Gerald McClellan

Gerald "The G -Man " McClellan ( born October 23, 1967 in Freeport, Illinois ) is a former American professional boxer and former world champion of the WBO and WBC middleweight. He was considered one of the strongest middleweights of all time beating and was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.

In his fight against Nigel Benn in 1995, which went down as one of the most spectacular and hardest duels this weight class in the boxing history, he suffered severe brain injuries and has since become severely disabled.

Amateur

McClellan was a successful amateur boxer. He won three times the Milwaukee Golden Gloves and the gold medal in the light middleweight at the U.S. Championships in 1987.

In 1988 he won the silver medal at the National Golden Gloves, where he among other things, Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. later defeated. Only in the final he failed on points to Ray McElroy, who is also a fairly successful professional later. In another amateur fight he also won against Michael Moorer, who later won five world heavyweight belt.

Professional

After he was not invited to the Olympic Games of 1988, he became a professional. He won his first ten fights in a row by KO, including seven in the first round. Then he suffered in 1989 two point defeats, including against world title challenger Dennis Milton.

Until August 1991, he again won twelve consecutive fights, including ten by KO, including six in the first round. Although he had beaten anyone yet world-class, he was already on 20 November 1991 in London the chance to win the world title of the WBO against John Mugabi. Mugabi was considered a big favorite in the duel; He had 41 bouts in his professional record, including 38 wins by knockout. However, McClellan surprised the boxing world when he is already in the first round by KO won. Previously, he had Mugabi three times on the ground.

However, he resigned the title, beating five other opponents in a row Ko, including four in the first round. On 8 May 1993, he received in Las Vegas the chance to win the WBC world title against Julian Jackson. Jackson had previously won 46 of his 47 fights, 43 by KO and was a former WBA world champion and reigning WBC champion, who now denied to McClellan his fifth title defense. McClellan also caused a sensation and won by KO in the 5th round. The spectacular precipitate was even chosen by the Ring Magazine's " Knockout of the Year".

In his first title defense on August 6, 1993 against the also -hitting Jay Bell ( 17 (16 by KO ) -1-1 ) he won after only 20 seconds of the first round by KO and thus scored the fastest knockout win in a middleweight title fight of all time. On March 4, 1994, he defended his title by KO in the first round against Gilbert Baptist, who then ended his career. On May 7, 1994, came to a rematch against Julian Jackson, the McClellan also by co won in round 1.

McClellan then resigned the title and rose to the super middleweight division. There, he played on 25 February 1995 in London, his first fight in the new weight class. His opponent was the widely feared " Dark Destroyer" Nigel Benn, former WBO heavyweight champion and current world champion of WBC. His record was 39 wins ( 32 by KO ), 2 losses and a draw. McClellan was looking at the beginning of the fight the Co Benn and drove through non-stop punch combinations into the ropes. In the first 40 seconds of the fight he beat Benn through seven consecutive head and body shots out of the ring but it was a second before he would have been counted to climb back into it. In the following rounds both boxers gave a sustained slugfest, with both more than once came to the edge of a precipitate. In round 8 Benn went again to the ground and was down for the count, but was able to fight again. In Round 9 Benn came after a failed right out of balance and slammed his head against the end of McClellan. On lap 10 McClellan knelt without being taken down for a few seconds, but came back on their feet. But a short time later, he knelt down again and was counted out by the referee. He had already pushed several times due to breathing problems, his mouth guard forward between the teeth and blinked incessantly, what was the referee but apparently not noticed. McClellan then collapsed in his corner and was taken to hospital, where he was a blood clot had to be removed from the brain in an emergency operation.

Also Benn collapsed still in his cabin and was admitted to the same hospital. McClellan was eleven days in a coma, suffered two strokes and a heart attack. He is blind, deaf to 80% and is dependent on his wheelchair and taking care of his family. He also suffers from massive gaps in memory. Benn apologized for his derogatory remarks he still expressed in the ring immediately after his victory over his opponents and took over a large part of the cost of treatment. The fate McClellan seemed to have taken him clearly, he then lost three of five fights and ended his career. In 2007 he organized a charity event for McClellan in London, with both boxers met for the first time in 12 years one another again. At the event, attended by many boxers and other known personalities over $ 200,000 in donations came together.

The Ring Magazine named him in 2003 in the list of hardest hitting boxers of all time ( The 100 Greatest Punchers of All -Time), where he occupied space 27.