Gerald McClellan is a former
boxerBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from the
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of America, who was the WBO and WBC middleweight champion. McClellan's record as a professional boxer was 31 wins and 3 losses with 29 wins by
knockoutA knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
. He has been rated as #27 on Ring Magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.
Boxing career
McClellan became a professional boxer in 1988. Trained by
hall of fameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
trainer
Emanuel StewardEmanuel Steward is an American boxing trainer, commentator and inductee of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
, he captured the WBO middleweight title by knocking out
John MugabiJohn "The Beast" Mugabi is a former boxer and world Jr. Middleweight champion. A world traveller, Mugabi was a part of an early 1980s Jr...
in one round in 1991, and the
WBCThe World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
's version by knocking out
Julian JacksonJulian Jackson is a retired professional boxer and former three-time world champion in the light middleweight and middleweight divisions...
in five rounds in 1993. He defended the WBC title three times.
Bout with Benn
After his middleweight reign, McClellan went up in weight to challenge world Super-Middleweight champion
Nigel BennNigel Benn , known as "The Dark Destroyer", is a British former boxer who held world titles in the middleweight and super middleweight divisions....
in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on February 25, 1995. The fight was watched by an estimated 17 million people on television and 10,300 paying spectators.
McClellan dropped Benn, who went out of the ring in round one. They continued battling, but the fight had a devastating ending. McClellan knocked Benn down again in the eighth round but Benn was able to continue and after enduring numerous punches from Benn, McClellan slumped to one knee in round ten. He took the mandatory eight count, resumed boxing, but soon dropped to his knee for a second time. He was counted out. He returned to his corner but appeared to be unable to stand and lost consciousness. McClellan briefly regained consciousness in the ambulance and ripped off his oxygen mask.
Aftermath
McClellan had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain. He spent eleven days in a coma and after which, he was found to have suffered extensive brain damage. He lost his eyesight, the ability to walk unassisted and became 80 percent deaf.
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
ran an article about the fight and its outcome one week after the fight. McClellan's family flew to be by his side, and later he was flown back to his home country. He has recently recovered some ability to walk, being helped by a cane, but he has not recovered his eyesight. In addition to being blind and almost deaf, his short-term memory was also profoundly affected. His three sisters, particularly Lisa McClellan, are responsible for his care. He has been the honoree at numerous banquets and award ceremonies, and fellow boxing world champion
Roy Jones Jr.Roy Jones, Jr. is an American boxer. As a professional he has captured numerous world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions...
, often pointed as a possible rival during the 1990s (indeed, McClellan actually beat Jones as an amateur), set up a foundation to help McClellan. Nigel Benn himself has also helped to raise funds for McClellan's treatment, and the two men would meet again for the first time since their bout at a fundraiser held in London on February 24, 2007. Several items were auctioned off at the event and a total of $175,000 was raised.
Personal
According to an article in the Observer, McClellan had at one time participated in dog fights.
External links