Today in history: Azumah Nelson loses world title fight to Salvador Sanchez

On this day 21 July 1982 (Exactly 38 years ago today) In his first world title fight, future Hall of Famer, Azumah Nelson, lost to Salvador Sanchez in New York.

Sanchez fought very hard and scored a 15th-round technical knockout over a tough Nelson to retain his WBC Featherweight title.

No one outside of Ghana knew anything about Nelson, who had a paltry record of 13 bouts and was brought in as a last second replacement for top contender Mario Miranda.

Aside from holding the Commonwealth featherweight title, he possessed no qualifications for a shot at the world championship whatsoever, much less a bout with the man regarded as one of the finest performers in the sport. As a result, only 5,575 showed up at Madison Square Garden in New York that night. But those who did were treated to a truly thrilling battle.

In contrast to Nelson, Sanchez, at only 23 years of age, entered the ring that night with the mantle of greatness already upon his shoulders. Since turning pro in 1975, his career had moved fast. . He fought frequently, at least six bouts per year, and since battering Danny Lopez to win the featherweight crown, he had notched nine title defenses in just two years, his exciting knockout win over Wilfredo Gomez cementing his status as, pound-for-pound, one of the very best.

Having been featured on network television in almost all of his title wins, the American public had come to admire his precision counter-punching, granite chin and excellent stamina. To everyone’s surprise, he would need all of these attributes to overcome the courageous challenge of Azumah Nelson in one of the most exciting contests in division history.

But at the time the fight was stopped, one of the three New York judges and many in the crowd thought Nelson was in front. Judge Al Reid had Nelson ahead on the 10-point scoring system, 133-132 after 14 rounds. But the other judges favored Sanchez. Judge Artie Aidala had it 134-131, and Judge Tony Castellano 135-131.

Sanchez ended any doubts as to the ending with a late counterpunching attack. Nelson, who thought he was ahead but still wanted to go for a knockout, went out wildly in the final round and, before long, ran into a left hook by Sanchez, the kind that knocked him down in the seventh round

He went sprawling into his own corner and, though it seemed he had no conception of where he was, sprang back up by the count of 2. Perez let the fight continue. About 15 seconds later, with Nelson still standing but defenseless, the referee stepped in.

Someone asked Nelson, who had suffered a cut lip that needed two stitches and a badly swollen right eye during the bout, whether he thought Perez acted unjustly.

.”No, no,” he whispered. Only two rounds earlier, Sanchez’s corner thought the champion was about to go. Cristobal Rosas, Sanchez’s manager and trainer, thought his granite-chinned fighter was wobbled by several hard right hands. He saw Sanchez’s knees buckle. He expected the worst, because earlier, Sanchez had reported that he was not feeling right.

But again, as the inexperienced Nelson tried to press his advantage, he left himself open for one of Sanchez’s countering hooks. At the bell, it was Sanchez who delivered the hardest punch of the round, one that rocked Nelson back on his heels

Despite the champion’s outward calm – it appeared as if he never took a deep breath – he knew he was in trouble. ”I feel very weak,” he told his corner after the fourth round, according to Rosas. ”Just take it easy then,” he was told. Nelson would not allow him to rest. The 24-year-old Ghanian, who holds the championships of Africa and the British Commonwealth, continued attacking even when hurt.

”He hits hard,” Sanchez told his corner. ”And he also has very fast hands.” The challenger, listed at 5 feet 5 inches but appearing more than two inches shorter than the 5-7 champion, landed often in the early rounds. Sanchez would say later he was studying his opponent.

But Sanchez, who now has a 43-1-1 record, struck fiercely early in the seventh round when a left hook, which beat a Nelson right to the punch, sent the challenger stumbling for several backward steps. Another hook followed and Nelson was down.

Sanchez still did not press forward and Nelson returned to the attack midway through the round. But shortly before the bell, a chopping right to Nelson’s chin rocked the challenger.

Sanchez still fought defensively, although Nelson appeared on occasion to be ready to be taken out. After the ninth round, he wobbled to Sanchez’s corner, followed by the champion. Sanchez tapped him on the shoulder and with his right glove pointed him in the right direction.

Mickey Duff, the English promoter who was a second in Nelson’s corner, said it was ”simply a matter of experience” that won this fight for Sanchez. ”Their skills were equal,” said Duff.

There are a number of reasons why this classic fight has been largely overlooked in the years since. First of all, Sanchez vs Nelson had the misfortune of taking place during a banner year for monumentally exciting clashes.

A thrilling contest which would have easily been Fight of the Year at other points in time found itself in fourth place behind Aaron Pryor vs. Alexis Arguello, Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael Limon IV and Wilfredo Gomez vs.

Lupe Pintor, all magnificent wars. Secondly, unlike those excellent matches, there had been no expectation of a great fight. No one knew who Nelson was, most had anticipated a routine win for Sanchez, and thus relatively few fans saw the thrilling battle.

But in addition to these facts, the event which overshadows this great fight is what took place just three weeks later. A lover of sports cars, a man and a fighter who moved fast, with intensity and purpose, Sanchez had been driving his Porsche at high speed on a highway in central Mexico when he attempted to pass a truck.

He somehow miscalculated, slamming into a second truck, and Salvador “Chava” Sanchez, the 23-year-old champion with seemingly limitless potential, the conqueror of Lopez and Gomez and Nelson, was killed instantly.

An entire nation, and scores of boxing fans, mourned the death of this great warrior, a boxer who had, in less than three years, left an indelible mark on the sport and established himself as a true great.

The truth remains that a young Azumah Nelson gave an electrifying performance that night, an astonishing exhibition of heart and determination that could only have been withstood and overcome by a boxer of equal courage and even greater talent.

Salvador Sanchez had already proved himself a truly great boxer, but on that summer night in New York City he put the finishing, final touch on a Hall of Fame legacy just before it all came to an end. Before the young Salvador, who liked to move fast and take on the toughest opponents, who remained cool and calm when under the most intense pressure, who could negotiate the fastest twists and turns inside the ring, fatally underestimated a risky maneuver on a dusty, narrow Mexican road, and left boxing fans to forever speculate as to what might have been.

Elsewhere;

On this day 21 July 1968 (Exactly 52 years ago today) Asante Kotoko spanked Western Akim United by 11 goals to nothing in their league match played at the Kumasi Sports stadium.

It was a one – sided match and all the Kotoko fowards managed to score. Inside left Abukari Gariba topped the list with 5 goals.

Inside right Osei Kofi, got three goals; left winger Sammy Stephens, right winger Yaw Sam and centre forward Malik Jabir scored a goal each.

Kotoko led 4 – 0 at half time and scored the remaining goals in the second half at a terrific rate.

On this day 21 July 2002 (Exactly 18 years ago today) Hearts of Oak defeated Kotoko 3-0 to open a 10-point gap lead at the top of the league in a match characterised with superstition and tension.

Prior to the commencement of the top liner at Accra Sports Stadium, Kotoko refused to use an approved gate to the dressing room and when they finally did, the team, together with the club officials again refused to enter the dressing room for fear that their players could be hypnotised.

The visitors used the tartan track as their changing room while referee F. K. Mensah was also compelled to move unto the tracks for the inspection of the two teams. Seventh minutes after kick off, Taylor failed to open the scores for Hearts as he fumbled in front of goal after jittery goalkeeper George Owu failed to make a first time save from winger Don Bortey’s shot at goal.

By the half hour mark, it was clear that the absence of Kotoko’s two key players- defender Joe Hendricks who had been suspended by the club for indiscipline and first choice goalkeeper Osei Boateng who was surprisingly put on the bench- were being felt.

Kotoko repulsed the earlier challenge by Hearts with a 19th minute goal but was disallowed because scorer Shilla Alhassan was ruled off side. That decision by referee F. K. Mensah did not go down well with the Kotoko Supporters who starting throwing missiles unto the tracks. Security personnel had to plead with the fans to keep their cool to avert yet another disaster.

Kotoko moved into the top gear after 30 minutes, dominating most of the exchanging and winning all the 50-50 balls. But just as they seemed to be finding their rhythm, ginger haired Bortey broke through an off side trap, place the ball unto the path of racing Taylor who slotted into the net for the opener in the 35th minute.

From that shocker, Hearts never looked back, as Bortey and “prodigal son” Emmanuel Osei Kuffour made it three before the break. Just like the first goal, Bortey beat the off side trap, raced with the ball into the “18”, turned his marker inside out and unleashed a curler into the upper right corner of the net.

The stadium was set alight with Bortey’s classic goal and the fans responded with a popular gospel song “…..do something new in my life.” Osei Kuffour made it three with a deflected shot, which went off the body defender Dan Acquah on the 45th mark.

Kotoko mounted a second half attack as Hearts who look content with the goals were a pale shadow of themselves. Kotoko sent petit Stephen Oduro and defender Isaac Owusu for Abass Inusah and Joe Louis at the start of the second half. However, the excitement and tempo of the game slumped considerably with little incursions into the vital areas.

Joe Sam gave Hearts goalie Sammy Adjei a wakeup call with a 35-mitre pile driver in the 49th minute but the national goalie expertly parried it over the bar. Kuffour should have made it four for Hearts, but he shot over the bar before a yawning net after goalkeeper Owu has pushed Taylor’s shot unto his path.

It was the first time the two sides were playing at the Accra Sports Stadium after last year’s May 9 disaster, which claimed at least 126 lives.

On this day 21 July 2002 (Exactly 18 years ago today) With a record 6 races remaining, German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher clinched his 5th F1 World Drivers Championship with victory in the French Grand Prix at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours; his 3rd straight title win