Azumah Nelson V Naseem Hamed @ Super Featherweight in 1996

Back in the 1990's we will begin.

Naz - turned pro in 1992 as a Bantamweight.

Won the European Bantamweight title.

Stepped up won the WBC International Super Bantam weight title.

Stepped up again and won the WBO World Featherweight title.

This was all before 1996 had even arrived.

Naz - just 21 years old - and one of boxings hottest propertys.

As it turned out he never stepped up again and spent the rest of his entire career at Featherweight.

But things could have been so differnet....................

At the time when Naz become a World Champion - 1995 / 1996

His immediate plan - and the number 1 fight he wanted was....

To move up and challenge..............

African Boxing Legend
WBC World Super Featherweight Champion

Azumah "The Professor" Nelson.

Nelson was coming towards the end of his time as Champion.

But he still was a big challenge for Naz.

A bigger man - and with a vast amount of experience.

14 / 15 years earlier as a novice - he went 15 rounds with ATG Salvodor Sanchez.

Naz - barely out of his teens - and with just 20 pro fights under his belt wanted the fight right there and then - that year.

He knew time was running out to fight Nelson.

Naz would be stepping into unknown weight - with little experience - but explosive ability and hunger of youth.

Against a guy who was a modern day legend.

How would this fight have gone ?

 

I'm a Naz fan 100%

But taking into account Naz's sloppyness and inexperience and physical size disadvantages

I see Nelson knocking him over a couple of times on a way to a points decsion.

 

Yeah I was agreeing with your post.

At the time - Naz seemed invicible - so I would have proably gone for Naz at the time.

But thats only because he had never fought the top top class yet.

Destorying the likes of Steve ROBBO and Enqurie Angles is one thing.

But when he fought Barrera , Kevin Kelly, Tom Johnson, etc, etc - you saw the flaws exposed in his fighting

Azumah Nelson would have the strength and experience to grind out a points decsion keeping young Naz at bay with his wild shots.

 

Azumah Nelson even went 12 rounds with the great Pernell Whitaker up at Lightweight for the WBC / IBF titles.

So he has fought a elusive defensive genius before.

His experience - size and strength would count for alot.

This fight may have come too soon for Naz.

 

I dont think anyone was beating Naz easy around feather / super feather at that time.

Naz was brilliant around 1996 - but the flaws were still there even then.

Alicea dropped him in 1996.

Manuel Medina drew him into a depserate battle in 1996.

So he was vunerable even then - before the rot set in.

But respect to Azumah who might have stopped Naz.

But I lean towards a Azumah points decsion in a tough battle.

I think Naz will be behind on the scorecards looking for a desperate KO from 9 rounds onwards.

But Azumah and his cross armed defence - a very tough man to stop.

the only time Azumah Nelson was ever stopped was as a inexperieced fighter in 1982 and that was in the 15th round to the great Salvador Sanchez.

So Naz may find knocking him out to tough a nut to crack.

 

I would of loved to have seen

Prince Naz V Claypole

Naz would have punched Claypoles tits off :bbb