Thomas Hearns vs Gerald McClellan

[Roco]

McClellan definitely could be outboxed and Hearns definitely could be knocked out. If this were to take place at 160 I would probably lean towards Hearns.

I know I've seen an exhibition somewhere where Hearns dominated and toyed with Mclellan.
I know it was only an exhibition and they had on headgear but Hearns seemed much better

That is because they are leagues apart. Although conceeded Hearns did have a tendancy to get clever and caught, but you'd have to say he got away with it more often than not, and when he was determined to do a job he usually did.

[orbtastic]

Manny - "Gerald was 16 years old but he was so assured at that time we had him sparring with Tommy (Hearns), but he wasn't showing any respect in this session and didn't use any composure. So Tommy was jabbing and moving and smiling at Gerald - playing with him. We were asking Gerald to calm down because he was going wild, he was a wild kid. Gerald threw his headgear at Willie (Brown) and ran at Tommy, Tommy by this point was getting pissed. He was enduring Gerald's punches against the ropes, his arm was caught in the rope at one point and if I remember he was spitting out blood. So through adrenalin and survival, Tommy threw his best punch at Gerald. It was such a fierce right hand - Gerald walked straight through it!"

[Diamond WEAPON]

Manny - "Gerald was 16 years old but he was so assured at that time we had him sparring with Tommy (Hearns), but he wasn't showing any respect in this session and didn't use any composure. So Tommy was jabbing and moving and smiling at Gerald - playing with him. We were asking Gerald to calm down because he was going wild, he was a wild kid. Gerald threw his headgear at Willie (Brown) and ran at Tommy, Tommy by this point was getting pissed. He was enduring Gerald's punches against the ropes, his arm was caught in the rope at one point and if I remember he was spitting out blood. So through adrenalin and survival, Tommy threw his best punch at Gerald. It was such a fierce right hand - Gerald walked straight through it!"

There you go, "legendary" fighters seem to get overhyped in these types of matchups but the truth of the matter is that a lot of ATGs would get beat by guys who may not have panned out the same in terms of legacy and longevity, but had the talent there. I think a lot of more modern fighters suffer from being underrated because of it since they fight less often and the talent pool isn't as deep in the heavier classes.

[Datsue]

How is it in any way sane to treat Steward's words as Gospel when it suits you ("Gerald walked through Tommy's best punch!") yet disregard them when it does not ("Tommy's legs only gave way because I gave him a leg massage")?

I prefer to think of Steward as a fantastic trainer of tall rangy right-hand bombers, but a talker of utter shite full-stop. & yes, I remain unconvinced that a dude who was outboxed by Dennis Milton & Ralph Ward would have an easy night bombing out Hearns.

I also think that in some people's minds Mclellan's star has risen so hugely in the aftermath of the horrible thing that happened to him that he has become a sort of Tony Ayala-lite, the kind of dude that Internet blowhards will forever be convinced could wreck proven greats without ever having shown this in the ring.

[Diamond WEAPON]

How is it in any way sane to treat Steward's words as Gospel when it suits you ("Gerald walked through Tommy's best punch!") yet disregard them when it does not ("Tommy's legs only gave way because I gave him a leg massage")?

I prefer to think of Steward as a fantastic trainer of tall rangy right-hand bombers, but a talker of utter shite full-stop. & yes, I remain unconvinced that a dude who was outboxed by Dennis Milton & Ralph Ward would have an easy night bombing out Hearns.

I also think that in some people's minds Mclellan's star has risen so hugely in the aftermath of the horrible thing that happened to him that he has become a sort of Tony Ayala-lite, the kind of dude that Internet blowhards will forever be convinced could wreck proven greats without ever having shown this in the ring.

Never said it would be easy. It wasn't easy for Hagler either but he still did it, and it wasn't easy to just bomb out Jackson either, but he did it. Julian certainly had the power to lay waste to Hearns as well, he probably didn't have the speed or accuracy to do it before being waxed himself though. Gerald was another matter.

[orbtastic]

Manny is like Worzel Gummidge - He has different heads depending on who he's talking to or about and picks and contradicts himself all over the place.

I think in a battle of punchers, you usually side with the one with the strongest set of whiskers. Of course you have to be able to deliver a punch in order to knock someone out but this is McClellan, who can hit and can box.

I've yet to speak to anyone who saw the Milton fight, which puts paid to the myth that all Gerald had to do to win is turn up and throw a couple of right hands.

If you watch McClellan's fights in chronological order, you can see his boxing slowly being eroded - Here is a man who is clearly in love with his power, who enjoys knocking people out and enjoys punching people very hard in the head. This is borne out by the fact that Manny essentially split with McClellan (or rather, GM left the Kronk) because he became a headhunter who wasn't interested in boxing for openings or being patient, he wanted to knock your head off, and quickly.

When listening to Manny, you have to ask yourself - What does he stand to gain by saying this? Usually it is explaining away a defeat, we've all heard the spaghetti legs hearns story enough times now.

[elmersalsa]

I think Gerald McClellan wins this one. The great Thomas Hearns at middleweight was not as good as when he was at 154lbs, which was his best weight class. AT 154lbs, and in his prime, Tommy was a monster. I don't see too many fighters beating at that weight class...Maybe the great Mike McCallum would have beaten him, but that's it.

[King Carlos]

McClellan has little more than a puncher's chance for me. The technical disparity between the two is gaping.

[IRLangmaid25]

I am not sure actually when you look at as most of Hearn's success was down at Welterweight where he was 32-1 with the 30 knockouts But his record at 160lbs does not set the world on fire although you can argue he fought some great Middleweights of the 80s such as Marvin Hagler who stopped him in 3, Juan Roldan who he starched in 4, Iran Barkley before he started blowing up in weight while you have Gerald McClellan was a natural Middleweight until he stepped to fight Nigel Benn for the WBC Super-Middleweight with damaging consquences that we all know about and he beat both Julian Jackson and John Mugabi who were both as bigger punches as he was. So if I had to put some money on it I would be tempted to gor McClellan with a late stoppage.