Gerald McClellan

[Super_Lightweight]

Why did he lose to Nigel Benn? Was there a legit reason he should have won or was Benn just better? I only seen some of the fight so maybe someone could pm it to me.

G-Man had an awesome punch but did he have a good chin? i think he must have had a great chin. But what about his stamina? I get the feeling that it was a big question mark for him.

Also, how would he have done vs Tommy Hearns at 160.

[jabsRstiff]

McClellan has become overrated, (especially in here) over time.

He was indeed a monster puncher...but his resume wasn't exactly stellar (biggest win = a ready-to-be-taken Julian Jackson)....he forgot how to goddamn box, over time....& he did lose to Benn.
His amateur victory over Jones is overplayed (usually by Jones-bashers)...

He did have a helluva chin, as he took punches from Jackson that would have laid most 160lbers out.

He could have KO'd Hearns had he reached him, certainly. But, he also could have been totally outboxed by Hearns, had Hearns managed to stay disciplined.

[TheEvilSaint]

Why did he lose to Nigel Benn? Was there a legit reason he should have won or was Benn just better? I only seen some of the fight so maybe someone could pm it to me.

G-Man had an awesome punch but did he have a good chin? i think he must have had a great chin. But what about his stamina? I get the feeling that it was a big question mark for him.

Also, how would he have done vs Tommy Hearns at 160.

if the fight hadnt taken place in england, benn would have NEVER made it past the 1st against mcclellan.

i dont know about his chin, but g-man's stamina was a problem. 20 of g-man's 29 KOs were in the 1st, which is pretty damn impressive.

against hearns at 160? Gerald McClellan by KO in the early rounds. hearns' chin wasnt enough to take g-man's punches.

i think mcclellan was good, but i dont put him anywhere near the top 20 MWs of all time. he was good for the era, not for history.

[Ian 'Mr' McNeilly]

This might be of interest to fans of Benn and G Man:

http://www.boxing-monthly.co.uk/content/0502/one.htm

[theclawoftheTiger]

McClellan had the best ability in the world of boxing .. he was the bestout there from what i saw .. then you have to remember that apart from a prime Tyson it was Benn who was the best come-forward fighter of the last 10 yrs going into the McClellan fight So Benn was NO pushover ..

McClellan had an awesome resume- and was certainly not overrated at the time although he did get a lot of hype .. he fought the durable Sanderline Williams in 1990 a few mnths after Benn fought him and proved his boxing skills, McClellan had no plan B against Milton or Ward but proved he had improved as a boxer and in mentality by not just beating Williams but DOMINATING Williams with pure boxing ability .. the following yr he KOd John Mugabi (who went 11 rounds with Hagler) in round one ! Then in 93 he was matched with a prime Julian Jackson who certainly wasnt past his best (Jacksons only ever loss had come to Mike McCallum in 86 in what was a premature stoppage in a fight that Jackson was winning .. he had McCallum out on his feet) but Jackson had improved alot since then .. McClellan KTFO Jackson to become p4p ranked .. a yr later he KTFO Jackson inside 90 seconds of the opening round and then knocked Benn out of the ring inside 30 seconds of the opening round ..

Nobody gave Benn a chance because so many of Benns recent fights had gone the distance (Benn was powerpuncher, this wasnt supposed to be happening) and so many of McClellans recent fights had not even lasted a single round .. Benn was on the slide and McClellan was on the rise ..

So dont under estimate Benns performance that night .. he was somehow better than ever that night ..

It was a case of McClellan not having any defence at all .. Benn was an extremely hard hitter and it was a miracle how McClellan got through the second round due to the ammount of Benn punches he was taking .. it was a matter of styles where Benn found the style and moves to get under McClellans punches and time his own lunge punches .. that, and the fact that McClellans chin was TOO good that he was fighting on borrowed time for most of that fight (he got so overconfident that he thought he didnt even need a defence .. against the Dark Destroyer thats idiotic)

[theclawoftheTiger]

McClellan had no fewer than 20 first-round wins but he wasn't even a come-forward fighter he was just a boxer-puncher .. and thats awesome how he kept finding the powerpunch early on due to his body positioning, footwork, ring generalship, timing ..

[jabsRstiff]

Jackson was not in his prime when he fought McCLellan -
Julian Jackson struggled horribly with Thomas Tate, & had more trouble than he should have against Eddie Hall.
Jackson is one of my favorite fighters ever, & I knew at the time he was ready to be taken. He was getting hit too much, & rocked too much.

As for Mugabi...

You say he went 11rds with Hagler.....yet you fail to point out that was 5 1/2 years before McClellan turned the trick. Mugabi was stopped by Duane Thomas, & completely knocked silly by Terry Norris in '90.

McClellan had ability, I know that....but he PROVED LITTLE.

[Knicksman20]

McCllelan lost that fight because him & Manny Stewart had a falling out before the fight over some money issues. Stewart didn't train him alot for the fight because he refused to until they settled matters. They say GM had to wrap his own hands for that fight & he suffered a broken hand in that fight because they weren't wrapped properly. It's sad because had he been properly trained with Stewart in his corner, he would have retired Benn that night whether early or late.

[jabsRstiff]

He lost to Benn because he became a middleweight version of George Foreman.....just throwing big punches.

[oldgringo]

He lost to Benn because he became a middleweight version of George Foreman.....just throwing big punches.

Right hand, left hook, right hand, left hook body, right hand, left hook body.....

he became very predictable as he fell in love with his power.