Ghanaian boxing legend, Azumah Nelson, is rated as one of the greatest boxers in history but his story just like many other greats did not have an easy start. He had to endure a ruthless beating during his fight ever bout.
In an interview on GTV, he narrated that he first got inspired to become a boxer after he witnessed a bout between two kids who were way apart in terms of size, and the little one getting beaten.
Azumah, who was just seven then, wanted to fight and give the seemly grown one a taste of his one medicine but his dad did not allow him.
"One day he took me to a boxing arena and I saw two small boys fighting. I wasn't happy after the fight. One was bigger(in size and weight) than the other, so I saw tears in the eyes of the small one's face and I wasn't happy. I told my father that he should take me to the ring I want to fight the (big boy). If I can remember I was like 5 or 6 years. Before I could realise I was home. So since then, I was putting pressure on my father to take me to watch boxing or take me to somewhere I could fight," he said.
Azumah's eagerness to be in the ring led him to dare to beat a young boxer he met on the street and thus had a bout scheduled only to be beaten ferociously.
"When I was about 8 years, I was at my mother's family house and I saw a man with small boxing shoes on his shoulder and a small boy. When I saw the shoes I said these shoes could be for this boy so I went to the man and I asked "is this boy a boxer?" and I said in my mind but 'I can beat this boy'. I told the coach but I can beat him. The coach said no and I said okay then we should fight. The coach said no I should come to the gym and he gave me the time."
"When the time came, I called my friends and we went...He put the gloves on us and we started fighting. When I threw the punch the boy dodged and hit me. He beat me so badly. Now we had to go home but on the way, nobody was talking so I felt very bad."
As daring as he was at that young age, he went again to redeem himself but yet again it wasn't meant to be.
"I went home and I was thinking about why I couldn't him...I sat down and said okay I've gotten a plan I'll go again. The following day I went again and I didn't go with my friends because I wanted to take the disgrace alone...I went and the guy beat me again but he didn't beat me like yesterday so I said okay I'm improving."
On the third try, Azumah eventually won and did not take long to dominate his level at the gym.
"The following day, I went again and I said to myself, this time it's a draw. I started beating him and I become champion in the gym. "
According to Azumah Nelson, he bettered his skills under former boxing coach Attuquaye Clottey who opened a gym and adopted him.
Diminutive in nature but a giant in the ring. In his professional career that span from 1979 to 2008, he held two world titles.
They held the WBC featherweight title, the WBC super-featherweight title twice between 1988 and 1997, and the WBC super-featherweight title twice.
He has an astonishing record of 47 bouts, 39 wins including 28 by way of knockouts and 6 losses.
He was terrific and a menace to his opponents with his heavy punches, earning him the nickname the Terrible Warrior.
But all the aforementioned honours would not have come to pass if he quit after losing two bouts in his formative years.
Watch Azumah Nelson's interview below
EE/
