IT HAS gone down as one of the most brutal and sensational boxing bouts ever, but the fight for the title would soon be forgotten, by its tragic aftermath. 16 years on, a documentary to be screened on ITV tomorrow evening will look back at the consequences of this fight, the memories of it and the everyday struggle that Gerald McClellan has in his life.
On Saturday February 25, 1995, McClellan fought Nigel Benn for the title of WBC Super Middleweight champion. Benn, known in his boxing days as ‘The Dark Destroyer,’ was part of a fine crop of British boxers in the mid 90s, which included Steve Collins, Chris Eubank and of course, the great Frank Bruno. McClellan, from Illinois in America was already the WBC middleweight champion and was moving up in weight level to challenge Benn for his bout. Up to this point, he had only lost twice in his career. Experts in America gave Benn little hope of overcoming McClellan, whilst Nigel was dependent on the partisan crowd in Docklands, London giving him the extra incentive he needed. Over 10,000 people attended the fight and an estimated 17 million people tuned into ITV for Big Fight Live. This was to be a fight that no-one would forget, but the aftermath would completely overshadow the excitement of the contest.
McClellan started strongly, seemingly wanting to finish things early. He knocked Benn through the ropes within 35 seconds of the first round; Benn hit the television monitors and he almost needed a push from ITV boxing reporter Gary Newbon to help him recover and get back into the ring. Somehow, he was given a slow count and allowed to continue in the fight. In an interview with ITV in 2007, Benn recalls this moment; “I remember him hitting me, I went back and then he punched me again. I felt my ligaments and my neck stretching out of the ring.”
As the bout continued, the sparring got more explosive. Both boxers were pounding each other in dramatic fashion, in a battle that was turning into an all-time classic. Having recovered his momentum, Benn was fighting back, but McClellan responded and knocked his competitor down in the eighth round. Surely, it was all over, but inside the minds of both, they were seriously struggling. Nigel recounts this and wasn’t prepared to quit; “Even when he put me down in the eighth, I still had to win. For the life I wanted to have, I had to win to secure my family’s life.”
McClellan had never been past the eighth round in a fight before and was starting to look more exhausted every time he returned to his corner. At the start of the tenth, Benn knocked him down rather tamely. McClellan looked dazed and was shaking his head. The referee counted him out. At the time of the stoppage, two of the point’s judges had McClellan infront, the other a draw. On the other side of the ring, Benn celebrated his triumph, as did the entire arena rooting for the Brit. McClellan slowly got up to his feet, looking in severe trouble. Benn was ecstatic but also looked rather animated. As Newbon went to interview the winner, Nigel started ranting live on TV, he did look seriously wound up, the adrenaline still burning after his victory. Out of the corner of his eye, Newbon could spot that McClellan had slipped off his stool and was losing consciousness. With the end of their programme looming, Newbon quickly tried to wrap his interview up and hand back to Jim Rosenthal, saying “We’re going to wrap this interview up because we’ve got a serious problem here with Gerald McClellan.”
Gerald McClellan had collapsed in his corner and lost consciousness. A stretcher came into the ring and he was rushed to hospital where it was discovered that he had developed a blood clot on his brain. He remained in a coma for 11 days, requiring emergency surgery to even survive. It was a devastating end to a gripping contest.
Today, Gerald McClellan uses a wheelchair to get around, although unlike another boxer who got seriously injured in the ring, Michael Watson in 1991, he still has some movement in his legs. He is completely blind and lost around 80 per cent of his hearing. His three sisters take care of him. Nigel Benn was never the same fighter after this bout and lost his title in March 1996. Two weak defeats to Steve Collins the following year prompted his retirement from the ring. He now lives in Majorca with his family, with religion taking a strong place in his heart once his boxing career finished.
In February 2007, Nigel Benn met Gerald McClellan for the first time since their fight in 1995. It was an emotional moment for Nigel, as he organised and hosted a benefit dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel in London to help with McClellan’s ongoing medical expenses. A total of $175,000 was raised on the night as several pieces of memorabilia were auctioned off. Astronomical medical bills mean that all of McClellan’s earnings as a professional boxer have gone and his family rely on donations through the Gerald McClellan Trust to help with paying for his medical bills. The address to donate is below;
Gerald McClellan Trust
C/O Fifth Third Bank
PO Box 120
Freeport, IL 61032
Sport is always competitive and always has been. Sometimes, people will do anything to win, even if it against the rules. However, there are occasions where battles sadly end in tragic circumstances. Gerald McClellan should always be remembered as a talented prospect whose career ended in such a sad and unfair way. Even now, sixteen years on – seasoned boxing experts will never forget this fight, or Gerald McClellan’s legacy on boxing and his battle to see him in the best care possible today.
