Johnny Nelson

Last updated

Johnny Nelson
MBE
Johnny Nelson 2017 (25291824848).jpg
Nelson in 2017
Born
Ivanson Ranny Nelson

(1967-01-04) 4 January 1967 (age 57)
Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
NationalityBritish
Other namesThe Entertainer
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (189 cm)
Reach81 in (206 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights59
Wins45
Wins by KO29
Losses12
Draws2

Ivanson Ranny "Johnny" Nelson [1] MBE (born 4 January 1967) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 2005. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight title from 1999 to 2006, and remains the longest reigning cruiserweight world champion of all time. Nelson defended the title against thirteen different opponents, more than any other cruiserweight in history, and holds a joint-record of most consecutive cruiserweight title defences (along with Marco Huck). He also never lost the title in the ring. At regional level, he held the British cruiserweight title twice between 1989 and 1997, and the European cruiserweight title twice between 1990 and 1998.

Contents

Professional career

Nelson began training at Wincobank gym in Sheffield under trainer Brendan Ingle who also went on to train Naseem Hamed and Kell Brook. [2] He began his career losing ten of his thirteen bouts contested as an amateur. [3]

Nelson's 15th defence of his WBO cruiserweight title was scheduled to be against Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli on the undercard for the Joe Calzaghe versus Jeff Lacy WBO/IBF unification bout on 6 March 2006, but a knee injury picked up by Nelson during sparring forced the fight to be cancelled and Nelson announced his decision to retire from professional boxing a few months later on 22 September 2006. [4]

Life after boxing

Nelson currently works as an analyst for Sky Sports. Since retirement he has spent some time working with the prison service helping inmates with life management skills. [1] He has also done some charity work, agreeing to fight a charity match against Jos Battle. [5]

Nelson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to boxing and to young people in South Yorkshire. [6]

His likeness as well as commentary is featured in the 2024 video game Undisputed as a cruiserweight boxer. His voice was also featured in the 2024 documentary, Four Kings.

Personal life

Nelson's mother was Cuban-Jamaican, his father was Dominican. [7] Nelson's parents split up when he was a young child and he did not reunite with his biological father until he was in his thirties. [1] In 2010, Nelson published his autobiography, Hard Road to Glory.

Professional boxing record

59 fights45 wins12 losses
By knockout291
By decision1610
By disqualification01
Draws2
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
59Win45–12–2Vincenzo CantatoreSD1226 Nov 2005 Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, ItalyRetained WBO cruiserweight title
58Win44–12–2 Rüdiger May TKO7 (12), 2:294 Sep 2004 Grugahalle, Essen, GermanyRetained WBO cruiserweight title
57Win43–12–2 Alexander Petkovic MD1215 Nov 2003 Oberfrankenhalle, Bayreuth, GermanyRetained WBO cruiserweight title
56Draw42–12–2 Guillermo Jones SD1223 Nov 2002Storm Arena, Derby, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
55Win42–12–1 Ezra Sellers KO8 (12), 2:396 Apr 2002 Circus Building, Copenhagen, DenmarkRetained WBO cruiserweight title
54Win41–12–1Alexander VasilievUD1224 Nov 2001York Hall, London, EnglandWon vacant WBU heavyweight title
53Win40–12–1 Marcelo Domínguez UD1221 Jul 2001Ponds Forge, Sheffield, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
52Win39–12–1 George Arias UD1227 Jan 2001York Hall, London, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
51Win38–12–1 Adam Watt KO5 (12), 2:127 Oct 2000 The Dome Leisure Centre, Doncaster, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
50Win37–12–1 Pietro Aurino TKO7 (12), 2:238 Apr 2000York Hall, London, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
49Win36–12–1Christophe GirardKO4 (12), 2:346 Nov 1999Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
48Win35–12–1Sione AsipeliUD12 18 Sep 1999 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, USRetained WBO cruiserweight title
47Win34–12–1Willard LewisTKO4 (12), 3:007 Aug 1999Goresbrook Leisure Centre, London, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
46Win33–12–1 Bruce Scott UD1215 May 1999 Ponds Forge, Sheffield, EnglandRetained WBO cruiserweight title
45Win32–12–1 Carl Thompson TKO5 (12), 1:4227 Mar 1999 Storm Arena, Derby, EnglandWon WBO cruiserweight title
44Win31–12–1 Peter Oboh RTD6 (8), 3:0018 Jul 1998Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
43Win30–12–1Dirk WallynTKO1 (12), 1:1310 Nov 1997 Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, EnglandRetained European cruiserweight title
42Win29–12–1Michael MurrayPTS419 Jul 1997 Wembley Arena, London, England
41Win28–12–1Patrice AouissiKO7 (12)22 Feb 1997 Berck, FranceWon vacant European cruiserweight title
40Win27–12–1 Dennis Andries TKO7 (12), 1:5014 Dec 1996Sheffield, EnglandWon vacant British cruiserweight title
39Win26–12–1 Tony Booth KO2 (6), 2:0720 Jan 1996Leisure Centre, Mansfield, England
38Loss25–12–1 Adílson Rodrigues UD123 Dec 1995Ginásio Carlos Nélson Bueno, Mogi Guaçu, BrazilFor WBF (Federation) heavyweight title
37Loss25–11–1 Adílson Rodrigues PTS1222 Aug 1995 Osasco, BrazilLost WBF (Federation) heavyweight title
36Win25–10–1 Nikolay Kulpin SD125 Nov 1994 Chiangrai Stadium, Chiang Rai, ThailandRetained WBF (Federation) heavyweight title
35Loss24–10–1 Henry Akinwande PTS104 May 1994York Hall, London, England
34Win24–9–1 Jimmy Thunder UD1219 Nov 1993 Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New ZealandWon WBF (Federation) heavyweight title
33Loss23–9–1 Franco Wanyama DQ10 (12)10 Jan 1993 Waregem, BelgiumLost WBF (Federation) cruiserweight title;
Nelson disqualified for repeated fouls
32Win23–8–1 Tom Collins TKO1 (12)4 Nov 1993Leisure Centre, Mansfield, EnglandRetained WBF (Federation) cruiserweight title
31Win22–8–1Dave RussellTKO11 (12)30 Apr 1993 Festival Hall, Melbourne, AustraliaWon WBF (Federation) cruiserweight title
30Loss21–8–1 Corrie Sanders UD1024 Oct 1992Morula Sun Casino, Mabopane, South Africa
29Loss21–7–1Norbert EkassiTKO3 (8)14 Aug 1992 Ajaccio, France
28Loss21–6–1 James Warring UD1216 May 1992Hugo's Nightclub, Bealeton, Virginia, USFor IBF cruiserweight title
27Win21–5–1Yves MonsieurTKO8 (12), 2:353 Dec 1991Leisure Centre, Mansfield, EnglandRetained European cruiserweight title
26Win20–5–1 Markus Bott TKO12 (12)14 Dec 1990 Europahalle, Karlsruhe, GermanyWon vacant European cruiserweight title
25Win19–5–1Andre SmithPTS89 May 1990 Brighton Centre, Brighton, England
24Win18–5–1Arthur WeathersTKO2 (8), 0:2527 Jun 1990 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
23Win17–5–1Lou GentKO4 (12), 1:4928 Mar 1990 York Hall, London, EnglandRetained British cruiserweight title
22Win16–5–1Dino HomseyTKO7 (8)14 Feb 1990International Centre, Brentwood, England
21Draw15–5–1 Carlos de León SD1227 Jan 1990City Hall, Sheffield, EnglandFor WBC cruiserweight title
20Win15–5Ian BullochKO2 (12)10 Feb 1989 Victoria Hall, Hanley, EnglandRetained British cruiserweight title
19Win14–5 Andy Straughn TKO8 (12)21 May 1989 Finsbury Park Majestic Ballroom, London, EnglandWon British cruiserweight title
18Win13–5Steve MorminoTKO2 (8), 1:564 Apr 1989City Hall, Sheffield, England
17Win12–5Danny LawfordTKO2 (10), 0:5326 Oct 1988City Hall, Sheffield, EnglandWon vacant Central Area cruiserweight title
16Win11–5Andrew GerrardPTS831 Aug 1988Kings Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, England
15Win10–5Lennie HowardKO2 (8)6 Jun 1988 Hilton, London, England
14Win9–5 Crawford Ashley PTS85 Apr 1988Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, England
13Win8–5Kenny JonesKO1 (8), 1:4025 Apr 1988Montrose Club, Liverpool, England
12Win7–5Cordwell HyltonKO1 (8)24 Feb 1988 City Hall, Sheffield, England
11Loss6–5Dennis BaileyPTS82 Jan 1988 Derngate Theatre, Northampton, England
10Win6–4Jon McBeanTKO6 (8)14 Dec 1987The Tower Ballroom, Birmingham, England
9Win5–4Byron PullenTKO3 (8)6 Mar 1987 Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, London, England
8Loss4–4Brian SchumacherPTS828 Apr 1987North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax, England
7Win4–3Sean DalyTKO1 (8), 0:524 Oct 1987 The Ritz, Manchester, England
6Win3–3Doug YoungPTS63 Feb 1987Ladbroke Mercury Hotel, Huddersfield, England
5Win2–3George CarmenPTS619 Jan 1987 Grosvenor House Hotel, London, England
4Win1–3Chris LittlePTS620 Nov 1986Quaffers Club, Bredbury, England
3Loss0–3 Magne Havnaa PTS43 Oct 1986Idrætshuset, Copenhagen, Denmark
2Loss0–2Tommy TaylorPTS615 May 1986Brierley Hill Civic Hall, Dudley, England
1Loss0–1Peter BrownPTS618 Mar 1986Westfield Country Club, Hull, England

Related Research Articles

Herol Graham is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1978 to 1998. A three-time world title challenger, he is generally acknowledged as one of the best British boxers of the post-war era to have never won a world championship. He beat Champions Lindell Holmes, Ayub Kalule and Vinny Pazienza.

Herbie Hide is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2010. He held the WBO heavyweight title twice between 1994 and 1999, as well as the British heavyweight title in 1993. Hide was known for his formidable punching power and killer instinct in the ring.

Brendán Îngle was an Irish boxing trainer, manager and former professional boxer based in Sheffield, England. Ingle trained four world champions in total at his Wincobank gym, including Johnny Nelson, "Prince" Naseem Hamed, Junior Witter, and Kell Brook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enzo Maccarinelli</span> Welsh boxer (born 1980)

Enzo Maccarinelli is a retired Welsh former professional boxing world champion who competed from 1999 to 2016. He held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2008. At regional level, he held the European and British cruiserweight titles between 2010 and 2012, and the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title in 2013.

Nicky Piper MBE is a retired Welsh super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer from Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. His career was at its peak in the 1990s; he became the Commonwealth Light-heavyweight champion in 1995. He was trained by Charlie Pearson and managed by Frank Warren. Since retiring from boxing, Piper has become a notable administrator in British boxing and currently works for The City Hospice as their Corporate Partnerships Manager.

Adrian Carl Thompson is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2005. He held multiple championships at cruiserweight, including the WBO title between 1997 and 1999, and the IBO title twice between 2001 and 2005. Additionally, he held the British title in 1992 and 1999, and the European title in 1994 and 2000. He is also a former Muay Thai fighter, who fought in 1987 and 1989 for World Titles.

Guillermo Jones is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2017. He held the WBA cruiserweight title from 2008 to 2012, and challenged twice for the WBA super welterweight title in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Huck</span> German boxer

Muamer Hukić, best known as Marco Huck, is a Bosniak German professional boxer. He held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2009 to 2015, and is the joint-longest reigning cruiserweight world champion of all time, having made thirteen consecutive successful defenses, a division record shared with Johnny Nelson. Huck also held the IBO cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017, the European cruiserweight title from 2008 to 2009, and has challenged once for the WBA (Regular) heavyweight title in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Joe Saunders</span> British boxer

Billy Joe Saunders is a British professional boxer. He is the first fighter from the Travelling community to win world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title from 2015 to 2018 and the WBO super-middleweight title from 2019 to 2021. At regional level, he held the European, British, and Commonwealth middleweight titles between 2012 and 2015. Saunders represented Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics as an amateur, reaching the second round of the welterweight bracket. In the same year, he won gold at the EU Championships.

Ryan Rhodes is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2012. He held the British super welterweight title twice, from 1996 to 1997 and in 2008, and the EBU European super welterweight title from 2009 to 2010. Additionally he challenged for the WBO middleweight title in 1997, and the WBC super welterweight title in 2011.

George Arias is a Brazilian former professional boxer. He challenged once for the WBO cruiserweight title in 2001.

Gary De'Roux is a retired professional boxer, boxing trainer, manager and British Boxing Board of Control Ltd Inspector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kell Brook</span> British boxer (born 1986)

Ezekiel "Kell" Brook is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2022. He held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title from 2014 to 2017, and challenged once for a unified middleweight world title in 2016. At regional level, he held multiple welterweight titles, including the British welterweight title from 2008 to 2010. In May 2017, Brook was ranked as the world's best active welterweight by The Ring magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naseem Hamed</span> British boxer (born 1974)

Naseem Hamed, nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002. He held multiple featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000, and reigned as lineal champion from 1998 to 2001. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring magazine retroactively awarded Hamed their featherweight title in 2019 to acknowledge his dominance of the division and the multiple champions he defeated; he is the only former world champion in any division thus far to receive this honour.

Gilberto Ramírez Sánchez is a Mexican professional boxer who is a two division world champion. He has held the World Boxing Association (WBA) cruiserweight title since March 2024. He previously held the WBO super middleweight title from 2016 to 2019, and is the first boxer from Mexico to win a major world title in those weight classes. He unified the cruiserweight title on November 16, 2024 with the WBO championship. As of April 2024, Ramírez is ranked as the world's best active cruiserweight by BoxRec, sixth by The Ring magazine, and seventh by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Ruediger May is a prolific German cruiserweight boxer known for his stinging jab. He challenged once for the WBO world cruiserweight title in 2004.

Krzysztof Głowacki is a Polish professional boxer who has held the WBO junior-heavyweight title twice; from 2015 to 2016 and again in 2019. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal in the super-heavyweight division at the 2008 EU Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Light (boxer)</span> New Zealand amateur boxer

David Light is a New Zealand professional boxer. As an amateur, he competed in the men's heavyweight division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he won the silver medal against Canada's Samir El-Mais. Professionally, Light is a former WBO World Crusierweight title contender, where he fought Lawrence Okolie in March 2023.

Lawrence Okolie is a British professional boxer. He has held world championships in two weight classes, including the World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight title from May 2024 to October 2024, and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight title from 2021 to 2023. At regional level, he held the Commonwealth title twice between 2018 and 2019; the British title from 2018 to 2019; and the European title in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Billam-Smith</span> English boxer (born 1990)

Chris Billam-Smith is an English professional boxer who held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight title from May 2023 until November 2024. At regional level, he held the European, British, and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles between 2019 and 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Johnny Nelson isn't called Johnny". BBC South Yorkshire. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Johnny Nelson keen to repay faith shown in him by legendary Sheffield trainer Brendan Ingle" . Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "Champion Nelson throws in the towel". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Rawling, John (15 February 2006). "Knee injury forces Nelson out of world title contest". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "Charity 'Battle' secures cash pot". BBC News. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N22.
  7. ↑ Johnny Nelson (24 July 2020). "Johnny Nelson reveals how trainer Brendan Ingle sought to combat racism through education" . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Joe Threlfall 		British Central Area
cruiserweight champion
26 October 1988 – 21 May 1989
Won full title		Vacant
Title next held by
Tony Booth
Preceded by British cruiserweight champion
21 May 1989 – December 1990
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Derek Angol
Vacant
Title last held by
Anaclet Wamba 		European cruiserweight champion
14 December 1990 – May 1992
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Akim Tafer
Vacant
Title last held by
Terry Dunstan 		British cruiserweight champion
14 December 1996 – November 1998
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Bruce Scott
Vacant
Title last held by
Akim Tafer 		European cruiserweight champion
22 February 1997 – February 1998
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Terry Dunstan
Minor world boxing titles
Preceded by
Dave Russell
 WBF (Federation)
cruiserweight champion
30 April 1993 – 1 October 1993		Succeeded by
Preceded by WBF (Federation)
heavyweight champion
19 November 1993 – 22 August 1995		Succeeded by
Vacant
Title last held by
Hasim Rahman 		WBU heavyweight champion
24 November 2001 – April 2002
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Georgi Kandelaki
Major world boxing titles
Preceded by WBO cruiserweight champion
27 March 1999 – July 2006
Stripped		Vacant
Title next held by
Enzo Maccarinelli
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.