Today in History: Azumah Nelson won his second heavyweight title

On December 8, 1984, Azumah Nelson became the WBC champion for the second time in his career by defeating Wilfredo Gomez in the 11th round of their heavyweight bout at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Azumah Nelson, also known as Professor zoom zoom, is a retired Ghanaian boxer who had a professional career from 1979 to 2008. He was born on July 19, 1958 in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. He is one of the most prominent Ghanaian sports figures who brought fame and glory to the country through his boxing achievements.

Along with Derrick Kotei (D.K Poison), Azumah Nelson is renowned for winning and defending boxing titles for the country. After losing to WBC featherweight champion Sanchez Salvador on July 21, 1982, Azumah Nelson learned from his mistake and trained hard to win a world title. He won all his fights in 1983, which boosted his confidence and reputation in the boxing world.

He vowed to knock out anyone who challenged him in the ring. This attitude helped him overcome many opponents. He held the WBC featherweight title for three years from 1984 to 1987. However, he had to take a break from fighting for a few months after beating Wilfredo Gomez. He returned in September 1985 and knocked out Cowdell Pat in the first round in the United Kingdom.

He lost the WBC featherweight title to Genaro Hernadeve. His boxing records are:

Total fights-47

Wins-39

Losses-6

Draws-2

He retired from professional boxing in 2008. In recognition of his boxing success and legacy, the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex in Accra is named after him. He is regarded as the greatest African boxer ever by boxing journalists.