BoxRec

Battling Nelson, the world lightweight champion who twice beat 'the Old Master' Joe Gans in 1908, once fractured his arm in a 15 round fight but continued to the end anyway, dismissing the injury as something that only impeded him from winning by knockout. When he lost the title to Ad Wolgost, being stopped in the 40th round of a torrid fight, the bloodied Nelson, with both eyes swollen shut, insisted he would have won in the next round. He absorbed endless punches against Jimmy Britt and after 20 rounds was adamant he was the winner. For years he claimed he was still lightweight champion because he 'hadn't been counted out' against Wolgost.

Does boxing produce these stubborn, superhuman, never-say-die type characters anymore? They were common in Nelson's day but seem rare now. Are there any modern equivalents? Perhaps Arturo Gatti?

In the main I think the answer is a firm no. However, every so often you do get a performance that demonstrates courage and determination. I'm thinking Danny Williams beating Mark Potter with a dislocated shoulder in 2000.

Ruslan Provodnikov is hard as nails.

just happened to be flipping through In this Corner, and was reading about Willie Ritchie. He mentioned Battling Nelson in passing. Said that Gans had tuberculosis by the time Gans and Nelson had their rematch. Saw the Nelson-Britt fight. Said it was brutal.

The way Gans was treated In both matches is beyond despicable