2005 Interview with Lisa McClellan

Gerald and Lisa McClellan by: Lee Resnick on 2/25/2005 A formidable tagteam they make - the former Middleweight Champion of the World and his devoted and very protective sister. It was 10 years ago today, that Gerald "The G-Man" McClellan almost lost his life in a brutal bout with Nigel Benn. That bout resulted in McClellan being thrust into the toughest fight of his life - a fight that never ends. Brain damaged, blind, nearly deaf and crippled, these past 10 years have been extremely trying for both Gerald and his primary caregiver, sister Lisa. I spoke with Gerald and Lisa on this ominous anniversary. Gerald's care is tremendously expensive and the Champ needs your help. Please show your compassion by making a tax deductible contribution to: Gerald McClellan Trust, C/O Fifth Third Bank, PO Box 120, Freeport, IL 61032. Thank you. Lee Resnick: Describe Gerald growing up. Lisa McClellan: Gerald was very playful and a jokester. But also when he turned into a teenager, he never showed any emotions, with anything. He was just kind of like off to himself, doing his own thing. He was more of a loner. We grew up in a home with a lot of physical and mental abuse (father directing toward mother). Gerald was one that just separated himself from everyone else. He was kind of distant from everyone else. Gerald never showed any emotion - about anything. When the abuse happened, we would pack up and leave - but he wouldn't go. We'd (siblings) cry and he'd put the pillow over his head and not cry - just kind of different. Lee Resnick: What are the names and ages of your brothers and sisters and who were you closest to growing up? Lisa McClellan: Currently, Sandra is 40, Todd is 38, Gerald 37, I'm 36 and Stacy is 34. I was probably closer to Todd then Gerald growing up. Lee Resnick: What got Gerald interested in boxing? Lisa McClellan: When Gerald and Todd started having problems with the boys in the neighborhood, my father was going to teach them how to fight to defend themselves. This is when they were about 8 and 9 and they also got boxing gloves for Christmas that year. Lee Resnick: Was this Gerald's first involvement with sports? Lisa McClellan: Yes. In the beginning both Gerald and Todd were really good fighters. When they were 11 and 12 we moved to Pennsylvania and they started going to the gym. Around that time, every day all day long it was boxing. When my dad got off work in the evening, we knew after dinner what we were going to be doing. They also started amateurs at that time and they both were winning. Lee Resnick: Gerald eventually turned pro and won the WBC Middleweight crown against Julian Jackson. Describe that experience. Lisa McClellan: We were at the fight in Las Vegas. It was the whole family - my mom, my grandma, my brother and sisters. We didn't get to spend a lot of time with Gerald before the fight so we ran over after the weigh-in and had dinner with him and Don King and Emanuel Steward. I remember going back to the hotel to get ready for the fight and when we got to the arena we were real nervous. When Jackson hit Gerald below the belt and Gerald went down on one knee, I actually thought the fight was over. I don't think any of us sat in our seats. Lee Resnick: Describe the scene when Gerald knocked Jackson out in Round 5 to become champion. Lisa McClellan: It was probably the first time I had seen Gerald cry since we were kids. He cried in the ring. I went down in the dressing room where he was doing a Spanish interview and I remember him having a real big knot on his head. I kept trying to get him to put ice on it, but he didn't want to. It was really exciting. He left us in Vegas and hopped a plane and came right back to Freeport, IL. Everytime he fought he got on the plane and came right back to Freeport. He went home so people could make a big deal over him and he could hang out with friends. Lee Resnick: You were in Freeport during the The Nigel Benn fight on February 25, 1995 and planned to watch it that evening on tape delay on Showtime. Lisa McClellan: We were getting ready to go to Stacy's to watch the fight and the phone rang. It was Donnie Pendleton (cousin). He said, "I wanted to call you before they showed the fight on TV, but Gerald had a headbutt and took a knee and we are taking him to the hospital for observation, but he's fine." He wanted us to know what to expect. Five minutes later he called back and said Gerald slipped into a coma and they needed permission to do surgery or he wasn't going to make it. We made phone calls within the family and then met at my Aunt Lou's house. We were calling the hospital and they were keeping us posted. At the same time, Don King was working on getting family members over to England. He said he had to make a call to someone in Chicago to get emergency passports. Angie (Gerald's girlfriend), my Aunt Linda and Stacy went over first. We waited for them to get to England and they called back and just kept us posted, but I called every couple of hours and got an update from the doctor and nurse while they were flying there. The hardest part was knowing that he was over there by himself. Lee Resnick: What happened after Gerald slipped into a coma? Lisa McClellan: He was in a coma for 11 days and was transported to a hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he stayed for a week. I drove to Michigan before his plane arrived. Don King had said this was one of the best hospitals in the United States. It was very emotional for me, because it was the first time I had saw him. He was still in a coma at that point. I don't see why Don thought it was the best hospital, because they didn't do anything. As a matter of fact, his feeding tube was mistakenly pulled out. I found a place in Milwaukee and we transferred him there by ambulance. He stayed there from April to August and we noticed he wasn't making a lot of big progress. It was costing $2,000 a day to stay in the facility and we didn't know how long we would be dealing with it, so we brought him home. We knew what it would be like to take care of him since we cared for him at the hospital every day. Lee Resnick: For the people that don't have the privilege of knowing Gerald, how he has changed as a person since February 25, 1995? Lisa McClellan: He has become very emotional. I remember I used to come to the hospital every day at the same time. One day I didn't get there right away and the nurse called and said Gerald was very upset and they couldn't get him to calm down. When I got there, he was crying, saying that I ran away and something bad happened. He wouldn't even let me get close to him, he kept saying, "get away." This was taking place in a family room where all the patients and their families have dinner. He had everyone in the room crying because he was crying so hard. Lee Resnick: Who have you seen support from in the boxing game and which people have disappointed you after Gerald was injured? Lisa McClellan: When he first got hurt, Evander Holyfield came down to Freeport and Joe Frazier. I was disappointed in the friends he had in boxing like Michael Moorer. I knew there was some fueding between Gerald and Emanual Steward but he came to Milwaukee to visit him, but when Emanual got back to Detroit he did a big article in the paper and said a lot of private things about Gerald's condition. I was upset by that. Roy Jones, a lot through his former attorney has done some things. He's had fundraisers and gave some earnings from one of his matches. Roy hasn't seen Gerald and says he does not want to until after he retires - which is something I've always respected and totally understand. As far as Don King, I remember reading a profile on Gerald and he listed Don King as the person he most respected or idolized. It was sad to see the way things were done by people like Don King with the way Gerald felt about him. Gerald is in the position he is in because of the people he trusted. King didn't give us a copy of the (Benn) contract and Gerald got a lot less in his pocket then he was supposed to receive. There were other financial things that King said he would be responsible for and didn't take care of. A lot of this happened after Gerald couldn't remember anything. Mike and the Mad Dog (New York sports radio hosts) called me a few years ago saying that Don King was on air and he was promoting a show to benefit Gerald. I went on air and said that wasn't true. So this put pressure on King to pay a balance of one of his obligations. Also, two years ago he sent $5,000 for a fundraiser. I would tell all boxers, don't trust anyone and have your affairs in order. Before I wrapped up the interview, I posed a question to my friend, Gerald. (If you know Gerald and his playful personality, you know the answer.) I asked him, "Gerald, who do you think is the greatest boxer in the world?" Gerald's Answer: "The G-Man and outside myself, Tommy (Hearns)."