Fenech-Nelson III! By Ray Wheatley Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech is scheduled to meet former WBC 130lb champion Azumah Nelson in Bangkok, Thailand on June 24. Fenech originally was to have met Samart Payakarun in another rematch but the former WBC jr featherweight champion declined the offer. Fenech lost to Azumah Nelson, in March 1992. The 43-year-old Fenech has cut out junk food and sugar. "I can also see my abs for the first time since 1996," Fenech said. "I was 85.75kg at the start of the year and just last week I was under 69kg." Even yesterday, after stepping off a plane from Thailand - where he was discussing details for the rematch with 49-year-old Nelson - Fenech went straight to the gym at his inner-western Sydney home to skip and spar "I met Samart last week in Bangkok, we had dinner and agreed to the fight, then the next morning he told me he wasn't going to go ahead with it," Fenech said. "I don't know what happened or whether somebody got to him. But I had been in contact with Azumah and now we're going to fight. I guess when one door closes another opens and I've got no doubts the fight with Azumah will be five times bigger than the fight with Samart would have been. I've been training hard, but I know this fight is going to be a lot tougher." Fenech and Nelson first locked horns in Las Vegas in 1991, only for the fight to end in a controversial draw. "The first time we met I believe I won, and the second time, when Azumah beat me, there were no excuses, so this will be my chance to level things up," Fenech said. "This is my chance to make it up to myself and the Australian people." Nelson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004 with a record of 39 wins (28 by knockout), five losses and two draws. Fenech finished with career statistics of 28 wins (21 by knockout), three losses and one draw.
Who cares? Its 2 old fighters going at it. Better that Fenech fights somebody his own age or older than a young primed fighter. They'll be right.
