Gerald McClellan vs Roberto Duran

G-Man by KO. Simply too big, too rangy, and too powerful for tiny Duran to contend with at 160.

Duran was able to beat Barkley at middle, but Gerald was a different type of beast than Barkley.

 

Interesting thread.

First thoiught was McCellen bombs him out. He had the size the speed and the power. All the tools to make a wrecking machine.

Second thought is what if he doesnt get Duran out early? Gerald never had to go past even 8 rounds until the Benn fight.

McCellen had trouble making 160lbs and that wouldnt bode well for him if Duran is still sneering at him in the 9th 10th and 11th etc. Duran could hit at 160. He wasnt a huge puncher but he could hurt you as Barkley learned.

Im biased towards Duran so my huntch is that Roberto makes it out of the early rounds and weathers the storm and start to counter the **** out of McCellen.

Duran by TKO

 

Agreed, McClellan bombs him out and pretty quickly.

 

If Duran is on his a-game, this goes to the second round. Where he is killed. Horrible.

 

Do you honestly think that at this weight Duran could a) Hurt McClellan b) Be able to withstand his insane punching power when he couldn't withstand Hearns?

 

G-man was a pretty wild puncher though and Duran had a very cute defence.
Might take a little longer

 

McClellan

 

Agreed by pretty quickly I mean within the first 4 rounds basically, although realistically I don't see Duran reaching the 3rd. I can't imagine Duran being able to survive that sort of onslaught particularly with McClellan's speed, ferocity and punching power. He wouldn't be cool and collected like Hearns was to Duran touching gloves, playing it cute he'll try and destroy him from the opening second.

 

I think Mclellan gets him out as early as hearns did. Too big, long reach, too much power.

 

It's not just the power, it's the explosiveness and sharp punching in the early goings. Gerald could have been a career light-heavyweight. Heck he could have been a career-cruiser. In the early rounds vs a natural lightweight, that's exactly how it's going to look.

Let McClellan go six rounds with somebody else, then put Duran in there, and the clever, tough, gritty Panamanian might do something amazing. Fresh as a daisy, it is in all regards a bridge too far.

 

I have to go with McClellan by stoppage

 

Whynot? He hurt Barkley and almost stopped him. He got Hagler`s respect. Power wasnt really Duran`s problem at Middleweight. He had more trouble cutting the ring and catching bigger faster guys but if you came to him he could still sting.

Its possible McCellen takes Duran out early but its not that easy to do. Duran wasnt an easy guy to take out and when you try to it usually plays into his hands. McCellen was a great talent but he wansnt Hearns. There was only one Tommy Hearns.

I am not that sure about Gerald`s gas tank if it does go into deep water. Not just chin but also stamina. I look at Gerald as a middleweight George Foreman in a sense that I never saw him weather the storm and comeback in deep water.

I respect the fact that Duran would be a pretty good underdog though as he should. That`s when Duran was most dangerous.

 

There's leagues difference between Barkley and McClellan's durability. McClellan ate some clean shots of perhaps the hardest punching Middle ever in Julian Jackson without appearing hurt. Manny Steward talked about a 16 year old McClellan eating Hearns' right hand without flinching while they were both at Kronk. McClellan was never dropped in his career or stopped (I'm not including knee in the Benn fight) while Barkley was stopped a number of times even at Middle.

While I agree McClellan isn't Hearns in some respects he is more dangerous being bigger, stronger, harder punching, more durable and more aggressive and although I see the similarities with Foreman I'm confident McClellan has a pretty decent gas tank, he managed to deck Benn in the 8th round despite his brian injury.

 

Gerald would crush him sooner or later.