[Robbi]

Whitaker was at his sublime best against Nelson. He fought very intelligently as Nelson was known as a heavy handed super-featherweight. Whitaker kept his distance and popped out razor sharp jabs while Nelson forced his way forward. While Whitaker was on the move for more or less the entire fight, he stood his ground and went downstairs with bursts of punches. Even while backing up in a straight line to keep distance, Whitaker scored beautifully. Their was a moment during the fight when Whitaker moved back in a straight line and cracked three jabs in succession right threw Nelson's guard. Awareness and anticipation are crucial for any defensive master. One of the early rounds. Whitaker backed himself into a corner near the ropes, and he seemed to programme Nelson's next moves into his mind. He ducked a few inches, sagged into ropes, and covered up and protected himself with his gloves. Miliseconds later, Nelson's volley of punches never scored. Most missed the target, with Whitaker blocking the last punch.

Quite simply pure defensive boxing at its very best.


An artist