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Catching Up With . . .
Tom McNeeley, heavyweight boxer
November 13, 1961
Posted: June 30, 1998
Others might
see Tom McNeeley's life differently—that because of
years of alcohol abuse, it hasn't turned out as it could
have. But McNeeley, a former heavyweight contender, doesn't
dwell on his darker days. "I've had the chance to make
a difference in people's
lives," he says in a thick Boston accent. "That's the
greatest gift I've ever been
given."
Three decades after ending his boxing career with a 37-14
record and a reputation as an alligator-tough brawler,
McNeeley, 61, works for the stress unit of the
Massachusetts Department of Corrections in Concord, helping
guards cope with their anxieties.
He has been with the department for 20 years. "A lot
of these guys encounter drugs, alcohol and family
problems," he says.
"I've seen the bottom, so I can understand and
help."
On Dec. 4, 1961, McNeeley took on Floyd Patterson for the
championship in Toronto, earning a prefight cover feature
in SI. Like his son Peter, who three years ago faced Mike
Tyson—and got waxed
in 89 seconds—Tom was an unknown pug with dreams of
glory. Unlike Peter, Tom showed up, brawling until
Patterson knocked him out in the fourth round. "He was
too quick," Tom says. "There were a few times I
thought the ref was slipping in punches
too."
McNeeley never had another title shot. After retiring, he
started to drink. "I had seen so many guys with
ability let alcohol consume them," he says. "But
once boxing ended, I figured I could open the bottle and
go." His marriage of 19 years ended in
1980, and his work suffered, first during his eight years as
the Massachusetts boxing commissioner, and then while he
was a car salesman and trucking-company sales
representative.
Now sober for more than 12 years, McNeeley feels renewed.
He remarried, to Gloria, in 1983, and says relations with
his five kids have never been more solid—especially
with Peter, who is battling an addiction to cocaine.
"I'm surrounded by the stories
every day, and it reminds me of what it was like," he
says. "Most important, it reminds me of what I have. I don't
want to make the same
mistakes
again."
—by Jeff
Pearlman
photos by Damian Strohmeyer; John G. Zimmerman (cover)
Issue date: July 6, 1998
Past Editions of Catching Up With...
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