Boxing Life Stories - Johnny Nelson

[leejonesjnr]

This one is a really enjoyable listen.
I think everyone knows the JN no hoper to champion story but it’s one of my favourite of the series so far.

[Coco]

Nelson gets stick for being a company man, and It is well deserved.
However he is someone who has genuinely been there, done it and seen it all, including from all angles.
He has been a journeyman, a champion, an underdog, a no hoped, a contender, the home fighter and the away fighter in all parts of the world.

[Noxy]

Yes, he has done all those things and he stayed WBO champ for years. All credit to him for that. Still, as a fan, I wish we didn’t have to see him clowning around as a TV analyst all the time. I find him tiresome.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Yes, he has done all those things and he stayed WBO champ for years. All credit to him for that. Still, as a fan, I wish we didn’t have to see him clowning around as a TV analyst all the time. I find him tiresome.

Why didn’t he unify?

[Noxy]

Who knows, probably because there wasn’t enough coin on the table. I can’t remember who the other champs were in his day.

[tobyh5]

Nelson gets stick for being a company man, and It is well deserved.
However he is someone who has genuinely been there, done it and seen it all, including from all angles.
He has been a journeyman, a champion, an underdog, a no hoped, a contender, the home fighter and the away fighter in all parts of the world.

I would have written exactly the same. Spot on.

Such a company man, you almost forget his back story and also, if he was not a company man, he would probably lose his job and income

[Ruthless-RKO]

Who knows, probably because there wasn’t enough coin on the table. I can’t remember who the other champs were in his day.

Anyone with the WBO belt in the late 90’s was frm the UK. WBO was just about being recognised as a world title by the other orgs. They only defended the belt and hardly unified.

Prince Naseem fought a few unifications but always vacated the other belts and kept the WBO.

Calzaghe didn’t unify until 7-8 years later.

[leejonesjnr]

If Nelson v Enzo had gone ahead, how do you imagine it would have gone?

[Noxy]

If Nelson v Enzo had gone ahead, how do you imagine it would have gone?

Nelson points, Enzo was a live underdog though as that was pre-Haye when he was pretty handy.

[Autobarn]

Who knows, probably because there wasn’t enough coin on the table. I can’t remember who the other champs were in his day.

Juan Carlos Gomez, Fabrice Tiozzo/Virgil Hill/Jean Marc Mormeck and Vasiliy Jirov

[polecateddy]

I think at the time Enzo had a strong reputation as something of a boxing prodigy on the rise. Nelson last fight had been a bit of a stiff, uninspired effort winning a SD against Vincenzo Cantatore in Italy. I think in 2005 Nelson might have been mentally a bit psyched out and worried about being dethroned. But in reality might well have exposed Enzo with a late stoppage if he'd actually gone ahead with the fight.

[Noxy]

Juan Carlos Gomez, Fabrice Tiozzo/Virgil Hill/Jean Marc Mormeck and Vasiliy Jirov

[chinarich]

Juan Carlos Gomez, Fabrice Tiozzo/Virgil Hill/Jean Marc Mormeck and Vasiliy Jirov

I could see Nelson beating Tiozzo but not the rest. As someone said earlier, the WBO champs at the time mostly just defended their belt it was rather parochial...

[Autobarn]

Gomez in particular was big, powerful and fast.

You can imagine Nelson going into a shell and not throwing anything, for too long...happened a couple of times and almost happened a couple more times...

[JimJim2009]

I recall fwank tossing out nelson as a possible tyson opponent. As if ! Even Johnny knew that was far fetched. His autobiography is a really good read.

[jamamb]

Juan Carlos Gomez, Fabrice Tiozzo/Virgil Hill/Jean Marc Mormeck and Vasiliy Jirov

thats a pretty solid group, wouldve been tough work for 10 inch ivan

[jamamb]

Nelson gets stick for being a company man, and It is well deserved.
However he is someone who has genuinely been there, done it and seen it all, including from all angles.
He has been a journeyman, a champion, an underdog, a no hoped, a contender, the home fighter and the away fighter in all parts of the world.

this is true, very interesting career that u pretty much never see these days

[punchers chance]

I've got a lot of respect for Johnny Nelson and for those that don't know the OP is talking about the podcast interview he's done with Tris Dixon as part of Tris's Boxing Life Stories series. These can be downloaded for free.

Johnny talks about his career going from a poor amateur to an initially modest pro who turned it all round. For those who don't remember him as a fighter and just think of him as Sky's PR man it is well worth a listen.
Bringing prince naseem through is often mentioned as Brendan Ingle's greatest achievement but getting Johnny Nelson from where he was to be a world champion beats it for me.

[Nightmare Roy]

Very good had a listen last night, the latest one with Ian Darke is excellent too, I’ll get around to listening to them all eventually, Calzaghi’s is very good, talks about being bullied at school a lot even when he was a successful amature, find it hard to believe anyone would ever mess with him.

[Boxerbeetle]

Johnny was excellent, really enjoyable episode.

Currently listening to the new Richard Towers episode, very different! He’s led a crazy life, done very well to turn himself around.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Remember thinking Nelson vs Jirov would have been interesting, although Johnny would probably have just stared at/ran from the marauding Jirov.

Who can forget his display rotating backwards round the ring in perfect circles against Deleon. Memorably terrible

once on his WBO run Nelson seemed to be kept away from actual challenges. Kind of like a WCW era Lord Steven Regal.

Actually there was an exception, he benefitted from one of the worst robberies I’ve ever seen vs Guillermo jones. Not that they expected it to be a tough assignment mind.

To be fair to him though he did have good skills and was a real toughnut .

[Nightmare Roy]

The Jamie Moore was is very good, top bloke, could listen to him all day.

[samwbr]

Johnny was excellent, really enjoyable episode.

Currently listening to the new Richard Towers episode, very different! He’s led a crazy life, done very well to turn himself around.

I think Towers' episode is the best yet, brutal honesty about a vicious life. He seems sound but could flick a switch and go at any minute. Terrifying prospect if you were on the end of it.

[REEVE]

If Nelson v Enzo had gone ahead, how do you imagine it would have gone?

Nelson points, Enzo was a live underdog though as that was pre-Haye when he was pretty handy.

This

[Covfefe]

The Jamie Moore was is very good, top bloke, could listen to him all day.

Just listened to this today. Came across as a decent bloke as I expected. The shooting is still shocking to hear about all these years later. Such a lucky lad to be around telling the story.