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How would the Gerald McClellan who won the WBC middleweight title up until his unfortunate accident against Benn do against todays middle and super Middleweights ? Particularly Canelo and Benavidez McClellen was 6'1" and showed good skills and a great punch. And while he had some good wins we never got to see him against Jones, Toney, Eubank or an iron chinned Steve Collins. That prevents him from rating highly in a historical sense, but there is always the "what if"? So, how would he do today?
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Today the middle weight divison is at a very weak point. He'd be #1 or #2 @ middleweight today in his prime. -
McClellan did beat Roy Jones Jr as an amateur, which says something about his potential. On the other hand, as a pro he lost twice to lesser opponents, so there is no certainty at all about what he could have been.
ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY saw the McClellan vs RJJ fight live, if I remember correctly, and could probably tell us a thing or two...Last edited by Tatabanya; 08-18-2024, 08:51 AM.Comment
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Both of those losses were early in his career and close. While I'm not privy to the details of those fights im chalking it up to lack of experience and probably not training correctly. He did have the win over Jones in the amateurs so I agree the had potential and was fulfilling it up until the Benn fight.Comment
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You have reading comprehension problems. I said from the time he won his ABC trinket up until the Benn fight. And EVERY fighter who spars is brain injured going into a fight. Do you have proof McClellan had serious damage before fighting Benn or are you just making things up again?Comment
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I will say one thing. From what I've seen and read, McClellan had a fast peak becoming a very good technical boxer puncher, then dropped Steward and then regressed and became a head hunter. Despite the last part, he still memorized all of the technique and skill he learned from the Kronk gym.
This might sound crazy to some but there is footage of him actually explaining and teaching his so called coaches how to properly train HIM. Lol I kid you not. I am not sure if I have ever seen such a bizarre situation with a world class fighter. Maybe Mike Tyson in the 90s when he didn't have the best coaches and those leeches around him, but atleast those coaches taught him what they believed was the right training. Gerald was teaching them how to train him and even wrapped his own hands before fights.
Anyway, my point bringing that up is that if McClellan didn't get the brain injuries, he still had the ability to get some proper training and become a complete fighter again. He was young enough and still growing into those weight classes and clearly he did not forget how to box.
If he had the technique as well as his natural attributes? I could see him beating almost any opponent even Roy Jones Jr.Comment
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