Azumah Nelson, born on July 19, 1958, is a Ghanaian boxer who competed professionally.
In 1978, he won gold medals in the featherweight division at both the All-Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games.
That same year, he was named “Amateur Boxer of the Year” by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG).
Rise to World Champion
In 1983, he won all four of his matches. Then in 1984, he knocked out Wilfredo Gómez in the 11th round to become the WBC featherweight champion. He went on to hold the WBC featherweight title until 1987.
In 1988, he defeated Mario Martinez in a 12-round match to win the WBC super featherweight title. Later, on December 1, 1995, he beat world champion Gabriel Ruelas in five rounds to reclaim the same title.
Nearly a year later, he defended his title against Jesse James Leija, winning by knockout. However, in 1997, he lost a 12-round decision to Genaro Hernandez, thereby relinquishing his Lineal and WBC titles.
Legacy and Recognition
Thanks to these achievements, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest African boxers of all time. Additionally, he is ranked 69th on BoxRec’s list of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers in history.
In honor of his accomplishments, the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex in the Kaneshie area of Accra was named after him.
He fought in 46 professional bouts during his career, winning 38 of them. Of those 38 victories, 27 came by knockout. He lost 6 matches and was knocked out only once. He also had 2 draws.
Personal Life and Later Honors
Nelson is married to Priscilla Boakye, and the couple has six children. In honor of his 60th birthday, a boxing night was organized at the Bukom Boxing Arena.
The event was attended by notable figures such as former sports ministers Nii Lante Vanderpuiye and Nii Amarkai Amarteifio, the British High Commissioner to Ghana Ian Walker, and the President of the Ghana Boxing Authority Peter Zwennes.
In 2014, his life story was written by Ashley Morrison. The book’s title was inspired by his nickname: “The Professor – The Life Story of Azumah Nelson.”