Going into this bout, Gerald McClellan was a heavy favourite amongst bookmakers and pundits alike. He was a knockout artist, with 29 of his 31 victories coming inside the distance, and he had serious power in both hands.
On the contrary, many thought that Nigel Benn was fading. Despite the fact he hadn't lost since 1990, many thought the downfall of Benn would be the amount of wars he had been in; and whether he could go through another with the young, hungry McClellan was a debatable subject. Respected journalists only gave Benn between one and five rounds against McClellan, but oh how wrong they were.
How Benn vs. McClellan Went
Initially, it didn't look like Benn would make it out of the first round. McClellan came out like a steam train, and put Benn down so hard that he went through the ropes. Benn got up though, and showed his incredible spirit by not only beating the count but seeing out the round too.
Unbelievably, Benn actually dominated round two. He constantly tagged McClellan with left hooks and right straights, forcing the formerly aggressive American onto the back foot. This showed Benn's remarkable recovery powers, as he was very close to being finished in the very first round.
Round three was more competitive. Benn started the session in much the same way he carried himself for the entire second round, but McClellan hurt him with a right cross towards the end of the third, causing Benn, who probably still won the round, to look a little unsteady.
Rounds four, five and six were all Nigel Benn. He constantly tagged his foe with hard combinations to the head, while McClellan tried to wind up one massive shot to finish the fight (which he didn't find). There were more worrying things at this stage for McClellan though.
At around this time in the fight, McClellan began to have serious trouble with his mouthpiece; in the sixth it came out altogether. Also, the focus of the American challenger seemed to be waning, and the catastrophe that would later ensue was already brewing. More on that later.
To be fair, round seven was a good round for McClellan. He started bringing the fight to Benn again, and his devastating power was beginning to show.
He carried this on in round eight, and he scored a knockdown for his troubles. Benn looked very disorganised, and McClellan went in for the kill. However, once again, Benn managed to just about see out the round.
In round nine, real dirty business ensued. Nigel Benn heatbutted (albeit accidentally) McClellan, who then asked for some time to recover. The referee refused him this liberty, and the same thing happened again, with the referee once again not letting McClellan any breathing time. McClellan was blinking uncomfortably now, and the mouthpiece that was hanging out earlier was barely in his mouth.
Come round ten, and McClellan had less than nothing left. He took to one knee on two seperate occasions during the round; the second marking the end of the fight. This was arguably Nigel Benn's greatest victory, but definitely Gerald McClellan's gravest loss.
The Aftermath of McClellan vs. Benn
The fans exploded when McClellan was counted out, and Benn couldn't hide his exultation. However, in the other corner, McClellan collapsed and fell unconscious. He would then go to hospital and stay in a coma for 11 days. 'The G-Man' suffered permanent brain damage as a result of this bout, and he will never fully recover.
Author Kevin Mitchell wrote a book entitled 'War, Baby' about the grim subject, and numerous documentaries have covered the depressing tale. The Gerald McClellan Trust is now accepting donations from those who want to send a small (or indeed large) amount of money to contribute to the looking after of this fallen warrior.
How To Watch Benn vs. McClellan
Benn vs. McClellan was this week's 'Classic Fight of the Week'. Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any of the fights previously covered in this column.
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