The Boxing History Blog

To make a donation to The Gerald McClellan Trust please see the link at the end of this post.  Nigel Benn 25th February 1995, London Arena WBC Super-Middleweight Title Nigel Benn Vs Gerald McClellan "They're going to set mini Mike Tyson on you," Benn was informed by his manager Peter DeFreitas. Mini Mike Tyson was Don King's nickname for Gerald McClellan. King's plan was simple; McClellan would knock out Benn and unify the WBC title with pound-for-pound number one and IBF super-middleweight champion Roy Jones Jnr, who McClellan outpointed in 1988 at the semi-final stage of the National Golden Gloves Tournament. Born in Freeport, Illinois on 23rd October 1967, McClellan turned professional in August 1988, fighting out of his home city of Detroit, representing Emanuel Steward's Kronk gym. He blitzed through his first ten opponents before getting outpointed over eight rounds by Dennis Milton in June 1989. Three months later he was ...

'Terrible' Terry Norris Terry Norris was born on 17th June 1967 in Lubbock, Texas. He had to leave his hometown as he was involved in a brawl during a baseball game, where he was stabbed by a masked assailant in a night club and shot at. "If I'd stayed, I'd probably be in a pine box." He left for the KO Corral boxing ranch in California, run by Joe Sayatovich, so he could be with his elder brother Orlin. Terry was the more gifted boxer of the two as he oozed natural talent. Where Orlin was cursed as being too small for a heavyweight and too big for the cruiserweight division.  Terry Norris turned professional on 02nd August 1986 against Jose Luis Cordova, who was also making his debut. He went 12-0 before losing a ten round unanimous decision to Derrick Kelly. He bounced back against Edward Neblett, but lost his discipline in November 1987 and got disqualified for hitting opponent Joe Walker, whilst he was down. Eight wins later he l...

Julian Jackson Plagued throughout his career with eye problems, some said that he needed a white stick, but tell that to the forty-nine opponents he knocked cold in the light-middle and middleweight ranks. Jackson had an amateur record of 15-2 and turned professional on 02nd February 1981, winning a four-round points decision against fellow debutant Inocencio Carmona. The father of six from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands dedicated his life to God after losing a WBA light-middleweight contest to the Jamaican Mike McCallum, in 1986. Both men were undefeated, the champion was 26-0 (23 KOs), whilst Jackson's resume stood at 29-0 (27 stoppages). After McCallum tasted Jackson's power in the first round, the champion ended matters in the second round. Jackson, an assuming and modest man came back from this setback and took the WBA light-middleweight crown from the South Korean In-Chul Baek in the third round in Las Vegas on 21st November 1987. He defe...