Azumah Nelson @ SFW/JLW

I had Fenech beating him in the first fight.

I think his best showing was the 2nd fight with Villasana, he was taking the ****. That was at 126 actually. I'm sure I have one of the Nelson-Martinez fights but here he struggled big time in one of 'em and would've remembered that I think. So maybe I don't have that one or am misremembering.

Obviously he'd beat punch bags Limon and Chacon, tough they'd give it their all as always until they're stopped.

 

I've got a top ten.

Will post when I'm back at my computer.

 

Do people rate Nelson as an ATG or...?

 

I find him pretty hard to rank. I need to rectify that and rewatch everything I have of him when I get back off holiday, I find him to be a hot and cold viewing experience.

I don't rate his win over Gomez all that highly.

 

He was a beast, physically everything you could want from a fight, 1 of those monstrously strong, yet athletic and very fit fighter with an iron chin. Technically sound but not allot of finesse in his work, but even if you start to outbox you he could catch up with you. You really have to be strong enough to keep him off and fit enough to keep up with him.

He's 1 of the few who stand a chance against Mayweather, if Mayweather stands stationary and let's Nelson be first or looks to exchange. If Nelson gets Mayweather in the pocket he'd out punch him in the exchanges. I'd still favour Mayweather with the right gameplan

Nelson Arguello is a good one, Arguello a better technician, Nelson decent in that regard and faster with a higher workrate


I'm not a fan but he'd overwhelm weaker SFWs and more so FWs

Why's that?

Yea he lost that, although he has better excuses than most, wasn't he recovering from Malaria at the time? That's what people say

 

He was inconsistent at 130, especially after the Whitaker fight.Though a fair amount of those latter efforts could be chalked up to him being on the decline by then.He certainly wasn't looking as strong as his reputation against Fenech(a smaller man) or Laporte.

Still capable of being excellent on his night.Fenech rematch was his last real elite performance, though both bouts have their stories about how they turned out the way they did.You could include the Ruelas rematch, but don't think Gabe was ever the same fighter after the Garcia death.

The run from Martinez to moving up and fighting Whitaker was his prime period there.He could still be a bit Toney-esque in his efforts though.Martinez and to a lesser extent Suarez were fine fighters, yet i'm not sure he should really have had quite the issues he did with them.Took a while to get going against McDonell as well, but eventually horribly mangled him.

 

Great K.O against McDonnell.

 

I think he's an ATG. What he had that was great was physical strength and stamina. I think he was a good boxer but had some limitations/flaws that would be exposed buy exceptional technicians. I don't think his footwork was great, he threw a lot of wide punches, and he squared up a lot.
I certainly rate him higher than Camacho as a fighter, but Camacho at 130 could be a nightmare for Nelson. Chavez woul be a great matchup but I think Chavez's underrated defense and slickness inside edges it. But guys who are there to be hit from around his era like Lockridge, McGuigan, Mitchell he beats. Fenech was a beast in his own right, but I generally don't think that's the blueprint to beating Nelson.

 

Losses:
Barney Ross
Camacho
Chavez

Tossup:
MAB
Pac
JMM

I think he beats all the rest. I rate Morales, just don't think it's a good matchup for him.

 

PowerPuncher: because Gomez wasn't all that as a feather and was even less of a fighter post-Sanchez and Pintor fights.

 

Azumah Nelson, "The Professor", was no doubt an all time great fighter, be it at 126 or 130. Although in my opinion he was more zestier at 126 than he was at 130 he definitely had some memorable performances in both weight classes.

 

Not an ATG to me....

 

I do think if Nelson was showing any signs of being affected by malaria he wouldn't have fought. That's not an easy thing to disguise is it? Look at the drubbing he took.

I actually think it's quite close in rounds, Nelson has a fair amount of success punching it out with Jeff. The 12th round sums it up.

If Nelson was sick at all in Fenech's defence he had no hands