Boxing Profile: John “Iceman” Scully

Do the Math: “Iceman” Scully Destined To Be A Great Boxer And Humble Man

Not many 16 year olds look forward to taking their final accounting exams. Usually because of its tedious use of numbers, it is hard to get excited about accounting at age 16. How many of us at that age have said that we want to be an accountant for the rest of our lives? Nothing against accountants, but when you’re in high school, it does not rank up there as a fun or desirable career choice.

John “Iceman” Scully was no different. At age 16, when it came time to get ready for his final examination in accounting, he did not even study for it. So he knew he would not do well on the test. Then again, he did not care if he did well on it. Somehow, deep down inside, he knew accounting would not be in his future. As easy as it is for a 16 year old to say they know what they might want to do for the rest of their lives, The “Iceman” knew he would be the exception. He vowed to trade in his accounting courses for a pair of boxing gloves.

Trade in his accounting classes he did. You see, Iceman Scully wanted to fight a different fight; one of the squared circle, not of the squared root. So after putting down the pencil, picking up a pair of gloves and tightening up his head gear, Scully did what took four years in the making. Then when he was ready, he started boxing in the 156 pound novice division as an amateur.

Some people are destined to be who they are. Think of men like Gandhi, Magic Johnson, Bill Clinton; these people are blessed with a certain talent, and somehow, someway, they discover their destiny. Iceman Scully discovered his destiny it at age 12, when his father took him to his first professional fight.

It was in his adolescence that the Iceman idolized “The Greatest”, Muhammad Ali. After watching Ali fight, Scully went on to read Ali’s biography. During his readings, the young Scully discovered the truth of Ali’s success; no alcohol, no cigarettes, and no drugs. Scully was inspired and motivated; he wanted to be just like Ali.

For those of you keeping track at home, Iceman, at age 39, has not had a sip of alcohol, not a breath of cigarette smoke, and not even an ounce of drugs in his body – all because of Ali. Iceman likens substance abuse to jumping from a sixth story window; he has no interest in doing either.

Ali did not just influence Scully’s personal life, but his professional life, as well. It was Ali who motivated Scully to pursue his destiny as a professional boxer. Iceman speaks of Ali in high regard. He speaks of him as a very intelligent man who lives his life out of principle, and has fun doing it. He even describes Ali’s “trash-talking” as fun, saying that Ali did it to bring life and excitement to the game, never in disrespect.

In fact, Iceman has so much respect for Ali the Man, he would record Ali’s fights and then fast-forward through the actual fight, just to watch Ali speak. Scully was in awe of Ali’s intelligence, his ability to communicate and speak in jest and also his charisma. Iceman wanted to fight this way, to live this way, to be A Man this way.

Speak to Iceman today, and you’ll see the principles he lives by. At age 39, he’s had a solid professional boxing career. Just like Ali, Iceman Scully had a lot of fun. When asked his perspective on weekends, Iceman responded that everyday is a weekend for him; he is living his dream.

He made a life out of boxing in the ring, and now trains young boxers to do the same. Iceman went so far as to say that it is weird to hear other people say “what do you have planned for the weekend”, as if the weekend is all they have to live for.

Do other people not have a life, Iceman wonders? Are these people so miserable with their work, that the weekend is put on a pedestal? Is life only about having some drinks over the weekend, hoping to lift one’s spirits? These are things Iceman Scully has a hard time relating to, since he lives his life with so much happiness, so much of a dream that has become reality, that everyday seems to be a weekend. He has fun, and it is because Iceman Scully pursued his happiness, he worked hard to get there, he took some beatings to get there, but he got there.

Continuing in the spirit of Ali, Iceman is now giving back to the sport and the community. It is easy to speak of principle, truth and humility but Scully actually lives it! You see, the sport of boxing gave Scully not just a name in “Iceman,” but also a dream, a dream to achieve, to be happy, to be content, to be the man he chooses to be. It takes a man to not only to realize this, but also to have enough honor to return the favor.

At age 39, Scully no longer earns his living in the ring but still stays involved in the sport as a trainer. He spars on a regular basis with a variety of young fighters, so he can keep up with the trends of the sport, and advise/train his boxers to keep up with their respective opponents. Very few boxers-turned-trainers do this. They tend to lose sight of the game, get “clouded heads,” as Iceman puts it. It is very commendable that Iceman makes every effort to avoid a “clouded head” by continuously sparring.

He does not stop there. While he shares his story of happiness and success with the younger generation, he also shares these stories with a sense of caution and dose of reality. Iceman tells kids to set realistic goals. Even though he was one of the few people who knew exactly what he wanted to do at age 17, and was able achieve just that, he warns them to not get starry-eyed by Iceman’s career development, and to really keep options open, respect elders, get an education, work hard towards their goals

Through all his success and teachings, Iceman remains noble and humble by giving back to the community. He does more than just raise funds for a local charity, and smile for photo opportunities at the local YMCA. Scully will speak to groups of high school kids, or spread the word of AIDS and Drug Awareness through a variety of informal street promotions, complete with posters.

Most of his message is not using statistics or catchy punch lines, just pure, raw reality. Instead of saying someone has a 64% chance of having something go wrong, Iceman will put it simpler, blunt terms, such as the direct consequences of not wearing a condom during sexual intercourse.

Of course, there is a lot more to Iceman, the boxer. I could go on about his experience in the 1988 Olympic Trials, about his “smooth” transition from amateur fighter to professional, how he was originally a southpaw, and then trained to fight orthodox before switching back to southpaw for the Michael Nunn fight, a bout that affected the rest of his fighting career.

But you can get all this information by checking out his website, or even in a lunch conversation with him. If I were to write about that, it would be an easy report, kind of like writing a book report in sixth grade on Moby Dick, or any other dry, boring, bland book that most kids would hate to write a report on at 12 years old.

Instead, spend just a few minutes with John Scully. You will see the humility, nobility and principle that guide his life; the happiness and content that fill his heart; the positive impact he has on the people around him. Spend just a few minutes with him and you will see what I see. You will see he was destined to be more than just a boxer. He was destined to be the epitome of how to live life. Spend just a few minutes with him, you will indeed call him a MAN…but I challenge you to put “Ice” in front of “man,” because there is nothing cold about the warm personality of the Iceman, John Scully. He may have had ice flowing in his veins as a boxer, but as a man, his heart pumps fire.