http://slumz.boxden.com/f353/tales-...-damaged-goods-prior-nigel-benn-bout-1271061/ Tarick Salmaci of the Contender season 1 fame was sparring McClellan during that time.His take on it in that article.
Does anyone have more insight or articles on this fight? I like Benn but McClellan was a different animal and should of beat him with relative ease. McClellan started blinking and spitting out his mouthguard very early I'd say in the third round it was noticeable but in the fifth round it was obvious something was wrong. The referee was bad, the fight was tragic and controversial. I think McClellan had to have something wrong with him before entering this fight
I watched this fight (Benn fight) again only last night. ****inghell, Benn was wired that night! That night he was just willing to walk through anything and everything. I watched the British commentary version for the first time (normally watch Showtime version with Ferdie commentating) and either Gutteridge or Watt mention the blinking starting in one of the Jackson fights. They mentioned this during the fight aswell, BEFORE the obvious tragic events. Pretty sad how they accuse McClellan of quitting aswell, but obviously they didn't know what had happened.
yeah it did appear like he submitted and took a knee but nothing could be farther from the truth. Benn fought a great fight too the circumstances around that fight are just so odd.
It was all just mental. Two of the biggest punchers P4P, two of the toughest blokes you could imagine, the shootout to end all shootouts and boy did it live up! Insane officiating when arguably the fight should have ended inside the first minute aswell. Frank Bruno banging on the canvas ringiside in his bright red suit going absolutely ****ing mental everytime Benn missed with a wild haymaker. Probably one of the greatest fights in boxing history aswell, just a shame about the tragic ending.
Frank Bruno was crazy at ringside with a bright loud orange/red suit on. Don King is such a piece of ****. While McClellan was lying down in a corner passed out he runs over to jump all over benn's dick. Benn's in ring interview was odd too he told the commentator to "LISTEN TO ME I LISTEN TO YOU ALL THE TIME now you all will start believing in the Dark Destroyer!!!" lol madness. I do honestly think McClellan was injured without knowing it going in to this fight.
I don't think so. Clots move too easily and for him to have it previously would be unlikely. The headaches which people talk about from Julian might have been caused by some sort of nerve inflammation from the punches, but I doubt from a clot. Didn't they do routine scans on him before some fights?
I think he was just so psyched up after the fight that he didn't really have control of himself. It happens to fighters all the time when the adreneline is flowing, especially after such an epic fight with an atmosphere that's possibly unrivalled since then. He apparently collapsed on his way to the dressing room after the fight and had to be helped out of the bath by his minders later that night.
This, it doesn't really give you much extra punch resistance either. It makes your head heavier and a minimum cushion but the effect isn't that big. It does prevent cuts though. If Vitali fought Lewis with headgear, the doctor couldn't have saved Lewis :rofl:rofl (Just a joke)