Jameel McCline has never shied away from defying the odds. That’s why the former heavyweight boxer is confident he can unseat an incumbent candidate and win a congressional seat with a resume that also reads prison convict and former drug addict.
It’s because of his background of poverty, incarceration and substance abuse that gives McCline the belief he has a real understanding of the concerns of his constituency in the 20th District of South Florida.
“I’m running for the ideology of uplifting the human condition,” McCline told the Post this week. “I have ideas because I’ve lived in poverty, I’ve been in prison. I’ve needed an education. I’ve needed a job and I’ve needed help.”
It wasn’t that long ago, McCline, 44, used to punch people in the head for a living. Now he’d rather extend a helping hand. This venture into politics comes nearly two years after his last professional fight, held on Sept. 8, 2012, in Moscow.
McCline, who went by the nickname Big Time, was stopped in the second round by Magomed Abdusalamov, who the following year was seriously injured in a bout with Mike Perez at the Garden Theater.
Born in Harlem, McCline began boxing in 1995 after serving five years in prison for possession of firearms. Without any amateur background, he turned pro at age 25. His 6-foot-6 frame and punching power helped him climb up the ranks. He fought four times for a heavyweight title, losing all four. Still, he compiled a record of 41-13-3 with 24 knockouts.
“I fought for the world title four times and didn’t win,” McCline said of a 2002 10th-round TKO loss to Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO belt; a split decision loss to Chris Byrd in 2004 for the IBF title; a knee injury that cost him a fight for the WBA title against Kikolay Valuev in 2007 and a loss by decision to Samuel Peter for the interim WBC title, also in 2007.
“I should have been a world champion,” McCline continued. “But I learned a tremendous lesson in perseverance and determination. Even though I lost the first one, I still tried to win the second one and the third one and the fourth one. I traveled the world, made some money and learned a lot about people. But now that I’ve fought so long for myself, I want to fight for others.”
McCline said there are a lot of similarities between the boxing arena and the political arena. “You need an enormous amount of stamina, you need an enormous about of patience and most importantly you need to care about what you’re doing, otherwise it’s very, very taxing,” he said.
The election is Aug. 26. He is matched against a 21-year incumbent, but says he’s gaining in the poles.
“I care profoundly about the human condition because I needed someone to care about me,” McCline said. “I’m uniquely qualified to represent the down and out and the up and out. That’s because I’ve lived everywhere in between.”
Broadway boxing returns on Wednesday at B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square. Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs) of Ireland headlines against Noel Echevarria (11-3, 6 KOs) in a junior lightweight matchup.