O'Neil Bell


O'Neil Bell was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1998 to 2011. He held the undisputed cruiserweight title in 2006, and the lineal cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2007.

Professional career

Bell lost his second fight against an Algerian amateur star but kept winning for years after that.
He defeated former IBF champion Arthur Williams twice by KO and climbed the rankings.
He defeated Canadian Dale Brown in a controversial but unanimous decision on May 20, 2005 on Friday Night Fights to capture the vacant IBF title.
He unified the belts by beating Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck, on January 7, 2006, for his WBA and WBC belts making Bell the second undisputed champion of the division, with Evander Holyfield being the first.
The IBF later stripped Bell in April 2006 for pulling out of a mandatory bout against Steve Cunningham because of a tooth problem. After nearly 11 months of inactivity, Bell was due to take part in the postponed Superfighter Tournament at heavyweight on December 1 of that year.
Bell lost the WBA, WBC and lineal cruiserweight titles to Jean-Marc Mormeck on March 17, 2007 in the Frenchman's backyard in Levallois, France via a close but unanimous decision.
On April 19, 2008, in Poland, Bell fought former WBC light heavyweight champion Tomasz Adamek. Bell was dropped in the first round and quit after the end of round seven, citing that he was feeling dizzy and sick.
After the Adamek fight, Bell announced his move to the heavyweight division, saying that making the cruiserweight limit sapped his strength for his last two fights. Bell's first heavyweight bout was scheduled to be against Willie Palms on January 14, 2009, but that fight never occurred.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
32Win27–4–1 Rico CasonTKO1, 0:5817 Dec 2011 Smith Gymnasium at Henderson Hall, Arlington, Virginia, US
31Loss26–4–1 Richard HallTKO2, 1:584 Jun 2011 Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US
30Loss26–3–1 Tomasz AdamekTKO8 19 Apr 2008 Spodek, Katowice, Poland
29Loss26–2–1 Jean-Marc MormeckUD1217 Mar 2007 Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan, Levallois-Perret, FranceLost WBA, WBC, and The Ring cruiserweight titles
28Win26–1–1 Jean-Marc MormeckKO10, 2:507 Jan 2006 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, USRetained IBF cruiserweight title;
Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring cruiserweight titles
27Win25–1–1 Sebastiaan RothmannKO11, 2:0926 Aug 2005 Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, USRetained IBF cruiserweight title
26Win24–1–1 Dale BrownUD1220 May 2005 Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, USWon vacant IBF cruiserweight title
25Win23–1–1 Ezra SellersKO2, 2:044 Sep 2004 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, US
24Win22–1–1 Derrick HarmonTKO8, 1:4119 Dec 2003 Ramada Inn, Rosemont, Illinois, USRetained NABF cruiserweight title
23Win21–1–1 Kelvin DavisTKO11, 1:0323 May 2003 Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma, USRetained NABF and USBA cruiserweight titles
22Win20–1–1 Arthur WilliamsTKO9, 2:068 Nov 2002 Stratosphere, Las Vegas, Nevada, USRetained NABF cruiserweight title;
Won vacant USBA cruiserweight title
21Win19–1–1 Eric DavisTKO3 28 Jun 2002 Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia, US
20Draw18–1–1 Ernest Mateen3 26 Apr 2002 Ramada O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois, USTD after Mateen was cut from an accidental head clash
19Win18–1 Ka-Dy KingTKO3 9 Apr 2002 Ramada Inn, Rosemont, Illinois, US
18Win17–1 Arthur WilliamsTKO11, 2:307 Sep 2001 Dakota Magic Casino, Hankinson, North Dakota, USRetained NABF cruiserweight title
17Win16–1 Jason Robinson103 Jul 2001 Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, US
16Win15–1 Jose Luis RiveraTKO11 10 May 2001 Casino Queen, East St. Louis, Illinois, USRetained NABF cruiserweight title
15Win14–1 James WaltonTKO10, 1:3818 Jan 2001 Grand Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi, USWon vacant NABF cruiserweight title
14Win13–1 Michael RushKO5 19 Oct 2000 Columbus, Georgia, USWon NBA cruiserweight title
13Win12–1 Eric DavisTKO2 13 Oct 2000 Stone Mountain, Georgia, US
12Win11–1 Jose Hiram TorresTKO32 Jun 2000 Roxy Nightclub, Boston, Massachusetts, US
11Win10–1 John MooreTKO322 Apr 2000 Atlanta, Georgia, US
10Win9–1 Wes TaylorTKO327 Jan 2000 Atlanta, Georgia, US
9Win8–1 George HolderTKO2, 2:473 Sep 1999 Harrah's, Cherokee, North Carolina, US
8Win7–1 Carl HandyTKO411 Aug 1999 New Orleans, Louisiana, US
7Win6–1 John BattleKO23 Mar 1999 Atlanta, Georgia, US
6Win5–1 Cliff NellonTKO4, 1:5722 Jan 1999 Horseshoe Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, US
5Win4–1 John CarterTKO1, 2:1013 Nov 1998 Harrah's, Cherokee, North Carolina, US
4Win3–1 Larry DonnellTKO230 Jul 1998 Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia, US
3Win2–1 James SealeyKO126 Jun 1998 Doraville, Georgia, US
2Loss1–1 Mahamed Benguesmia4 11 Apr 1998 Township Auditorium, Columbia, South Carolina, US
1Win1–0 William Holyfield1 19 Feb 1998 World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, US

Outside the ring

On February 5, 2007, Bell allegedly threw an axe at his sparring partner, Larry Slayton, while training in the woods of Big Bear, California. He was subsequently arrested on the count of assault with a deadly weapon, but was released. .

2007 disappearance

According to ESPN's Wednesday Night Fights on August 8, 2007, Bell, who was originally scheduled to appear, was not available to fight or be contacted in any form. He was scheduled to appear against Louis Azille on the fight card, but his promoter pulled him from the fight three weeks prior because he could not be located.

Death

Bell was shot and killed while being robbed in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 25, 2015.