Gerald McClellan, Great, or the Greatest Middleweight?

[XionComrade]

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!

[brownpimp88]

potential /= greatness

[Emon723]

he could have been Great, not just in middleweight or supermiddleweight but pound for pound, dont see how roy jones or anybody below 168 can beat him, if emmanuel steward was in his corner in the Benn fight, who knows, Gerald went into Benn's territory and had to fight two men, including the referee along with Benn's rabid punches, that is courageous enough.

[The Noose]

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!

WAS beating Benn??
He lost to Benn.

He was trying too hard to KO Benn, and showed his defence was very poor.

McClellan was a potential great. Nothing more.

Jackson, Mugabi were at the end of their careers. Benn was even not as good as he once was. But McCllelan for me was indded a great fighter. His career ended way too soon for me to really see how great he was.

[eazy_mas]

the G-Man is the greatest IMO.

you rarely see anyone from America coming to britian to fight or visa versa.

but after that tradgey it was also bad for british boxing because now less and less boxers are welling to fight there and that is bad for britian

[Franko]

WAS beating Benn??
He lost to Benn.
He was trying too hard to KO Benn, and showed his defence was very poor.

McClellan was a potential great. Nothing more.

Jackson, Mugabi were at the end of their careers. Benn was even not as good as he once was. But McCllelan for me was indded a great fighter. His career ended way too soon for me to really see how great he was.

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.

[Phantasm]

He was a great middleweight during his time and had POTENTIAL to be an all time great. I agree his defense wasnt great, but he hit like a mule. It's really subjective, since we wont ever know how he would have done had his career not end.

[GEOFFHAYES]

His career was over before it really began.

[Hydro]

of course he was not an all-time great.

he was a good fighter who could have been possibly been great, but unfortunately, his career ended prematurely.

[The Surgeon]

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!

He did little to deserve the spot record wise but in head to head matches i think he'd be one of the best yeah