Gerald Allen McClellan (born October 23, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 1995. He is a two-time middleweight world champion, having held the WBO title from 1991 to 1992, and the WBC title from 1993 to 1995. McClellan was forced to retire from boxing after a severe brain injury suffered during his final fight in 1995, a loss to WBC super middleweight champion Nigel Benn.
Known for his formidable punching power and one of the highest 1st-round-knockout ratios in the history of boxing, McClellan was dubbed "a miniature Mike Tyson" by his promoter, Don King (Tyson himself, while incarcerated, reportedly called McClellan "the best fighter in the world").) The Ring magazine rated McClellan No. 27 on their list of the "100 Greatest Punchers Of All Time". In 2007, McClellan was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in California, not to be confused with the more widely recognized International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota.
Amateur career
As an amateur, McClellan was a four-time Wisconsin Golden Gloves champion, 1984–1987, competing mostly in the junior middleweight division.
Highlights
In February 1995 he lost to Britain's Nigel Benn in a WBC super-middleweight title fight. Stopped in the 10th round, McClellan slipped into a prolonged coma. National Golden Gloves (147 lbs), Little Rock, Arkansas, March 1985: 1/4: Lost to Roy Richie DQ 3 U.S. Olympic Festival (156 lbs), Houston, Texas, July 1986: Finals: Lost to Thomas Tate by split decision, 2–3 U.S. National Championships (156 lbs), Buffalo, New York, March–April 1987: 1/4: Defeated Keith Graves by unanimous decision, 5–0 1/2: Defeated Kevin Grantham by unanimous decision, 5–0 Finals: Defeated Tim Littles by unanimous decision, 5–0 U.S. Olympic Festival (156 lbs), Raleigh, North Carolina, July 1987: 1/2: Lost to Ray McElroy by split decision, 2–3
Pan Am Box-offs (156 lbs), International Center of the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 1987: Lost to Frank Liles U.S. National Championships (156 lbs), Olympic Sports Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 1988: 1/8: Defeated Scott Felde RSC 2 1/4: Lost to Johnny Tapia DQ 2 National Golden Gloves (156 lbs), Omaha, Nebraska, May 1988: 1/4: Defeated David Gamble KO 2 1/2: Defeated Roy Jones Jr. by split decision, 3–2 Finals: Lost to Ray McElroy by split decision, 2–3
He trained with Kronk Gym being trained by Emanuel Steward. After turning pro, he also fought out of a Palmer Park gym run by Sugar Ray Leonard.
Professional career
McClellan turned professional in 1988. Trained by hall of fame trainer Emanuel Steward, his early career was notable for a propensity for quick victories by knockout: only two of his first 29 fights went beyond the third round, although he lost both of those on the scorecard (in 6 rounds against Dennis Milton, 8 against Ralph Ward, in successive fights.) However, these proved only a momentary check on his career, as he captured the vacant WBO middleweight title by knocking out John Mugabi in one round in 1991, and the WBC middleweight title by knocking out Julian Jackson in five rounds in May 1993, after McClellan had survived some brutally hard punches from Jackson in the second and third rounds. McClellan defended the WBC title three times, all first round stoppages, including a rematch with Jackson. In the fall of 1994, McClellan separated from his long-term trainer Emanuel Steward.
Benn vs McClellan
McClellan moved up in weight to challenge WBC super middleweight champion Nigel Benn in London on February 25, 1995. The fight was watched by an estimated 17 million people on television and 10,300 paying spectators.