wiggyrichard Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 On tonight on ITV at 10:35pm. The story of the fight between Nigel Benn & Gerald McClellan that left McClellan with brain damage and the events since that have seen Benn attempt suicide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b6bloke Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 A tragedy. Benn must have gone through so much guilt over this but from what I remember there were two people in that ring on the night, both with the same agenda to knock each other out, both threw rabbit punches, both threw a headbutt and one had his life ruined but it could of been either. The tragedy is how once no longer a money maker for king he was abandoned and it has taken all his earnings plus to pay medical bills and as that ran out years ago he relies on donations. Where was King? I remember his sister was screaming for Benns blood as well as his money. The problem is that fighter try to lose weight for fights by body fluid loss and dehydration in the brain can cause brain damage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I remember watching the fight as it happened. Badly refereed if we are being honest, Benn was lucky that the referee helped him though that first round, McClellan quite the opposite. It might sound crass to say it even now, but Nigel Benn was a hard hard man, quite how he took some of those punches in the first round is beyond me. I guess an iron will and an iron chin can take you a long way in the most brutal sport of them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalletInspector Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I hope they show McClellan for what he was really like as a person before the fight. As for Lisa and her "How can he sleep at night?", I'd ask her the same thing. How can she sleep at night knowing that it's her fault that Gerald is as bad as he is now. The tragedy is how once no longer a money maker for king he was abandoned and it has taken all his earnings plus to pay medical bills and as that ran out years ago he relies on donations. Where was King? Don King did donate $25k a few years ago to be fair. I think he had robbed McClellan of most of his money before the fight as well, in typical King style. The problem is that fighter try to lose weight for fights by body fluid loss and dehydration in the brain can cause brain damage What's terrible is there has been so little to change this in the years since. It's just plain dangerous for both the cutters, and the fighters who have to face them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 I hope they show McClellan for what he was really like as a person before the fight. As for Lisa and her "How can he sleep at night?", I'd ask her the same thing. How can she sleep at night knowing that it's her fault that Gerald is as bad as he is now. You mean by flying him back to the States against the doctors wishes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalletInspector Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I hope they show McClellan for what he was really like as a person before the fight. As for Lisa and her "How can he sleep at night?", I'd ask her the same thing. How can she sleep at night knowing that it's her fault that Gerald is as bad as he is now. You mean by flying him back to the States against the doctors wishes? Yeah, apparently most of the damage done to McClellan, in terms of sight and hearing, was done when he relapsed in the States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b6bloke Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I hope they show McClellan for what he was really like as a person before the fight. As for Lisa and her "How can he sleep at night?", I'd ask her the same thing. How can she sleep at night knowing that it's her fault that Gerald is as bad as he is now. The tragedy is how once no longer a money maker for king he was abandoned and it has taken all his earnings plus to pay medical bills and as that ran out years ago he relies on donations. Where was King? Don King did donate $25k a few years ago to be fair. I think he had robbed McClellan of most of his money before the fight as well, in typical King style. Thats pennies to king with the millions he made and his mendical bills were falling into 100's of thousands The problem is that fighter try to lose weight for fights by body fluid loss and dehydration in the brain can cause brain damage What's terrible is there has been so little to change this in the years since. It's just plain dangerous for both the cutters, and the fighters who have to face them. Too right, I do a few risk assessments for a mates white collar events and he is really strict on the safety aspect of it, the powers that be tried to get it banned and our argument was these were safer than theirs as there was no strict weights so no dehydrating issues. It all came down to that they were not making any money out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Anyone watch this last night? Harrowing to say the least. There was pure hatred in that ring that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 6, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2011 Recorded it. Will give it a watch tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Damn, missed it, I suppose I could catch it on ITV player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Damn, missed it, I suppose I could catch it on ITV player? Yes mate, well worth a watch. McClellan was up against it right from the off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemond2008 Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 i'm working 12 hour days at the moment so by the time I got home last night I was too fooked to bother watching it, I recorded I though so I will probably give it a watch tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I have absolutley no interest in boxing and didn't know about this incident at all, so I'm most likely speaking out my arse here. How is boxing still allowed? I'm not saying it should be banned or anything, I'm just surprised it isn't. Why do people enjoy watching two people smash each others faces in? Why do people want to smash each others faces in, especially after incidents such as this? I'm not taking the piss by the way, genuine questions. I just don't 'get' boxing or any other fighting sports really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted December 6, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2011 Why do you like watching any sport? Why do you like to watch 22 overpaid rocket polishers kick a ball around a pitch while 3 incompetents try to keep a bead on what's going on? I enjoy boxing, I increasingly enjoy MMA. I'm not watching it to see 2 blokes get hurt (though I cannot deny that there is some very base level entertainment in that in itself), I'm watching it to see 2 men duel each other to see who is the greatest in the most raw, physical way possible. That means they get hurt. Boxing is quite heavily regulated, so is MMA, and if 2 men wish to train and endeavour to make a career of it inside those rules and with the backing of the right authorities (and so on), then thats their choice, and a risk they take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalletInspector Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I have absolutley no interest in boxing and didn't know about this incident at all, so I'm most likely speaking out my arse here. How is boxing still allowed? I'm not saying it should be banned or anything, I'm just surprised it isn't. Why do people enjoy watching two people smash each others faces in? Why do people want to smash each others faces in, especially after incidents such as this? I'm not taking the piss by the way, genuine questions. I just don't 'get' boxing or any other fighting sports really People clearly do enjoy watching Boxing. 3 million people tuned in to watch 2 fairly unknown fighters in a British title fight in July. Not to mention the 20 million who watched Barry McGuigan back in the day. Why they enjoy it is a different matter, but to boil it down to "two people smashing each others faces in" is silly. Is Football '22 blokes trying to kick the ball in the opposite goal?', not quite. It's recognized that boxing saves a lot more lives than it ends. The sport today is actually very safe, a lot of fans actually complain that the sport has became too safe with the amount of premature stoppages we see today. To make a comparison, a lot more people die from showjumping than Boxing every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincsVilla Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Watched it last night, i never knew about this tragedy even though i do like to watch boxing. Mcclellans trainer should've spotted something was wrong along with the referee, but from what i gauged from the programme his trainer seemed to be incompetant and way out of his depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I have absolutley no interest in boxing and didn't know about this incident at all, so I'm most likely speaking out my arse here. How is boxing still allowed? I'm not saying it should be banned or anything, I'm just surprised it isn't. Why do people enjoy watching two people smash each others faces in? Why do people want to smash each others faces in, especially after incidents such as this? I'm not taking the piss by the way, genuine questions. I just don't 'get' boxing or any other fighting sports really Is Football '22 blokes trying to kick the ball in the opposite goal?', not quite. Not if you're watching the Villa. Ba dum tish I see your point though. My family love boxing, I just find it boring, personally. Just like watching the Villa. Ba dum tish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 The trainer seems like a complete imbecile. The referee also comes across as offensively nonchalent given the magnitude of events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 The trainer seems like a complete imbecile. Yep, the second his gum shield started hanging out his mouth they should have got him out of there, and for him to turn round and say it was down to the referee to stop the fight!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted December 6, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2011 It was just the perfect storm of arrogance and ego. Shame to see that most of those to blame as still so keen to blame someone else though, even after all this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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