Azumah Nelson (born 19 July 1958) is a Ghanaian former professional boxer. Widely
considered the greatest African boxer of all time, and is currently the 31st greatest pound for
pound boxer of all time in Boxer’s ranking, he held the WBC featherweight title once and the
WBC super featherweight title twice.
Nelson professional boxing debut, in 1979, did not generate much attention, except in
Ghana, where he was known because of his family ties. Internationally, Nelson lacked the
recognition for such an event to be given its due importance. With the years, however, all of
that changed because he garnered worldwide fame as a boxer.
Despite all his early achievements and being undefeated in 13 fights, Nelson was virtually
unknown outside Ghana. Because of this, he was a decisive underdog when, on short
notice, he challenged WBC featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez on 21 July 1982 at
the Madison Square Garden in New York. Despite losing that fight by a technical knockout
in round 15, Nelson stock as a boxer rose after that fight, and he established himself as a
deserving leading contender in the eyes of many fans. Further, Nelson was put at a
significant disadvantage when his custom mouthpiece was stolen and he had to make do
with a makeshift one purchased from a store and cut to his mouth with a knife, leaving him
in pain for the whole fight.
The Sánchez-Nelson fight would be Salvador Sánchez last
fight, as he died almost two months later after suffering a car accident in Mexico City.
In his next fight, Nelson knocked out fringe contender Irving Mitchell in eight rounds.
Nelson began 1988 by defeating Mario Martinez by a split decision over 12 rounds in Los
Angeles to win the vacant WBC super featherweight title. Nelson was dropped in the 10th
round of their encounter and the decision was not well received. He defended the title with a
knockout in round nine against former world champ Lupe Suarez, and with a knockout in
three over Sydney Del Rovere.
On 19 May 1990, Nelson tried to join the exclusive group of three-division world champion
boxers by challenging world lightweight champion Pernell Whitaker, but he was handed his
second career loss. when Whitaker won a 12-round unanimous decision to retain the title.
For his next fight, he went to Australia to meet the former world Featherweight champion,
Puerto Rico Juan Laporte. He beat Laporte by a decision in 12 to retain the world Jr.
Lightweight title.
In 1991, he had only two fights. In Spain, he beat Daniel Mustapha by a knockout in round
four of a non-title bout, and then, in Las Vegas, he retained the title with a controversial draw against three-weight world champion Jeff Fenech. Many ringside observers and
boxing writers felt Fenech had deserved to win that night, and an immediate rematch was
signed and set for 1 March 1992.
Back in Australia, Nelson defeated Fenech by a knockout in round eight of their sequel, and
then he retained the title with a 12-round decision over former world champion Calvin
Grove on 7 November.
In 1997, Nelson lost the Lineal & WBC titles to Genaro Hernandez when beaten on points in
twelve rounds. He was almost disqualified when he accidentally hit Hernandez in the throat
after the bell to finish round seven and Hernandez lay on the floor for several minutes.
However, Hernandez chose to continue, allowing Nelson to lose by the more honorable way
of the judge decision.
In 1998, he lost to Leija in their fourth and final bout in the lightweight division, but Nelson realized his best days in boxing were over, and he retired.
Nelson had a record of 39 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws, with 28 knockout wins.
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