Me to! As Chad said he beat Jones in Am's in a high class AM bout. Jones would become very close friends with Gerald and both had a great deal of respect for each other. Roy i believe to this day hasn't gone to visit Gerald because he said if he saw him in that state it would stop him boxing (someone please drag Roy there now!). But i think he writes letters to the family and looks after them if they need anything. As for the fight my dad always said the build up is reason why people don't care much for his condition. He said stuff about hurting Nigel's dad i believe plus the dog fighting stuff. Nigel had to win that fight, he lost to Watson and Benn. Some said he quit against Watson and it bothered him plus he need to win to make £££. He was willing to walk through hell and high water. Gerald would stand and punch slowly turning over the knuckle while watching himself in mirror. He'd just perfect he punches so they would have more power he really had bad intentions. His brother was the one who was supposed to be the champion boxer but he got lost in street life. Gerald didn't really love the sport till he got going and had lost some matches early to average opposition but once he got going he was something special.
My head hurts watching the punches these two took.. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFXflWw_N7Q[/ame]
I make a habit of watching this fight at least a couple times a year, and every single time I forget just how amazing it was. Absolutely superb.
benn-mcclellan is one of the best fights ive ever seen. i still have the issue's of boxing monthly that previewed the fight, and the issue after that deals with the fight and the aftermath. a peak gerald mcclellan was a frightening prospect. not one of the british newspapers picked benn to win, the american had been brought over to "bash benn up", but the old dark destroyer was'nt having any of it. great fight, nobody's gonna forget what happened that night.
It was brutal, Its hard pressed to find any fighter around the 168 weight from that era that would have beaten Benn on that night, He was just not going to lose and believed it, people may disagree but I think it was his career defining fight?
Thats pretty harrowing stuff at the end. What the guy must have been going through, my God. I remember watching this with my Dad also, if it was 17 years ago I would have been about 11. I remember thinking Benn was finished after one minute. Benn shipped some mighty punishment. Goes to show how brilliant Eubank and Watson were also. I also remember very clearly about the gumshield thing through the fight, wondering WTF. The days of ITV Sport showing the boxing, with Jim Rosethal!
For me it was as well, He had a lot of things he felt he had to prove. That night as he said 'they brought him over to bash me up'. He was right they thought McClellan could waltz in smash him to bits and take title.
They did and that was the most likely outcome at the time, the thing I never forget is Don King in the background, the leech that he is, sucking up to Benn like the new cash cow, when he should be taking a look at McClellen, who is clearly suffering. Emotional fight.
:good It's sorta night i believe many in and around that night regret there actions and decision's. It's a fight that i'll never forget aged 6 or 7 IIRC watching my dad go mad. Cannot remember anything about the punches just the madness in the room and on the tv at end.
17/18 years old and pilled up watching this. Still the most intense experience watching a boxing match i've had, full of ups and downs. It had everything good and bad about the sport right there.