Azumah Nelson vs Juan Laporte

A prospective meeting with Australia’s Jeff Fenech hung over the evening, but the champion first had to contend with one of the hardest and most durable featherweights of his generation. Before about 5,000 spectators at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 13 October 1990, Azumah Nelson defended the WBC super featherweight championship against former featherweight titleholder Juan Laporte. Nelson weighed 129¼ pounds and Laporte the division limit of 130. Malcolm Bulner was the referee.

Nelson was returning from his unsuccessful challenge for Pernell Whitaker’s lightweight championship five months earlier. He entered with a record of 31 wins and two defeats, while Laporte stood at 36 wins, nine defeats and one draw. The challenger’s record included contests with Salvador Sánchez, Eusebio Pedroza, Barry McGuigan, Julio César Chávez and Rocky Lockridge. He had been outpointed several times at the highest level, but had never been stopped and retained enough power to make careless opponents pay heavily.

The danger was demonstrated in the opening round. Nelson began with both gloves held high, moving carefully and showing unusual respect for Laporte’s right hand. The challenger caught him with early punches and then drove a hard right over the top. Nelson subsequently went to the canvas, but the referee correctly ruled that Laporte had thrown him after the punch rather than scored a knockdown. The champion smiled as he rose, although the right hand which began the sequence had plainly gained his attention.

Nelson kept the same guarded posture in the second and began to use his quicker feet. Rather than stand close enough for Laporte to plant his weight, he moved laterally and looked to score with the jab before withdrawing. Laporte advanced methodically but remained reluctant to commit himself completely. He knew that a missed right could leave him open to Nelson’s left hook. By the third round the contest had settled into a cautious tactical pattern, with the champion’s speed and straight left lead opposed by the challenger’s greater physical strength and heavier single blows.

Laporte enjoyed a better spell in the fourth. He forced Nelson to the ropes, struck underneath with the left hook and followed with a short combination. The champion was momentarily uncomfortable and wisely held until the attack had passed. Laporte again worked towards the body in the fifth, while Nelson continued to keep his gloves high and avoid unnecessary exchanges. There were several minor infringements at close quarters, but no serious foul or point deduction. The pace remained deliberate, and the crowd became restless as each man waited for the other to take the greater risk.

The middle rounds were close. Laporte continued to stalk, attempting to set up his right hand rather than wasting it from outside. Nelson jabbed while circling and generally made the cleaner first contact, but he did not dominate the exchanges. Blood appeared on the champion’s face during the sixth after Laporte found him with solid punches. Nelson nevertheless remained composed and resumed his movement. In the seventh and eighth, he returned repeatedly to the left lead, occasionally following it with the right hand, while Laporte struggled to sustain an attack once Nelson had moved away from the ropes.

Laporte produced his strongest round in the ninth. He closed the distance, pinned Nelson against the ropes and struck with both hands to the head and body. Several right hands landed, and a left hook added to the champion’s difficulty. Nelson was shaken and obliged to clinch, using his experience to interrupt the challenger’s rhythm. Laporte had created his clearest opportunity, but he could not keep Nelson trapped long enough to force a decisive change in the contest.

The champion recovered his control in the tenth. His jab again kept Laporte at the end of the punches, and his footwork denied the challenger a stationary target. Nelson boxed with increasing confidence through the eleventh, spearing out the left and moving before Laporte could bring his right hand into play. Laporte continued to advance, but his attacks were too infrequent. The final round followed the same course. Nelson remained on the move, landed the jab and avoided the prolonged exchanges that offered Laporte his best chance. He finished smiling and dancing, apparently satisfied that his accumulation of cleaner punches had secured the decision.

The three judges agreed. Eddie Francis scored the contest 116–113, Gus Mercurio 116–112 and Herbert Minn 115–113, all for Nelson. Laporte believed his heavier punches and successful attacks along the ropes had earned him the verdict, but conceded that he had not maintained sufficient pressure. The challenger had provided the more forceful moments, particularly in the fourth and ninth rounds, yet Nelson had performed the steadier work and controlled more of the contest with his jab and movement.

Nelson admitted afterwards that he had produced only half of his best form. His wife had died from cancer four months earlier, and he said his thoughts remained with her. His trainer, José Martin, was equally dissatisfied with the display, while Laporte’s corner complained that the aggressive champion they had prepared for had instead chosen to move and score. The criticism did not alter the result. Nelson had fought cautiously, but caution against Laporte was sound judgement, and his cleaner boxing carried him to a unanimous decision and another successful defence of the WBC championship.

I never thought this was one of Azumah Nelson’s better nights, but I had him winning. Juan Laporte was a dangerous old professional with genuine power and one of the soundest chins of his generation. He had already gone the distance with Salvador Sánchez, Julio César Chávez and Barry McGuigan, so Nelson was never going to bully him.

Laporte landed the heavier punches and trapped Nelson against the ropes several times, particularly in the fourth and ninth rounds. But he did not work often enough. Nelson kept the fight where he wanted it for longer periods, touching him with the jab, moving off before the right hand arrived and making Laporte reset. It was cautious boxing, not vintage Nelson, but it was effective.

The scores were fair. Laporte had the more memorable moments, while Nelson quietly collected rounds. People wanted the Mighty Warrior, but fighting Laporte’s fight would have been foolish. Nelson’s wife had died only four months earlier, and he later admitted his mind was not clear. Considering that, the performance becomes easier to understand. He was below his best, yet still disciplined enough to beat a hard, experienced challenger without taking unnecessary chances.