Gerald
McClellan vs Hearns (EXH)
Gerald McClellan vs Mitchell
Gerald McClellan
vs Mugabi
Gerald McClellan vs Sullivan
Gerald McClellan
McClellan competed
from 1988 to 1995. He is a two time middleweight world champion, having
won the vacant WBO title against John Mugabi in 1991, and the WBC
title against Julian Jackson in 1993. 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, The ring magazine rated
McClellan at number 27 on their list of “100 Greatest Punchers”. In
2007, McClellan was inducted into the International boxing Hall of
Fame.
Fundraising
McClellan has been the honoree at numerous banquets
and award ceremonies, and fellow boxing world champion Roy Jones Jr.,
often pointed out as a rival middleweight champion during 1993-94
(indeed, McClellan actually beat Jones as an amateur), set up a foundation
to help McClellan.
Nigel Benn himself has also helped to raise
funds for McClellans’s treatment, and the two men would meet again
for the first time since their bout at a fundraiser held in London
on February 24, 2007. Several items were auctioned off at the event
and a total of L200,000 was raised.
In May 2012, the World Boxing
Council publicly appealed for donations to a trust fund set up in
McClellan’s name in order to help his sister Lisa maintain his 24
hour care. In July 2017, McClellan took a turn for the worse, and
underwent surgery to repair a malfunctioning colon. McClellan now
uses a colostomy bag and incurs colostomy supply expenses of about
500 dollars a month. Former world light middleweight champion Terry
Norris, whose Final Fight Foundation acts to protect boxers, made
and appeal for the Gerald McClellan Trust, noting, “McClellan’s organs
are starting to shut down because of his brain injury. Ring 10, a
nonprofit organization that helps impoverished former fighters, provides
McClellan with monthly food credit and raises funds to assist with
payment of other necessities.
Dog fighting controversy
According
to an article in The Observer, McClellan participated in dog fighting.
McClellan’s trainer and family admitted that McClellan was involved
with fighting pitbulls, and on one occasion had used tape to bind
the jaws of a Labrador shut before allowing his pet pitbull “Deuce”
to kill it.