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Battling Nelson: 12 Round Fighter? Try 20 or More Rounds for this Fighter!

BNBy Anne “Boxologist” Whitlock

Battling Nelson is another historical lightweight impregnated in my memory banks for so many reasons. Nelson began boxing professionally in 1896 at the age of 14. He fought for the vacant lightweight title against Jimmy Britt on December 20, 1904, but lost a twenty-round decision. He lost to Abe Atell in 1905 but then beat Jack O’Neill to secure another shot at the title. This time, on September 9, 1905, he beat Britt by an eighteenth-round knockout. He defended the title once against Terry Mc’Govern but then faced former champion Joe Gans on September 3, 1906. Gans dropped Nelson repeatedly during the bout, but could not knock him out.

Finally, in the forty-second round, Nelson hit Gans low and was disqualified, losing the bout and his title. In 1907 and 1908, Nelson split a pair of bouts with old foe Britt and he and Attell fought to a draw. He then challenged Gans for the title on July 4, 1908. This time he knocked Gans out in the seventeenth round. They fought again two months later, with Nelson winning by a twenty-one round knockout. In 1909, Nelson fought Ad Wolgast in a fight held over the lightweight limit. Wolgast beat him and Nelson gave Wolgast a chance at his title on February 22, 1910. Eventually unable to see due to the accumulation of punches, Nelson lost the title when the referee stopped the fight in either the fortieth or the forty-second round. Nelson continued to fight and in 1917, challenged Freddie Welsh for the lightweight title. He lost a twelve-round decision and retired from fighting in 1920.

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