Was"Super" Brian Nielsen double-crossed?

[Brutu]

I seem to remember reading in the newspaper a a couple of days before his fight with Mike Tyson,
That Nielsen had to fly from Denmark
back to New York City to do a final press conference to promote the fight ,then fly back to Denmark to get ready.
Is this true?
Wouldn't all that jet lag have affected him,
flying back and forth like that?
Especially someone of his girth.

[gregor]

Wouldn't all that jet lag have affected him, flying back and forth like that?

I doubt it made much difference anyway. I understand he just came to New York, held a conference, and went back the same day or the next one, so he was back in his time zone before his clock really adjusted to NY time. After all, the fight was held in Denmark, so it would be rather Tyson who should've more problems with that.

[Flump]

I think the biggest problem for Nielson was that he couldn't really fight against a half decent opponent who was trying, and even that version if Tyson could still fight.

[Brutu]

Seems to me there was some type of a communication problem with the ref and Nielsen.
Sounded like the ref was kind of encouraegning him to quit in the corner,and Nielsen wasn't sure what he was saying to him.
Ya,yaa.I think Nielsen may have been able to wear Tyson down at some point.
Tyson's pounding to Nielsen's rotund mid-section didnt look like it was having the desired effect like Team Tyson had hoped.

[Brutu]

What I remember about that fight was that it was shown delayed same day tape on either HBO or SHOWTIME.
and I purposely avoided logging on to the inter-net that day,so there would not be a spoiler(I thought Nielsen had a good chance of winning).Anyway so I was watching television instead and on CNN that Saturday afternnon, and during a news story CNN scrolls at the bottom of the news of some boring story,.
"He's Back, Mike Tyson TKO's Brian Nielsen."
That just really ruined it.

[Flump]

He just took a pasting Brutu, he wasn't in the fight. I'm surprised a guy who knows his onions like you do would give Nielson the time of day, he was a figure of ridicule for the Marciano record thing, and for some suspect looking wins over names long past their best, to me he's kind of a modern day Lamar Clark.

[Brutu]

I didnt say Brian Nielsen was any good.
Back then I thought. Nielsen may have had a chance going into that fight based just on his stats that I read.
I think it was the first time I had actually seen Nielsen "fight".
Had any of Brian Nielsen's previous fights been shown on American television?
I think the fight with Tyson was the only Nielsen fight I have ever seen.

At least Kevin McBride had fought on ESPN in a fight he had before he fought Mike Tyson.
(and looked like he had no chance,as he looked slow a mollases in the winter time).
But that may have been done because the McBride -Tyson fight was going to be on pay-per-view.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Mogens Palle was adamant that the Klitsckhos ducked Nielsen and Palle offered outrageous sums for either Klitsckho to come to Denmark to fight Nielsen - especially when Vitali was EBU champion. Nielsen is similar to John McDermott where he is underrated because of his physique - facts are he was slick enough to be a success in the amateur game which took him to the 1992 Barcelona olympics where he won a bronze medal and he had a successful pro career. One day, boxing fans will relaise that an effective heavyweight doesn't have to look like Mr Universe to be any good.

[Brutu]

Like I said Brian Nielsen's professional ring record was 62-1-0 going into the Tyson fight.
Some of his wins were contravarsial,but if you look at his record,a fight fan will recognisie a lot of name opponents.
Also his sheer size at 6 foot 3 inches tall,260 pounds and a 77 inch reach..
but like I mentioned it was the only Nielsen fight Iv seen.
Maybe it just wasnt his day.

[Brutu]

All I know was that for a "Big Fat Slob",Brian Nielsen sort of made Tyson look silly having been able to take all those body shots
in the early rounds.

[Flump]

We got to see a bit of Nielson in the UK on Eurosport, it was obvious that he was Euro level at best.

Reading the reports on his fights with Witherspoon and Tubbs, who from memory apparently both gave up very easily, made you wonder about him, and apparently his decision over Holmes was a gift. He also held a couple of bogus titles, but was being built up in Denmark as though he was actually a World Champion. His losing to Dickie Ryan when he was making noise about 'breaking Marciano's record' as a purist gave me some satisfaction I must admit, he wasn't a stiff and he had balls but it was the BS surrounding him that made me feel some resentment.

[crusader]

All I know was that for a "Big Fat Slob",Brian Nielsen sort of made Tyson look silly having been able to take all those body shots
in the early rounds.

Nielsen was the only one looking silly in that fight. Did he even land a punch?

[gregor]

Nielsen was the only one looking silly in that fight. Did he even land a punch?

I guess so. I remember watching the fight and suddenly Dannish commentators went almost crazy when he had thrown a couple of punches around the middle of the fight. Tyson probably got surprised as well, so one or two of them could've landed.

I think Nielsen could do better than just compiling sixty something record against nobodies and past prime fighters. He had good chin and a bit of talent, and I could see him getting something like EBU (or something like that, as EBU was held by Klitschkos at this time).

[Brutu]

Here is a link to Brian Nielsen vs Tony Tubbs from October.20.1995.
Tubbs record coming into this fight was 40-7-0.
Nielsen was 21-0-0
Nielsen wt(258 lbs) vs Tubbs( wt 240 lbs).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKNLjACGn_s

[Brutu]

Brian Nielsen vs Larry Holmes
January 1997.
Holmes record 65-5-0
Nielsen 31-0-0.
wt Holmes 247 lbs
wt Nielsen 248 lbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGKMkoR9Eic

[hhaehre]

We got to see a bit of Nielson in the UK on Eurosport, it was obvious that he was Euro level at best.

Reading the reports on his fights with Witherspoon and Tubbs, who from memory apparently both gave up very easily, made you wonder about him, and apparently his decision over Holmes was a gift.

It was no gift, he beat Holmes fair and square. Holmes of course never one to take defeat with any kind of grace, so he bitched about it to no end and I guess that's what people remember. Otherwis I agree that he was good Euro level. He was, in other words, good enough to beat am. journeymen, fighters from the mid west with bloated records and has-beens but not quite good enough to deal with top 10 guys.

[Brutu]

I don't know what the alleged controversy was about in his win over Tony Tubbs either.
Nielsen can clearly be seen digging a lot of body punches into Tubbs in all of the rounds of it.
Some of which clearly hurt Tubbs.
The 240 lb Tubbs falling flat on his back probably did not help his already sore hurt ribs.

[giacomino]

So much of his career seemed to center on fighting old, shot opponents with names. I guess Danish crowds were willing to pay big for him to beat up old-timers with names, the same way German crowds dig title fight mismatches today.

Holmes was 47 when they fought. Tubbs nearly 38, and Witherspoon 41. Nielsen also liked to beat up on shot, blown up cruiserweights. He beat, among others, DeLeon, Lumpkin, Grant and Norris, all former cruiserweight beltholders at one time.

Maybe he thought Tyson, at 35, was shot enough he could beat him too

[hhaehre]

Maybe he thought Tyson, at 35, was shot enough he could beat him too

Maybe, but I'm guessing the #1 reason he wanted the fight was the money. Same thing with this comeback fight vs. Holyfield.

[Brutu]

So were the other heavyweight belt holders avoiding Nielsen or was he avoiding them?
BTW Nielsen was actually a year older then Tyson when they fought in 2001.
IMOP A good time for Nielsen to fight for the Hwt championship would have been in either
1997 or 1998,when he was 32,33 yrs old and still undefeated.
Because after that age, one physicialy goes in decline after that no matter how much they keep in shape.
Same thing for Corrie Sanders.

[gregor]

So were the other heavyweight belt holders avoiding Nielsen or was he avoiding them?

I doubt they even knew he existed. Nielsen fought a vast majority of his bouts in Denmark, and if he was really going to get a titleshot (as you may suggest) it was probably the worst thing to do. With a couple of fights being held in US, or even in Germany, his chances for that would be much better to say the least.

[Brutu]

I just hope for the upcoming scheduled fight this May.07.2011, with Evander Holyfield.
Brian Nielsen is not sitting around and waiting for the boxing commisin to approve the fight,before he starts even training.
(could be another trick to make sure he comes in out of shape on short notice)
as im sure Holyfield is already in training for it.
Nielsen has not had a single fight in 9 years since April 2002,while Holyfield has fought 12 times since 2002.

Also as far as Nielsen having not ever fought outside of his native Denmark .
How many of the top contender American heavyweights in the late 1990's fought outside the USA?

[crusader]

I just hope for the upcoming scheduled fight this May.07.2011, with Evander Holyfield.
Brian Nielsen is not sitting around and waiting for the boxing commisin to approve the fight,before he starts even training.
(could be another trick to make sure he comes in out of shape on short notice)
as im sure Holyfield is already in training for it.
Nielsen has not had a single fight in 9 years since April 2002,while Holyfield has fought 12 times since 2002.

Also as far as Nielsen having not ever fought outside of his native Denmark .
How many of the top contender American heavyweights in the late 1990's fought outside the USA?

Ok, but why did he have to feast exclusively on bums? If you're going to stay at home your entire career, please bring in some top guys to fight.

[Brutu]

Bums?
check out this link to youtube.
(you be the judge)

Brian Nielsen vs Jermey Williams
April.28.2000
the stats
Nielsen(age 35 years)vs Williams(age 27 years)
242 lbs vs 222 lbs.
Nielsen ring record 56-1-0
Williams ring record 35-3-0.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXh6hGMqC5Y

[crusader]

Jeremy Williams? Jeez man, get past the numerical record and look at how good the boxer actually is. At best Williams was an ok fighter, nothing more. He had been outclassed by Maurice Harris just two fights prior. The guys in the other two fights you posted were way past it and Holmes was almost 50!