Johnny Nelson 3rd best cruiser ever

[big lennox]

I'm a big fan of Johnny's both as a bloke and boxer.To me, the real art of boxing is to hit and not get hit.Johnny was the master of making people fight his own fight at his own pace -and that is not easy to do -particualrly when every opponent knows that if they beat you, they will be world champion and recieve big paydays.To be world champion for 6 years and make 13? defenses is remarkable.Ive said it before, people always confuse not enjoying his style with not being good. He was the top end of world class for a very long time, so for me he is definitely a top 3 cruiser.Many people don't know that he played with Jirov in sparring, who wanted know part of him in a real match.

Hey Lennox, nice to see another Shefiield lad...

Who else is from the steel city ? I know twenty-six is and obviously yourself

Ps Do you know Johnny ?

Iv'e met him a few times and the first time was way back at the weigh in at Josephine's nightclub, for Lennox Lewis' fight in Sheffield. That sunday morning at Jose' i saw Johnny, Naz (about 15 years old) and Silky Jones, who i knew at school and spoke to........Happy times

I do.He is very bright and friendly.Extremely tuned in.Like Twenty Six, I have to say.Am not sure who else from Sheffield posts on here apart from Emma?

Blimey that weigh in is going back some -good atmosphere? I got to know Silky Jones a little bit when I was working in a pub called the Lescar (now a wine bar, I believe), on Sharrow Vale road -he was a regular there.He had some stories to tell -he sparred with a light heavyweight version of Michael Moorer as well as Nigel Benn -he said that Benn took it easy on sparring partners which is good to know (i.e not a bully).He also told me some stories about James Toney -who sounds crazy.

[twenty six]

Next time you see Silky, tell him it's not adviseable to do impressions of Bruce Grobbelar in the 8th round of a title fight !!!
Silky's a good lad, last I heard was a Personal Trainer.
Johnny is a good friend and I'm sure he posts on here - but you wouldn't know it.
D is Dave Coldwell another Sheffield lad.
Ben Carey keeps appearing all too briefly
Curtis Woodhouse posts, and I'm gonna claim Darren Sutherland as ours cos he lived and breathed boxing in Sheffield for a few years.

[Quixall]

I'm a big fan of Johnny's both as a bloke and boxer.To me, the real art of boxing is to hit and not get hit.Johnny was the master of making people fight his own fight at his own pace -and that is not easy to do -particualrly when every opponent knows that if they beat you, they will be world champion and recieve big paydays.To be world champion for 6 years and make 13? defenses is remarkable.Ive said it before, people always confuse not enjoying his style with not being good. He was the top end of world class for a very long time, so for me he is definitely a top 3 cruiser.Many people don't know that he played with Jirov in sparring, who wanted know part of him in a real match.

Hey Lennox, nice to see another Shefiield lad...

Who else is from the steel city ? I know twenty-six is and obviously yourself

Ps Do you know Johnny ?

Iv'e met him a few times and the first time was way back at the weigh in at Josephine's nightclub, for Lennox Lewis' fight in Sheffield. That sunday morning at Jose' i saw Johnny, Naz (about 15 years old) and Silky Jones, who i knew at school and spoke to........Happy times

I do.He is very bright and friendly.Extremely tuned in.Like Twenty Six, I have to say.Am not sure who else from Sheffield posts on here apart from Emma?

Blimey that weigh in is going back some -good atmosphere? I got to know Silky Jones a little bit when I was working in a pub called the Lescar (now a wine bar, I believe), on Sharrow Vale road -he was a regular there.He had some stories to tell -he sparred with a light heavyweight version of Michael Moorer as well as Nigel Benn -he said that Benn took it easy on sparring partners which is good to know (i.e not a bully).He also told me some stories about James Toney -who sounds crazy.

Good to know there are a few Sheff lads on here

That Lennox Lewis weigh in was great. I had never met a heavyweight champion of the world and so i thought i would meet him and then i could claim that i met a guy who would become the heavyweight champion of the world DD Spoke with Paul for about 15 minutes and i'd known him at school and it was great to see him win his world title, i was dead proud of him. I can imagine James Toney being a bit of a card and he looks a pretty scary guy to me.....

I used to play at the Lescar in bands (as a drummer) but i have'nt been in for ages, prefering the Porter Brook, but i had also heard it had been done out and apparently does Jazz nights Going back to that weigh in, i can remember leaving at the same time as Lennox and Johnny Nelson and Naz followed him. We all walked down and then up past Cole Brothers department store and Lennox was shadow boxing in the windows. Strange to think that on that morning in sunny sheffield, i was walking along side Cole Brothers with the to be, Heavyweight champion of the world, cruiserweigh champion of the world and Featherweight champion of the world........Amazing

Ps What do you think of Kell Brook ? and have you heard of Nikki Smedley ?

Nikki started out with 11 pro wins, but i have'nt heard anything of him recently

Cheers BigLennox

[Quixall]

Next time you see Silky, tell him it's not adviseable to do impressions of Bruce Grobbelar in the 8th round of a title fight !!!
Silky's a good lad, last I heard was a Personal Trainer.
Johnny is a good friend and I'm sure he posts on here - but you wouldn't know it.
D is Dave Coldwell another Sheffield lad.
Ben Carey keeps appearing all too briefly
Curtis Woodhouse posts, and I'm gonna claim Darren Sutherland as ours cos he lived and breathed boxing in Sheffield for a few years.

I can remember watching Paul in his world title fight and willing him to hang on, when he got dropped early doors. It was great to think that a lad i had been at school with had become a world champion. Met a kid a while back, who was at a wedding reception with Paul recently and said he was great fun, telling al his boxing stories That's not Dave Coldwell the trainer is it ? or am i thinking of someone else ?

How does Curtis look ? Have'nt had the chance to see him as yet, but it would be nice to see how he is progressing and what potential he has....

Big up Sheffield

[SOUTHPAW]

holyfield,quai,spinks,norris,toney,jirov,mormeck(in the day),gomez,de leon ,warring

he dont make the top ten.

Which spinks? and it was not much of a fight but he did draw with de leon

[big lennox]

Quixall,

What an experience that must have been.Three very established world champions.What was Lennox like? I'm a big fan of his, hence the name.

I do know Kel and Nicki, for about the same length of time.I think, and honestly, Kel will be a world champ.Have never wavered from that thought.He was heavy handed even when he was 18, and is punching harder today and very relaxed in the ring.Nicki's lack of progress upsets me, as there is no doubt he has talent -very fluid movement and tough as old boots in the ring, but needs to get focus -seems to have dissapeared off the radar (and I don't know why), and that to me is a real shame.

I used to drink in the porters Cottage as well -the land lady ahd some of the best boobs Ive ever seen.Good pub.

[big lennox]

Next time you see Silky, tell him it's not adviseable to do impressions of Bruce Grobbelar in the 8th round of a title fight !!!
Silky's a good lad, last I heard was a Personal Trainer.
Johnny is a good friend and I'm sure he posts on here - but you wouldn't know it.
D is Dave Coldwell another Sheffield lad.
Ben Carey keeps appearing all too briefly
Curtis Woodhouse posts, and I'm gonna claim Darren Sutherland as ours cos he lived and breathed boxing in Sheffield for a few years.

Twenty Six

I think Silky was doing personal training work/videos and travelling to different countries with it.

People always talk about Ryan losing to Ottis Grant and Jason Mathews in World Title fights, but always forget that in reality he beat a world champion, abd by all rights was a world champion, following his victory of Paul 'Silky' Jones, who was world champion prior to meeting Ryan Rhodes, but was stripped of his title, so never lost his title in the ring. That was a hell of a victory for Ryan, going in with someone that experienced at his young age.Not many peopel could do that + factor in that both camps new eachother well, so extra pressure there.It was before I got to Sheffield and Wincobank, but remember it well.

Baz Carey is boxing my pal, Steffy Bull next month in Lincoln I believe.True pro's the pair of them

[Quixall]

Quixall,

What an experience that must have been.Three very established world champions.What was Lennox like? I'm a big fan of his, hence the name.

I do know Kel and Nicki, for about the same length of time.I think, and honestly, Kel will be a world champ.Have never wavered from that thought.He was heavy handed even when he was 18, and is punching harder today and very relaxed in the ring.Nicki's lack of progress upsets me, as there is no doubt he has talent -very fluid movement and tough as old boots in the ring, but needs to get focus -seems to have dissapeared off the radar (and I don't know why), and that to me is a real shame.

I used to drink in the porters Cottage as well -the land lady ahd some of the best boobs Ive ever seen.Good pub.

Is that Landlady still there Lennox ?

Lennox was as calm and confident back then as he was against Holyfield and Tyson etc. He radiated prescence and was something special, you could just tell, the way that he held himself. I said "good luck for the fight Lennox...." and he replied "Cheers man...." Great guy and i am a massive fan aswell

Kell does look the part and i think he will do well. I knew of Nikki through a work mate of my Dad's and he was being talkied about at the age of 16 ad 17. I jknow that he got some good reports of Mike McCallum when he went to Ameruca to fight, but only did an exhibition, because his fight was cancelled. I knew he had a back problem some time back, but as you say, he has slipped out of the scene all together and yet he started at the same time as Khan.

Do you box yourself ? Ever been to Ingle's gym ? Did you ever meet Naz ?

Ps take a look at our prediction league that starts this weekend

[twenty six]

I think the answer's yes, yes, and yes !
Over to you Lennox.
I ain't gonna steal your thunder.

[Autobarn]

Nelson as 3rd best cruiser when he was active sounds about right. Behind JC Gomez, the best of the bunch back then, and behind Jirov, who almost had US TV captivated.

I can't have Nelson near the top of a list when he didn't take chances. Johnny succeded n the art of hitting/not getting hit. But sometimes he looked like he wasn't going to throw anything. I don't just mean the long buried "bore draw" v De Leon. Honestly it looked like it could happen again with Aurino and Petkovic, Johnny was that fussy about throwing shots.

When Mormeck and Bell were unifying, Nelson stayed with one belt. Probably didn't have the pull to land the unifications. While the rest of the division were all fighting each other, the last time he had a fight like that was Carl Thompson around 7 years earlier. But yes he had to be good to beat a warrior like Thompson; a shame then that the rematch never happened.

He had a steady earner with the WBO belt, when the cruiser limit was raised his run was extended (he was a big-ish cruiser and getting older), he got out of boxing with his faculties intact, a commentary job, other TV assignments and probably some good earnings. A successful person, then, and I have to give props for that. He wanted to cash out vs a shot Dariusz Michalczewski (like Calzaghe cashed out vs a shot RJJ) but Warren had Macca coming up through the rankings.

[big lennox]

Quixall

That's good to hear about Lennox. I remember Johnny telling me that Lennox always remembers who people are and is very much like you or I + he was just a fantastic fighter.

I used to box at the Ingles gym for about 4-5 years + a year spent with Dave Coldwell at the begining. I feel very privileged.I really only kept fit through sparring, but was allowed to box with so many good fighters and I was extremely well looked after; its amazing really I was exposed to all facets of the boxing busines through it and just being part of this extraordinary gym -all this talent -johnny, junior ryan, esham, kel etc etc (dave's done very well too), and yet it is a level playing field: everyone spars/does blows with one another and suports each other outside the gym as well.For me it had a very profound effect -I am by nature an extraodinarily lazy man, and knew I was never going to cut it as a boxer but watched and observed the discipline everyone had there (trainers and fighters + twenty six with his own weights and fitness gym) and took that and used it in my degree + masters and proffessional working life.I think its probably fair to say I would'nt have done that otherwise.

Re: Naz -met him a few times, and always got on alright with him.Sadly he left the gym just before I joined so never got the pleasure of training along side him.Everyone says that his fights, even in his prime, weren't as good as him sparring. He was THAT good.

I think the landlady is called Mandy if I recall correctly & I think she is still there.

Ps apologies for my very long winded answer.

[DG.]

he was only 3rd best when he was still active.....