Azumah Nelson born 19 July 1958 is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2008.
Boxing was a hobby for him as a kid, and he always wanted to fight.
Azumah Nelson became a two-weight World champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and the WBC super-featherweight title twice between 1988 and 1997.
In 1990, he challenged for the unified WBC and IBF lightweight titles for the first time. Between 1980 and 1982, he held the ABU and Commonwealth featherweight titles at the regional level. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African boxers of all time, and according to BoxRec, he is the 31st greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time.
Nelson competed at the 1978 All-Africa Games and 1978 Commonwealth Games, winning gold medals in the featherweight class at both events. He was awarded Amateur Boxer of the year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) that same year.
Professional career
Despite all his early achievements and being undefeated in 13 fights, Nelson was virtually unknown outside Ghana. Because of this, he was a decisive underdog when, on short notice, he challenged WBC featherweight champion, Salvador Sánchez, on 21 July 1982 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Nelson lost the fight by fifteenth-round knockout.
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.
Behind the three judges’ scorecards, Nelson rallied in that last round to become champion in Puerto Rico.
Super Featherweight
Nelson began 1988 by defeating Mario Martinez by a split decision over 12 rounds in Los Angeles to win the vacant WBC super featherweight title. Nelson was dropped in the 10th round of their encounter and the decision was not well received.
On 1 December 1995, defeated world champion Gabriel Ruelas in the fifth round to claim the title.
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.
In 1997, Nelson lost the Lineal & WBC titles to Genaro Hernandez when beaten on points in twelve rounds.
Legacy
The Azumah Nelson Sports Complex at Kaneshie in Accra was named after him.
Biography
In 2014 the biography of Azumah Nelson was published. Written by Ashley Morrison it was titled “The Professor – The Life Story of Azumah Nelson” (ISBN 978-1628571059) was published by Strategic Book Publishing.
Personal Life
Nelson has a son, Azumah Nelson Junior, whom Nelson is training as a boxer.
In July 2018, Azumah celebrated his 60th birthday with an organized fight night at the Bukom Boxing Arena.
