Azumah Nelson rated No.41 in a list of the best fighters in the last 50 years

This is one guy who never had to be told " just let your hands go "

 

He lost that first fight to Fenech. It has been many years but I don't remember it as even being much close.

 

I had it 9-3 for Fenech, that first fight. Still, Nelson is underplayed a bit here I think. He was a beast at 126, and became more patient and cagier by the time he'd aged into 130. Not entirely sure though, that he merits THIS high a ranking.

 

He was still super feather champ in 1996 after another remarkable comeback victory beating Ruelas the previous year. He hadn't lost to Genaro Hernandez yet. His stock was high.

 

He was a heck of a fighter, and I think he would have been better at 135 had he been a little younger and not lost to Pernell. He was a good puncher.

 

But a more uneven performer at the weight. Not the fault of the 4 pounds , more an age thing. To his credit , he kind of reinvented himself there, conserving energy , setting traps..........before , he'd just walk through you.

 

Nelson is awesome and underrated on the whole imo.

 

He was a great fighter and could probably beat Sanchez in a rematch at 130.

 

AZUMAH who? (Pat cowdell) LOL one of the funniest things I ever heard.

 

How do you determine that he was improving?

 

Age ?? Surely he was only gonna get better

 

Boxing doesn't work like that. He turned pro at 15. That makes 23 not quite 23. We saw the best Sanchez we were going to see.