Gerald McClellan, Great, or the Greatest Middleweight?

[K-DOGG]

Ok, I don't think he is the greatest by no means :P but I rank him in the top 20 greatest/best Middleweights of all time.

I respect BoxingScene's oppinion, so what do you guys think? Do you think McClellan is a all time great? He beat Mugabi, Jackson 2x, and was beating Benn before tragedy struck! As well as his physical talents, he was the hardest hitting middleweight in history!

You know, I would like to say he is; but all I can say is he could have been. He truthfully wasn't around enough to prove it. He had some great wins, showed some great heart, and maybe some day some one will really plead his case as they do now with a Charlie Burley or a Sam Langford, who were never given shots at the title. Personally, I didn't see enough of him to say yes.....but he sure was on his way.

[Hydro]

You know, I would like to say he is; but all I can say is he could have been. He truthfully wasn't around enough to prove it. He had some great wins, showed some great heart, and maybe some day some one will really plead his case as they do now with a Charlie Burley or a Sam Langford, who were never given shots at the title. Personally, I didn't see enough of him to say yes.....but he sure was on his way.

I wouldn't say he was on his way simply because of his size.

I don't think if tragedy hadn't struck would he have returned to 160 and fought there for very much longer. He would've had trouble making 160 for much longer because of his frame. He was a very big middleweight.

[K-DOGG]

I wouldn't say he was on his way simply because of his size.

I don't think if tragedy hadn't struck would he have returned to 160 and fought there for very much longer. He would've had trouble making 160 for much longer because of his frame. He was a very big middleweight.

That's true. I guess I was thinking from a perspective of how his career could have panned out and some of the potential matches out there. I know a guy by the name of Jones was looking forward to a showdown with his former amateur nemesis and friend before the Benn fight. Those two would have given us a modern Leonard-Hearns on a super-middlweight scale IMO.

Incidentally, Jones was more of "RJ" before the McClellan tragedy. That fight changed his approach to the sport.

[Hydro]

I think Don King's alliance w/ certain fighters prevented some of the great possible matchups of this time. Some of the possible matchups with Julian Jackson and G-Man against other fighters (like Toney) would've been interesting.

While King could put together great cards (especially in the mid 90s), his insistence on future options also has prevented lots of good matchups.

James Toney kept saying to Jackson "leave King and we'll fight". Is there any doubt that Toney would've been willing to fight Jackson?

[K-DOGG]

I think Don King's alliance w/ certain fighters prevented some of the great possible matchups of this time. Some of the possible matchups with Julian Jackson and G-Man against other fighters (like Toney) would've been interesting.

While King could put together great cards (especially in the mid 90s), his insistence on future options also has prevented lots of good matchups.

James Toney kept saying to Jackson "leave King and we'll fight". Is there any doubt that Toney would've been willing to fight Jackson?

Yeah, I've got mixed emotions when it comes to King. He's done a lot of good for the sport; but anything positive he's done for boxing was essentially a side effect of him doing something good for himself. He's the primary reason the titles became split in the 1980's IMO; and as long as he doesn't benefit from titlists facing each other...they won't. I admire his business sense of sense of self-preservation; but abhor the damage he's done to the sport as a whole. Don King's in it for Don King....and the hell with everyone and everything else.

[The Surgeon]

You know, I would like to say he is; but all I can say is he could have been. He truthfully wasn't around enough to prove it. He had some great wins, showed some great heart, and maybe some day some one will really plead his case as they do now with a Charlie Burley or a Sam Langford, who were never given shots at the title. Personally, I didn't see enough of him to say yes.....but he sure was on his way.

Thats why i said i really rate him highly in head 2 head matchups only, from what i saw of him (I have most of his fights on Dvd) he was a bit special and had it all but u cant just throw him up there with the greats coz his career record wasnt up to much because of the injury. Would he have been the best ever if he didnt get injured? I highly doubt it

[brownpimp88]

I also heard that don king fixed the chavez whitaker fight by paying off the judges that ruled it a draw. Either way, ring magazine considers it a win for pernell anyways. That draw should be changed to a win so that means pernell's resume of wins are azumah nelson, chavez, mcgirt, ramirez and vasquez.

When we talk about the best middleweights of all times, monzon and hagler are it. I guess you can make a case for greb, but the thing is you can't really prove anything cuz no one saw him fight. However, people that say ray robinson is the best at 160, are just giving him sympathy love. They dont know how to be objective.

[realheavyhands]

I think the point that Xioncomrade was trying to make was that McClellan was ahead on the judges scorecards when Benn stopped him, so yes he was winning the fight.

McClellan was certainly a very talented fighter, but i don't think that he could be labelled a great fighter, and i base that on the longevity of his career.

McClellan became a one dimensional fighter, and he simply had no plan B against Benn when the early knock out didn't materialise. Had he changed tact a little and boxed Benn then who knows, but instead, he engaged Benn in a war, and the rest is history.
People question McClellans' defence against Benn, but his offence had become his defence, if you like. He wanted to knock guys out, and knock them out quick. Emmanuel Steward would have made McClellan a better fighter IMO, but allegedly Steward wanted McClellan to work towards more of a boxing style which would enable him to work on his defence, and get more rounds under his belt, but McClellan had a different mindset.

he looked like he was outboxing benn to me

[XionComrade]

he looked like he was outboxing benn to me

Yeah I think he was just flat out destroying Benn in those late rounds. Had em down even, take nothing from Benn though, he won fair and square, good things ? come to those who wait...even though the fight would destroy Benn.

[Franko]

he looked like he was outboxing benn to me

Yes, but although he was ahead on the judges scorecards, he did engage in a war. Benn got back into the fight and won the second round.