would geralrd mclellan have been the greatest fighter ever

[The Noose]

maybe for sure we should have seen great fights with hop, rj, toney. does anyone else thinks that in the 40s-50s-60s these four would have had great trilogies with each and every one of the others?

it actually really pisses me off to think that those talents crossed so rarely.

Very true. It pisses me off now that u mention it.

he was beating the **** out of benn that ref saved benns life and ruined mcclellans ..ill never leave the us for a fight

He wasnt beating the **** outa Benn at all.
In the first he seriously hurt him.
Again in tghe 7th i think.
Apart from that Benn was boxing well and catching McClellan with big shots.

If u could actually score a fight, then u would know it was very close wen it was stopped.
BTW Benn won the fight by KO. U seem to be in denial of that.

[realheavyhands]

with a different ref that fight would of been over in the 1st round....

[The Noose]

with a different ref that fight would of been over in the 1st round....

I just watched the 1st round on Youtube, the ref does keep getting in the way, but the whole "he saved Benn" is bull****. After Benn went through the ropes, he was up at 6, and got back in by 8, look at his legs, he is ok to continue. The ref held off McClellan for just over a second, people exaggerate what actually happened.

After that Benn survived, and McClellan was unable to put him down again. The ref did keep getting in the way, but he hardly saved Benn. He was never out on his feet, and McClellan was in such a rush to finish him he couldnt land clean punches.

I dont believe a different ref would of changed anything. McClellan would of still rushed in, Benn would have still been hurt but survived.

[Franko]

No, I don't know him personally, but I do give plenty of credence to the words of those who were very close to him, like his trainer or first cousin (to name two that come to memory offhand), whose stories about McClellan were both in complete alignment and were consistent with each other's...If both of them (and others) are describing him in such a manner where my interpretation of their words is that he was a sick & sadistic ****, then that's exactly what I'll call him.

And I tend to watch both what a fighter does in the ring, as well as learning about the character he shows out of it (I've read plenty of boxing bios because I like to get the more personal side of the stories)...

They are human with personal lives well beyond the boxing ring, aren't they?

Or are they some type of programmable machine, only brought out of a wooden box for battle a couple/few times a year?

Yes, of course they're human, and i do like to know about boxers on a more personal level also, but i tend to concentrate more on achievements inside the ring, as that's what interests me the most. There are plenty of nasty characters attached to boxing, and i've heard conflicting stories regarding Gerald McClellan, stories which i do find disturbing, but this wouldn't make me value the man as a fighter any less, which i'm sure you agree with yourself.

[Franko]

with a different ref that fight would of been over in the 1st round....

I disagree with that. True, the Ref was over fussy, as i've stated in my other post(s), but Benn deserves all the credit in the world for winning that fight. No blame can be directed at the referee for McClellan rushing in to try and finish Benn off after the 1st round knock down. McClellan could maybe have picked his punches a little better, and as Benn was in survival mode at that stage, McClellan had the opportunity to assess the situation and act upon it. The bottom line is that he had no plan B when the initial early knock out plan never materialised. Yes the referee seemed to give Benn a bit more time to recover. Yes the referee was inept, and yes he was ridiculously over fussy! Regardless of all that McClellan was still given ample opportunity to beat Benn. He didn't.

[The Noose]

The 2nd round is ****in incredible. How Benn was able to come back so strong after the 1st round i dont know.
He took McClellans hardest shots, and he didnt have the greatest chin. It was sheer heart and will to win that got him back up.
The way Benn went after McClellan so aggressivly took some guts.

[Hydro]

No, for crying out loud.

He was a very good fighter but come on. He beats a declining, smaller Julian Jackson and loses a war to Benn and he would've been "the greatest ever"???

Come on.

He wasn't even the best middleweight of that time......that fought from the Michigan area.

[jabsRstiff]

No, for crying out loud.

He was a very good fighter but come on. He beats a declining, smaller Julian Jackson and loses a war to Benn and he would've been "the greatest ever"???

Come on.

He wasn't even the best middleweight of that time......that fought from the Michigan area.

I think this post is pretty accurate.
People are romanticizing McCLellan because of what happened to him.
What they fail to realize is that what happened to him was his fault. He fell to in love with his power, &basically stopped doing the things that used to set up his obviously awesome punching power.
By the time he fought Benn....all he did was hold out his left hand- no real jab- & try & drive his right hand down Benn's throat. He would occasionally fire a left hook to the body, which is a shame because that was really his killer punch. No combos.....no jab...no real skills at that stage.He ****ed up by dismissing Manny Steward, also.

He'd have nevere beaten Roy Jones with such a standard offense, no way.

[scap]

I think this post is pretty accurate.
People are romanticizing McCLellan because of what happened to him.
What they fail to realize is that what happened to him was his fault. He fell to in love with his power, &basically stopped doing the things that used to set up his obviously awesome punching power.
By the time he fought Benn....all he did was hold out his left hand- no real jab- & try & drive his right hand down Benn's throat. He would occasionally fire a left hook to the body, which is a shame because that was really his killer punch. No combos.....no jab...no real skills at that stage.He ****ed up by dismissing Manny Steward, also.

He'd have nevere beaten Roy Jones with such a standard offense, no way.

This thread is certainly overboard but lets give it up to the man who was able to get hit clean with Julian Jackson shots and not only continue but go on to win.

His chin was ridiculous, The Hawk can atest!

Jackson in defeat may have scattered the **** of of the G-mans brain.

[jabsRstiff]

This thread is certainly overboard but lets give it up to the man who was able to get hit clean with Julian Jackson shots and not only continue but go on to win.

His chin was ridiculous, The Hawk can atest!

Jackson in defeat may have scattered the **** of of the G-mans brain.

I loved McClellan.....I got to see him take out Carl Sullivan- live. 19 second KO.
His fight with Jackson was incredible....for what you spoke of, Scap. I don't thnk Jackson ever really hurt McClellan, but made G back off with that "Oh ****, this man can punch" look on his face. Tremendous chin on McClellan, to go along with the power.

I think he was pretty awesome, for a time. But, he was no way on his way to being one of the best ever, & I don't ever think he could have beaten Roy.