Had he not gotten that serious brain damage how far do you think he could have gone? Let's just assume that he was able to see a doctor about his head problem. Could he have been able to KO Benn? And do you think he could have achieved much more, or was he already finished after the first Jackson fight? I always felt that he had all the tools to be great, just needed more polishing in his technique. He already had the boxing skills, chin, aggression, and especially power to be a nightmare for most fighters. If he had better defense, inside ability, and neglected the puncher mentality to KO opponents early then he could have been a nightmare for any fighter. He was a really talented fighter that never reached his full potential.
He was never gonna be great. His defense was terrible, his stamina sucked, and he didn't have much of a ring IQ. He got a lot of mileage out of KOing a faded Jackson. I know he has his fanboys who say he would have KO'd Jones, but it's unlikely. Roy would have lit him up. Toney would have beat the shit outta him just like he beat the shit outta him in sparring. I wouldn't pick McClellan over a single great fighter. But would I give him a chance against a guy like Froch or Kessler? Yeah, cause that's more his level. He'd lose badly to a Jones, Toney, Ward, Calzaghe, or Hopkins. Now, if he were around TODAY... he probably KO's Benavidez.
People are realistic about McClellan in 2022. When I first started posting on forums, circa 99-00, you had a whole lotta people saying he would have KO'd Hagler, Monzon, Hopkins, and Jones.
McClellan was definitely arrogant where he really believed that all he had to do is KO everyone within the first 3 rounds. That kind of mindset would definitely have come back to bite him in the ass. I don't think Jackson was that faded when he got stopped by McClellan, McClellan would always be a terrible match up for him. He would definitely have been figured out at some point by a superior technician if he continued down the path he was going minus the brain injury. Still, I could only imagine how much better he could have been if he stuck around with Steward and sharpened his skills. The guy was a mean, nasty, brutal motherfucker with an exciting style that was marred with bad habits and mentality. He was great to watch, as was his KOs, even if most of his opponents outside of Jackson and Mugabi were bums.
Jackson was pretty damn faded from his late 80s prime when he fought G-Man, and was essentially a one eyed fighter. I'm not positive that McClellan always beats him. Note that Jackson was winning the first fight until he got caught. I think the 87-88 Jackson very possibly beats McClellan.
I'd be confident in taking McClellan over any Jackson tbh. He'd always be too big with a much better chin. I do agree though, that he doesn't really stand much of a chance against Nunn, McCallum, Toney, Roy or also Kalambay. TBH, I think Eubank had a style built to beat McClellan.
I'd always make Gerald the favorite over Jackson too, but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that he beats peak Jackson. Julian was significantly slower in 93 than he was in the late 80s. Gerald has an okay puncher's chance against Kalambay, but the most likely outcome is him get schooled. And yes, Eubank beats Gerald. Gerald had the misfortune of being around in a very deep 160-168 era. Today, he'd be much better off. Gerald would half fucking kill that bum ass Jermall Charlo, that I'm certain of. Mungia would be toast inside of 2.
I feel like it was only about 2 years ago when some clown on ESB claimed that McClellan would have beaten Hagler. So, he still has a few delusional fanboys left. Hagler would have beaten Gerald up just as brutally as he did Obelmejias.
Is there any footage of his early losses? I know he obviously improved since then and they were on points but I'd be keen to see if he was comprehensively outboxed or anything. In all honesty I'd read more into those defeats than the Benn one, brain damage will affect performance.
Just searched. They aren't on YouTube, and even the guy I buy DVDs from doesn't have those two losses. So, I'm guessing there's no footage.
McClellan became a very one dimensional fighter. He fell in love with his power. By the time Benn fought him, it was all he had. He couldn't throw a jab, feint or box a lick. When Benn didn't lie down in that first round, he was clueless. He had enough power to keep himself ahead on the cards, but he got beat up and ultimately hospitalised. By Nigel Benn. I'm a huuuge Benn fan. He's one of the reasons why I fell in love with boxing. But Nigel Benn got the shit brayed out of him by Michael Watson. That's where Benn was. No-one who gets battered around the place by Nigel Benn makes ATG status. I agree with the consensus, though. Benn was a cherry-pick gone wrong, but that was a different era to this one. 160-168 today is a tumbleweed zone. Put G-man in today and he lays everyone out, quickly. History will look very kindly at that 1988 - 2000 era of 160-168lbers. Lots of very good fighters, with a smattering of ATGs mixed in. MTF
Yeah, this is a really mediocre 160-168 crop. That should be remembered when the red headed juicer's career is assessed 20 years from now. Of course Gerald would wreck a Charlo, Plant, or Callum Smith. McCllelan vs Froch would have been an interesting one. Froch could win if he made it to the late rounds, but given that Taylor and Groves dropped him hard early, Gerald might have gotten him inside of 5. Froch would be McClellan's limit. He would lose to anyone better than Froch.
Froch would be G-Mans best win. By a lot. McLellan didn't beat any 160-168lber anywhere near that level. I've made this point so many times but it is worth repeating. Froch was always troubled by speed. He could be hurt by punches he never saw coming. Even then, he never came close to being stopped. In the end, he stopped both Taylor and Groves (X2). Fighters Froch could stand in front of and trade, he usually outlasted. McClellan hit harder than anyone else Carl traded with, but that was his wheelhouse. If Benn could survive the onslaught, Froch had every chance imo. Nonetheless, Gerald would have fucking murdered every one of these bums hanging around 160-168 today. Every one of those 1988 - 2000 elite middle/super-middles would. The class gap is enormous. MTF
I didn’t know Toney beat the shit out of him in sparring. Sounds like he couldn’t deal with skilled technicians. No way in hell does he get to Jones Jr.
I was really excited in the 90s by the prospect of a Jones-McClellan match up. Once McClrllan took the match with Nigel Benn, most people figured that after he beat Benn (which seemed somewhat of a formality), that a matchup with Jones was next. Boxing being what it was in the 90s, I doubt it would have played out like that but it was a matchup people were talking about, for sure. Now, I’m pretty sure Jones would have schooled him, but at the time there was genuine intrigue and a sense that McClellan was a real threat.
Gerald would be a threat to any super middleweight early. But the ones who were the caliber of a Roy, Toney, Ward, Calz, would be able to neutralize his power, and he really had nothing else.
McClellan was essentially Randall Bailey with a better chin, and more ability. Problem is, his fan boys put him on Bob Foster tier, when he's a lot closer to Bailey.
Really enjoying the analysis here. Couple of things: Benn wasn't just limited, he was limited at 160lbs, never mind 168. He lost to Eubank. He lost to Watson. He lost twice to Collins. He lost to Malinga. He had difficulty with some guys he beat. 11 rounds to get rid of Nicky Piper. Dropped by DeWitt. Froch was a bigger harder man than Benn. Not mentally, but physically, and mentally his equal. If McClellan doesn't buzz, drop and overwhelm Froch, he's done. Period. Froch won't have to "hunt" Gerald because he's just as tall and as long. He'll simply walk up to him and hit him. There's no way McClellan is better than Taylor. He's not bigger, he's not longer, his amateur experience is worse. He didn't take a shot as well. Ironically, Taylors herky-twitchy style caused Froch more issues than McClellans "Have it" style. The way to beat Froch is by boxing him and hurting him and making him think and move and keep him guessing. His teeth can be pulled. McClellan wasn't better than Pascal either, and Pascal and Taylor, Johnson, these guys were all proven strongboys. Benn was a seek-destroyer, it looked great, but he's a couple engine sizes smaller than Froch. Froch backing McClennan into the ropes and wailing away Farmer-Style would be scary. McClellan just lacked core strength and core resistance. It's a fact. He blew some guy called Ward out early in his career and end the fight blinking as a result of a right hand that just grazed him. There was always a flaw in his china, physically. Plus he was a fucking bully and a sadist and they NEVER stand up to a test.
