Inducted into the WBC hall of fame(the only African) in 2004, Azumah Nelson (born 19 July 1958), a native of
Ghana, is a former professional boxer. He is widely
considered as the greatest African boxer ever.[2][3]
He is a three-time world champion in two weight
classes.
Nelson is the former two-time WBC super
featherweight Champion, and the former WBC
featherweight champion.


Amateur career

Nelson had a stellar amateur career, competing at
the 1978 Commonwealth Games where he won a
gold medal in the Featherweight class, and compiling
an Amateur Record of 50-2.


Professional career

Nelson's professional boxing debut, in 1979, did not
generate much attention, except in Ghana, where he
was known because of his family ties. Internationally,
Nelson lacked the recognition for such an event to be
given its due importance. With the years, however,
all of that changed because he garnered world wide
fame as a boxer.
He beat Billy Kwame in Accra by a decision in eight to
mark his professional debut. In his third fight, he
fought on 3 March 1980, he knocked out Henry
Sadler in the ninth round to win Ghana's regional
126-pound title. On 13 December of that year, he
knocked out Joe Skipper in round 10 to add the
African continent's belt to his Ghanaian regional
championship.
In 1981, Nelson beat Bozzou Aziza in Togo; it was
Nelson's first fight abroad. He then beat Miguel Ruiz
in his first United States fight, held in California. He
added the Commonwealth of Nations' Featherweight
title with a fifth-round knockout of Brian Roberts.
Despite all his early achievements and being
undefeated in 13 fights, Nelson was virtually
unknown outside Ghana.[4] Because of this, he was a
decisive underdog when he challenged WBC
featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez on 21 July
1982 at the Madison Square Garden in New York.[4]
Despite losing that fight by a knockout in round 15,
Nelson's stock as a boxer rose after that fight, and he
established himself as a deserving leading contender
in the eyes of many fans. Further, Nelson was put at
a significant disadvantage when his custom
mouthpiece was stolen and he had to make do with a
makeshift one purchased from a store and cut to his
mouth with a knife, leaving him in pain for the whole
fight. The Sánchez-Nelson fight would be Salvador
Sánchez's last fight, as he died almost two months
later after suffering a car accident in Mexico City.
In his next fight, Nelson knocked out fringe
contender Irving Mitchell in eight rounds.


World featherweight champion

Nelson won all four of his fights in 1983, and he
began 1984 by beating Hector Cortez by decision on
9 March in Las Vegas. Then, on 8 December of that
year, he became boxing royalty by knocking out
Wilfredo Gómez in round 11 to win the WBC
featherweight championship.[5] Behind on the three
judges' scorecards, Nelson rallied in that last round
to become champion in Puerto Rico.
Nelson held on to that title for three years. He could
not fight for 9 months after the Gómez bout, but
when he returned, he retained the title in Miami with
a fifth round knockout of Juvenal Ordenes in
September 1985, and then in October of that year, he
retained it again with a first round knockout of Pat
Cowdell in Birmingham, England. The Cowdell
knockout in particular became a highlight film
material: Cowdell was left frozen on the canvas by
Nelson's knockout punch.
In 1986, he retained the title two times, beating
future world champion Marcos Villasana and former
Barry McGuigan challenger Danilo Cabrera (once
again, in Puerto Rico).
In 1987, Nelson retained the title against Mauro
Guitierrez, by a knockout in round six, and in a
rematch with Villasana, once again, by decision. After
the second fight with Villasana, Nelson abandoned
the WBC title.


Super featherweight

Nelson began 1988 by defeating Mario Martinez by
decision over 12 rounds in Los Angeles to win the
vacant WBC super featherweight title, and then he
defended the title with a knockout in round nine
against former world champ Lupe Suarez, and with a
knockout in three over Sydney Del Rovere.
He proceeded in 1989 by beating Martinez in a
rematch, by knockout in round 12, and then fighting
Jim McDonnell, with exactly the same result. The
fight with McDonnell, fought in London, was
considered one of the fights of the year by many
boxing magazines, and McDonnell was widely
praised by critics for his stand against Nelson.
McDonnell suffered four knockdowns before the fight
was stopped by referee Joe Cortez.
On 19 May 1990, Nelson tried to join the exclusive
group of three-division world champion boxers by
challenging world lightweight champion Pernell
Whitaker, but he was handed his second career loss.
when Whitaker won a 12 round unanimous decision
to retain the title. For his next fight, he went to
Australia to meet the former world Featherweight
champion, Puerto Rico's Juan Laporte. He beat
Laporte by a decision in 12 to retain the world Jr.
Lightweight title.

In 1991, he had only two fights. In Spain, he beat
Daniel Mustapha by a knockout in round four of a
non-title bout, and then, in Las Vegas, he retained
the title with a controversial draw against three-
weight world champion Jeff Fenech. Many ringside
observers and boxing writers felt Fenech had
deserved to win that night, and an immediate
rematch was signed and set for 1 March 1992.
Back in Australia, Nelson defeated Fenech by a
knockout in round eight of their sequel, and then he
retained the title with a 12 round decision over
former world champion Calvin Grove on 7 November.
On 20 February 1993, the world travelling champion
defeated future world champion Gabriel Ruelas by
decision in 12 in front of 120,000 fans (most of whom
had come to watch Julio César Chávez defend his
world title against Greg Haugen in the evening's
main event) in Mexico.[6] The 120,000 fan turnout
was the largest ever for a boxing event. Then, on 10
September, he began his four fights series with
future world champion Jesse James Leija by retaining
the title with a draw as part of the Julio César
Chávez-Pernell Whitaker fight's undercard in San
Antonio. Originally announced as a winner, Nelson
found out minutes later when Leija was being
interviewed that the correct outcome was a draw,
giving Leija a rematch. The fight's announcer had
accidentally mixed the scorecards and announced
Nelson the winner. Even though the decision was
changed to draw, Nelson still kept his title.
On 7 May 1994, he and Leija met for the second
time: That time around, the announcer was right
when he announced Leija was winner and new world
champion. That was Nelson's only bout in 1994.
Leija quickly lost the title to Ruelas, who defended
against Nelson on 1 December 1995, and Nelson
recovered the title in his rematch with Ruelas by
knocking him out in round five.
His first defense took place almost a year later, when
he and Leija had their third bout. Nelson retained the
title with a six round knockout. As had become his
common practice, that was the only time Nelson
fought in 1996.[7]
In 1997, Nelson lost the Lineal & WBC titles to
Genaro Hernandez when beaten on points in twelve
rounds. He was almost disqualified when he
accidentally hit Hernandez in the throat after the bell
to finish round seven and Hernandez lay on the floor
for several minutes. However, Hernandez chose to
continue, allowing Nelson to lose by the more
honorable way of the judge's decision.
In 1998, he lost to Leija in their fourth and final bout
in the lightweight division, but Nelson realized his
best days in boxing were over, and he retired.

Nelson had a record of 39 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws,
with 28 knockout wins.