Beethaeven Scottland

Beethaeven "Bee" Scottland (January 11, 1975 – July 1, 2001) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1995 until 2001. Scottland's career record was 20-7-2, with nine of his victories coming by knockout. He was knocked out twice in his professional career. He died of injuries suffered in his final match.

Background

Beethaeven Scottland was named after composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. His mother was a corrections officer and his father was a classical pianist. He was one of eight children and grew up in Brentwood, Maryland, in the Washington, DC suburbs.

Boxing career

Scottland began boxing at age 12 in the basement of his first trainer Derek Matthews. He would go on to fight 77 bouts as an amateur. As he began winning Golden Gloves bouts, Scottland began training with Adrian Davis at Round One Boxing in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

Scottland made his professional debut in 1995. The next year, he married Denise Lewis, a childhood friend. Scottland shared that boxing had helped him turn his life around after making poor choices in childhood. He credited the sport and training regime to helping him be a better father and husband, explaining,

Scottland competed as a super middleweight in bouts around the Baltimore and Washington, DC suburbs. Alongside boxing, Scottland worked as a pest exterminator in Hyattsville, Maryland to support his family.Kram Jr., Mark. Great men die twice: the selected works of Mark Kram.
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Professional results

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, Loss, , 17–5-2, , align=left, Allen Watts
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, Win, , 17-4-2, , align=left, James Mullins
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, Win, , 16–4-2, , align=left, James Mullins
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, Win, , 15–4-2, , align=left, Arnold Fountain
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, Win, , 14–4-2, , align=left, Jerome Hill
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, Win, , 13–4-2, , align=left, James Gatlin
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, Win, , 12–4-2, , align=left, Dennis McKinney
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, Loss, , 11–4-2, , align=left, John James
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, Win, , 11–3-2, , align=left, Anthony Harris
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, Loss, , 10–2-2, , align=left, Eric Harding
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, Win, , 10–1-1, , align=left, Ray Healy
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, Win, , 9–1-1, , align=left, Berry Butler
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, Win, , 8–1-1, , align=left, Valery Pestovsky
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, Win, , 7–1-1, , align=left, Ron Woodley
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, Loss, , 6–1-1, , align=left, Allen Watts
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, Draw, , 6–0-1, , align=left, Robert Thomas
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Final fight

On June 26, 2001, Scottland stepped in the ring to face George Khalid Jones as part of an ESPN2 telecast from aboard the museum ship in New York City. The fight was promoted by Dino Duva, Jones' manager. Scottland was a late replacement for David Telesco, who at the time was a championship contender who only a year earlier had fought and lost to Roy Jones Jr. for the undisputed championship at light heavyweight.

At the time, Scottland was preparing to fight Dana Rucker in the super middleweight division for the Maryland State belt. Rucker pulled out of the fight with an injury, opening the opportunity for Scottland to fight Jones.

Prior to the fight, Scottland considered giving up boxing prior to the fight, but was struggling financially, and encouraged by the $8,000 purse and opportunity to appear on primetime television. It was the largest purse of his career.

Jones had a height and weight advantage on Scottland, who was three inches shorter and ten pounds lighter. Scottland usually fought as a super middleweight, but moved up a division to fight Jones as a light heavyweight.

The overmatched Scottland lasted into the tenth round of the fight, but had been hit with many flush shots from Jones throughout the fight. By the end of the fourth round, Jones landed 64 more punches than Scottland. Commentator Max Kellerman, who was calling the fight for ESPN2 that evening, said numerous times on the broadcast that the fight should have been halted, as early as the fourth round. When trapped in a corner in the fifth round, Scottland took twenty-five consecutive punches to the head, without the referee intervening. In the tenth round, Jones knocked Scottland to the canvas and was counted out having not risen to his feet. Scottland had to be helped from the ring, and shortly afterwards fell into a coma.

Aftermath

Scottland died six days later on July 1, 2001 at Bellevue Hospital Center. He never regained consciousness after falling into a coma. His official cause of death was classified as "blunt impacts to the head with subdural haematoma" sustained in the fight. Scottland was survived by his wife Denise Scottland and four children. Scottland's death left a considerable impact on the Washington Beltway boxing community. Local promoters and fighters considered Scottland's loss a tragedy as he was highly regarded and well liked by everyone. Boxer Hasim Rahman, who shared a trainer with Scottland and trained at the same gym paid for Scottland's funeral expenses.

Critiques

Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. was criticized in the media for years afterward for allowing Scottland to continue fighting. Critics, including Jack Newfield, put the blame on authorities, the referees and medical staff as well as the lack of medical and regulatory negligence of the boxing industry. Kellerman, who was ringside at the fight, placed the blame on the athletic commission, and blamed himself for not doing more while he was commentating on air. The New York State Assembly called for an investigation on conduct by ringside physician Barry D. Jordan for not stopping the fight.

Later that month, Scottland's story appeared on the ABC television network's "Nightline" program, sparking a national conversation about increasing safety in the sport.

Scottland's death was the fourth death of a boxer in New York since 1979. Two months after the fight, New York Governor George Pataki replaced Mel Southard as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, in an attempt to improve standards around boxing regulation.

Scottland's widow later sued New York officials and boxing promoter Dino Duva for responsibility over her husband's death.

George Khalid Jones

Jones was seriously affected by Scottland's death. Shortly after the fight, Jones, announced that he would be retiring from the ring, feeling responsible for what happened. Bee's widow Denise Scottland would later reach out to Jones to tell him she did not blame him for her husband's death, and to encourage him to continue fighting. The two later forged a friendship.

Jones returned to the ring to fight Eric Harding in December 2001. In the ring, he wore trunks with "Bee R.I.P." stitched on them.

On September 30, 2005, Jones fought Glen Johnson in a bout with the winner to face Clinton Woods for the IBF light heavyweight title. Jones was knocked out in the tenth round. l://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3741822/ref>

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Scottland, Beethaeven
1975 births
2001 deaths
Sportspeople from Prince George's County, Maryland
Boxers from Maryland
Deaths due to injuries sustained in boxing
Super-middleweight boxers
Sports deaths in New York (state)
Filmed deaths in sports
American male boxers
Southpaw boxers
Light-heavyweight boxers
21st-century African-American sportsmen
African-American boxers
20th-century American sportsmen