Gerald McClellan (G-Man)

Aight boxing experts I want to learn more about the G-man. I have done some research on boxrec.com and Wikipedia.com. I also watched his fights on youtube against the likes of Julian Jackson I, II and against Benn. What I found very impressive was his power and unbelievable chin. I mean Jackson laid some leather on him and it didn't faze the Gman. I also watched the tragedy that happened in the Benn fight. I guess my question is how good was he? I understand a fight with RJ was possible until this happened. Was he good enough to beat a prime RJ? I also noticed 2 loses on his record when he faced Julian Jackson.

Any insight is much appreciated!:bears:

 

He was an excellent ammy. He won at least one Golden Gloves (maybe more, I can't quite recall) and beat RJJ as an ammy, turning pro when Jones Jr was picked ahead of him for the 1988 US Olympic team.

The two losses came early in his career when he was learning his trade. No shame in those. He had something like fifteen fights in his first year and a half as a pro...

He was rated in the top six P4P by Ring Magazine prior to the fight with Benn and was a four to one favourite to beat Benn. No British newspaper predicted Benn would win, and all bar one predicted he would be KO-ed inside four rounds.

He was extremely good at what he did and was one of the hardest punching MW's in history. I don't think he would have beaten RJJ, though.

Oh yeah, and there is an article about him on the front page of this site... :fightme:

MTF

 

He was a very good, & perpetually-dangerous fighter, with a preternatural instinct for the kill...but it's my take he was never en route to true greatness. In this respect, a Diego Corrales-type fighter. Good? Certainly. World-class? Quite. Championship-calibre? Yes, Sir. However, heavily-flawed in his own right, & in the worst ways --- a man adoring of his power & durability, two things which are extremely difficult to coach out of a man. His defense was also among the worst of his generation for world-class boxers. It was simply deplorable, & it was this deficiency, moreso than absolutely anything else, which resulted in McClellan's condition.

He wasn't ever going to be great, but a solid, memorable career was achievable --- though beating Jones, for mine, probably wasn't. It might've been interesting to see McClellan, King of the weight-drainers, in with a hungry young Michael Moorer at 175lbs, actually.

 

There's no way to know for sure, but it's possible the Jackson fights took something out of him. Getting hit that amount of times by a puncher like Julian couldn't be good for anybody.

Even if he won the Benn fight, that would have been at least twice where he absorbed heavy shots from some of the biggest punchers in the sport.

He probably would have been headed to the down side of his career shortly after anyway.

 

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dog fighting



opcorn:

 

He was quite a sadistic bastard outside of the ring.

That said... based on his power alone he'd have to be favored over the current 160-168 crop. I mean Jesus Christ, could you imagine what Gerald woulda done to Pavlik?

 

He would have knocked out Pavlik, but he wouldn't exactly come out of that one unscathed.

 

Judging by the 2nd round of Pavlik-Taylor 1.... me thinks it'd be an early nights work for G-man.

 

McClellan and Pavlik are very very similar fighters.

 

G-man was faster of both hand and foot, was a bigger puncher, had a better chin, and better skills when he used them.

 

Dogs weren't his best friends.

 

his first round onslaught would have made a fight with Roy Jones interesting...given that Roy would have gone back onto the ropes with the guard up

 

I think Jones was smart enough to keep the fight in the center of the ring as much as possible. He was no stranger to Gerald.

 

why? he went back against the ropes in many 1st rounds against decent punchers who went after him

 

Though none, in truth, as lethal as McClellan. It's difficult to be sure --- fighters like Jones, with their unusual athletic gifts, can be unpredictable, as they look for new & distinct ways to flex their acrobatic might. Who knows quite how he would've tackled McClellan. Moorer would've been far more straight-forward, & a more entertaining fight, for mine. It's all hammerblows & knockdowns, all fun & games, until someone loses their head.

What brings about the interest in McClellan, Hex?

 

He had decent skills and big power, monster right hand and a vicious left hook to the body (a la another Kronk fighter in Tommy Hearns), but as said before, didn't have a good defense. He grew increasingly in love with his power and sloppy.

Jones may have had some rough moments early on but I think after that he'd take over and win. Toney had left 168 by the time G-Man went there, but if they had fought, talk about a style mismatch. Toney would've chewed McCellan up with counters and spit him out.

 

Moorer would have fucked up G-man badly.

 

He was a bit of a cunt but he hit very hard

 

X, in your opinion did G-man have a shot in beating a prime RJ?

 

Of Course G-Man had the Proverbial PUNCHER'S Chance AND he Beat Roy 2 Out of 3 Times as an Ammy...REED Thinks McClellan would've Probably Been AHEAD After 3 Rounds in a PRO Fight as Well, but if he DIDN'T Get Roy Out of there By Then, it'd B All DOWNHILL from There...

G-Man EARLY or Roy by Late TKO, UD...



REED:mj:

 

I would have to disagree. To me, someone like a Zab Judah, or a Floyd Mayweather, could reasonably be described as above.

Gerald McClellan, on the other hand, was an out-&-out scumbag.

 

Sure, if Pavlik dropped his hands on purpose and clowned, G-man would have knocked him out. This is a 50:50 fight

 

Yup, a nasty piece of work indeed.

 

Pavlik is too slow, and straight up to have lasted very long with Gerald.

 

He was a terrible, evil human being

That said, Im not glad he ended up like he did

He was a terrific puncher, had a solid chin, fairly good skill set... never a great fighter, but he was good and dangerous against the right opposition

 

It's fun to say how bad McClellan was as a person, but did he do anything other than fuck with pitbulls?

 

Didn't realize he was that bad of a person.....

 

He fucked with labrador puppies too

 

I can't see that being even remotely close. I'd say G-Man would kill him pretty early.