20 years ago today Benn v McClellan

Sorry, but i thought it was diabolical, not with hindsight either, i thought it at the time.

These two great fighters giving one hell of a fight, only for watt to suggest he quit, i think he could have quit any time during the fight, it was that brutal, but to say it as if he had quit as he couldnt take it, the man was hurt badly, i could see that, with his blinking trying to focus, he wanted out as he knew there was something serious wrong with him, not that he quit as he had bottled it as watt seemed to imply leading up to it. :good

 

It was the most brutal fight I have seen in the UK in over 30 years of watching boxing.G-Mac had come up from 160 lb and his preparations for the fight were far from perfect,he had the run of the camp,his call.

Benn knew what was in front of him that evening and knew he would be taken to the well and then some.Both men left it all in there that night.

 

I think the ref bet on the over

Honestly, Terry O Conner would blush at the bias shown that night. Fight ends in first couple of rounds with any semi competent ref

 

Could you imagine how brutal a Benn vs Froch fight would have been?

 

I knew it was a brutal fight at the time but considering the ending i couldn't bring myself to watch it again soon after.
After watching it again several years later i simply didn't realise how brutal it was.
I don't know how Benn came through that to be honest,it must go down as one of the greatest British efforts ever.

 

he was doing the blinking thing in fights prior to Benn. I think he was already having some trouble and the war and brutality of the fight was just the tipping point

 

I came away from the fight thinking Nigel Benn was the greatest British boxer in history.
Obviously he's not quite, but he's great.
I'd rate him above the likes of Calzaghe and Froch personally.

 

I remember GM having the gum shield half out of his mouth for long periods of the fight. Not sure what that was about, maybe his breathing wasn't right.?

 

I was lucky enough to go. I had a big bet (for me) on McClellan (£700 odd, as I went big for McClellan in one, then covered myself with a G-Man win)

After three rounds I was though screaming for Benn. The fight just went like that. The nosebleed seats always make the fight seem a thriller, and when it actually is and the crowd is alight, it truly is electric.

The one downer, I always feel ashamed (guilty) about; is later in the night when I selfishly realized how much money I had lost, I started to comment on how McClellan quit like a dog, as it was not until I got home later that Sunday, we found out what had happened.

 

I agree.

 

As much as i rate benn...who is probably my favourite british fighter to watch of all time i genuinely believe mclellan was damaged goods going into that fight. Sure i read the blinking started after the julian jackson fights. Mcllellan still was formidable. Sat watching in amazement at not only the punishment benn took but the fact he started firing back. Both really put it on the line that night. That fight would be celebrated more today if such a devastating injury never came from it

 

Great fight , great fighters , sad outcome for both

 

A shame what happened to GM, a young man cut down in his prime and all that, but karma is a beotch, allegedly.