Azumah Nelson @65: 6 things you need to know about iconic Ghanaian boxer

Popularly known as the ‘Professor’, Azumah Nelson remains  Ghana’s greatest boxing icon whose dominant performance in the 80s and 90s placed Ghana on the highest pedestal.

Azumah brought joy to most Ghanaians and it was no doubt that most of his bouts which went into late hours did not prevent Ghanaians from staying awake to catch a glimpse of his exploits.

He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and the WBC super-featherweight twice between 1988 and 1997. He also challenged once for the unified WBC and IBF lightweight titles in 1990.

Today marks the 65th birthday of the boxing legend who was born on Saturday, July 19, 1958, and had a sterling time in the ring from 1979 to 2009.

Ghanaweb looks at 6 vital records about the boxing legend Azumah Nelson.

Three-time World Champion

He was a three-time world boxing champion in the WBC featherweight and WBC super-featherweight divisions. In the WBC featherweight, he held the title from 1984 to 1987 and twice with the WBC super0featherweight title between 1988 and 1997.

WBC’s Greatest Super Featherweight Boxer of All-Time

 

WBC’s Greatest Super Featherweight Boxer of All-Time which was announced in 2004 in Las Vegas. Azumah dominated twice in the division and was the only boxer to have won the title twice in 1988 and 1997.

2004 Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee

He is the only Ghanaian boxer to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

2020 Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee

Azumah Nelson was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fam as the only Ghanaian.

Africa's Greatest Boxing Champion

Azumah Nelson is regarded as the Greatest African Boxing Champion

Gold Medalist at the 1978 Commonwealth Games

He was the only Ghanaian boxer who competed in the 1978 All-Africa Games and 1978 Commonwealth Games, where he won gold medals in featherweight divisions at both events, an accolade which was him awarded the Amateur Boxer of the Year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) that same year.

LSN/KPE