Heaven Sent

Like many sisters, Lisa McClellan was tormented by her brother when she was growing up. But their relationship changed. When Gerald McClellan became a boxing world champion, she watched with pride. And when he was almost killed by the same sport, she dedicated her entire life to him.

- Chris Walker

IT’S moving day for Lisa McClellan. Denver is waiting for her and younger brother, Gerald. “I’m going to be closer to my children and grandchildren,” she reports with obvious glee. “It’s going to be so amazing to have these people in my life so much more than what I’ve been used to.”

It’s been 24 years since “G-Man” and Nigel Benn took onlookers on a barbaric ride that changed lives forever. Benn’s mesmerising and unlikely victory in February 1995 was darkly overshadowed as McClellan was rushed four miles from the London Arena ring to the Royal London Hospital where he underwent brain surgery to remove a blood clot. He would spend weeks in a coma, fighting an opponent far more devastating than any of the names on his illustrious ledger. As death hovered over the boxer, McClellan’s family gathered in Freeport, Illinois, to watch delayed coverage of the fight. It was in the days before smartphones delivered news and communication in an instant.

“Because of the time delay between Britain and America, we didn’t get the fight live,” Lisa reflects. “There was still a few hours until the fight was to be shown and the phone in the house would not stop ringing. We didn’t answer because we didn’t want to know the result, but when it kept ringing and ringing, the decision was made to pick it up. At first, we were told that Gerald had lost the fight, but then further calls came through and that’s when things started to really upset us. We were thousands of miles from Gerald, and we had no real idea what was happening or whether he would be okay.”