win 1-3 Mike "The Heat" Bonislawski PTS 6 17/03/1989 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win 1-13 Bob Saxton TKO 1 17/02/1989 Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Win -- John Berkins KO 1 06/01/1989 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win 1-3 Rahim Muhammad TKO 4 15/12/1988 Rochester, New York, United States
Win -- Vic Ferrer TKO 4 10/12/1988 Salem, New Hampshire, United States
Win -- Jerry Fleming TKO 4 02/12/1988 Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Win -- Frank Ambrose TKO 4 25/11/1988 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win -- John Wilkinson TKO 4 28/10/1988 Hartford, Connecticut, United States Referee stopped the bout at 2:42 of the fourth round.
Win 0-2 Steve Jefferson TKO 1 22/10/1988 Salem, New Hampshire, United States Referee stopped the bout at 1:05 of the first round.
Win 1-9 Paulino Falcone TKO 1 16/09/1988 Hartford, Connecticut, United States 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.
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