McNeeley Goes Down, Winds Up Winning

Peter McNeeley finally met his match.

Sloppy, awkward and visibly out of shape, McNeeley, who gained fame for lasting a lackluster 89 seconds against Mike Tyson, won an embarrassing eighth-round victory by disqualification over equally inept Larry Menefee before an irritated crowd of 1,000 Saturday night at the Sportsmen’s Lodge.

A target for ridicule after his fiasco against Tyson, McNeeley, 43-3 with 33 knockouts, received more of the same from a crowd that jeered him and cheered Menefee.

A lethargic bout that featured few solid blows came to an abrupt end 41 seconds before the final bell, when the entangled heavyweights tumbled to the canvas in Menefee’s corner.

Referee Chuck Hasett, who earlier in the round penalized Menefee one point for grabbing McNeeley’s neck, disqualified Menefee for “unsportsmanlike conduct, major fouling and wrestling.”

Pandemonium followed.

Catcalls and scorn for McNeeley that resounded throughout the fight escalated. One spectator, verbally assaulting McNeeley, attempted to climb into the ring before being restrained.

McNeeley, a 29-year-old journeyman from Medfield, Mass., who has battled substance abuse since losing to Tyson in 1995, left the arena to resounding boos.

“I’m used to it,” McNeeley said. “That happens wherever I go. I get treated better on the road than I do at home. I don’t care. I enjoy it. I love boxing.

“I blocked everything he threw at me. I landed left hooks and body shots and more effective punches. I was the aggressor the whole fight. I won.”

Two judges had McNeeley ahead by a point entering the final round. A third favored Menefee by a point.

Menefee, 20, whose only defeat in 11 previous fights was a second-round knockout by Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills, taunted McNeeley throughout the bout.

Menefee dropped to a knee in exhaustion several times and turned his shoulder to McNeeley while retreating.

Menefee complained of McNeeley’s tactics throughout the fight. He argued that McNeeley shoved him into the ring post at the finish.

Sean Gibbons, Menefee’s manager, said he intends to file a protest.

“He elbowed me into the ropes and they stopped it on me,” Menefee said. “I fouled him a couple of times, yeah. He kept dropping his head down and I grabbed him.

“But he hit me twice when I was down and the referee didn’t do anything. He’s nothing. Just a bully.”

McNeeley, who entered the ring at 224 pounds, had a paunch above his green and white shorts.

Having fought only twice in the past 17 months, McNeeley admitted he lacked stamina.

“I could always be in better shape, especially after the layoff,” McNeeley said.

“My extracurricular activities have been well-documented. I’m not disappointed. I needed to go eight rounds. I needed the work.

“I think this will catapult me into a bigger and better fight.”

In other bouts, James Crayton recorded a fourth-round technical knockout over Danny Lujan in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

Welterweight Chuck Goossen of North Hollywood won a four-round unanimous decision over Gerardo Pacheco of Tucson.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Fight Night

Saturday’s boxing results at the Sportsmen’s Lodge:

* Peter McNeeeley (43-3) defeated Larry Menefee (10-2), eighth-round disqualification, heavyweights.

* James Crayton (26-8, 15 KOs) defeated Danny Lijan (12-5-2, 5 KOs), fourth-round technical knockout, lightweights.

* Javier Munoz (9-0-1) defeated Albert Guardardo (5-1), sixth-round unanimous decision, junior-flyweights.

* Chuck Goosen (11-2) vs. Geraldo Pacheco (0-2), fourth-round unanimous decision, welterweights.

* Willie Chapman (3-3-1) defeated Jason Yarosz (9-1), fourth-round unanimous decision, heavyweights.

* Juan Carlos Martinez (3-7) defeated Jesus Benitez (3-3), fourth-round unanimous decision, featherweights.

* Armondo Campas (21-18-5) defeated Anthony Brown (13-6), sixth-round unanimous decision, light-heavyweights.