"They sent him over here to bash me up. Look at him now."

True. That piece of **** McClellan’s trainer. But the referee has total control. Blame that useless *****.

 

Honestly I think we all did.
But now looking back on
it, and McClelleans opponents
until he faced Benn, It's very
apparent he had been fed a
study diet of past prime opponents,
smallish Jr. middleweights, or
club fighters.
Benn was the first live body he faced
in my opinion.
While no one of right mind wants to see
any boxer gets severely injured.
McClellean proved to be immensely
overrated prior to his fight with Benn
by the media of his era.
We all bought into it.

 

McClelland was a vicious puncher. He had boxing skills too, I believe he outpointed Roy Jones in the amateurs, but started to rely on his power more and more. He had 14 straight ko´s before facing Benn, known going past the 5th, with his last 3 title fights ending in the 1st.

If my memory serves me right after nearly stopping Julian Jackson in the first round of their first fight he seemed to struggle. I had Jackson winning until getting blasted in the 5th. Julian was the only decent opponent he had faced before Benn, he looked very hittable but the way he destroyed opponents so quickly and viciously had the mayority of us thinking he would destroy Nigel.

I was there for the fight, the most exciting and vicious contest I have ever witnessed. Everybody rightly talks about how Benn came back from that first round shellacking to take the play away from Gerald. He is not given credit for the 8th round when he´s dropped hard, looks exhausted to come back to hammer the American before finishing him off 2 rounds later. Brilliant fight.

 

True. They all failed to do their jobs.

 

Boxing is a sport.

When somebody gets killed in the ring , or sufferers life changing injuries like this, it inadvertently becomes something else.

I don't want any part of that.

 

Boxing is a sport but it's also a combat sport and indeed, a martial art. I understand where you're coming from but I disagree.

By nature of repeated punches with mean intentions to the head and body, life changing injuries are an unfortunate by-product of the sport that we all love. Every fighter that dons gloves and steps through the ropes understands the risks that they sign up to, whether perpetrator or victim of said damage. The occasional injury, whilst unwanted, is expected and shouldn't change the reality of what it means to consent to the punishment of training, fight camp and fight night.

It's like Motorsport - as safe as we try to make it, as great as the technological developments have improved standards, by its very nature, drivers are tearing around in sardine cans - crashes and unfortunately deaths happen. I wish no injury on any man, but every tragedy is a reminder of what these guys put themselves through for us; what they sacrifice in the search of glory.

 

I would probably watch it if I became a boxing referee, but as things stand I am just a boxing fan.

 

So did I

 

I remember some aspiring young hooligan tried to mug Nigel Benn

 

How'd that go for him?

 

For Benn? He had a laugh apparently. The mugger not so much

 

Like the video of some fool who challenged Rocky Lockridge
to fight in front of a store?

 

Fair enough - that's your prerogative.

Devil's Advocate - if you watched a fight live that ended in tragedy, how do you suppose it would affect your future fight attendance, if at all?

 

Yes the ref allowed it but he didnt make Benn throw the rabbit punches, Benn is a pos, and I dont like McClellan but it was a crime.

 

Blame game rears its head.

Getting hit in the head kills brain cells, yet everyone on this forum watch fit strong individuals do just that, they praise those who do it best, and even praise those who can take punches well.

The other side of coin is, forum members will at times label boxers as quitters, or complain if a ref is thought to have stopped a fight too early.

It is sad seeing outcomes like Geralds, but like it or not such results are inevitable on occasions from blows to the head.

If we are going down the road of others should have intervened, then let us have Drs in each corner doing head injury assessments between rounds.

Gerald could have said "No Mas" himself.