Azumah Nelson vs Juan Laporte

The defence of the WBC Super Featherweight Championship began with caution from both the Ghanaian champion, Azumah Nelson, and his American challenger, Juan Laporte, across the first of twelve scheduled three-minute rounds, with drums audible in the background. Nelson, wearing the gold, held his hands particularly high, mindful of Laporte’s reputation for punching power. The challenger was famous for his power, having previously scored a one-punch knockout over Rocky Lockridge.

Laporte lived up to his billing immediately, catching Nelson with a couple of early punches and landing a big right hand over the top. The momentum shifted drastically midway through the opening stanza when a strong right hand by Laporte sent Nelson to the canvas. The sequence was ruled a throw and not a knockdown, though some ringside observers initially thought it was a knockdown. The initial punch was a beauty, but then Nelson was flung to the canvas. Nelson was smiling when he hit the canvas, but he certainly wasn’t smiling when Laporte’s right hand connected. The champion had to be careful in the early rounds, as this is when Laporte was considered most dangerous. Laporte’s claims to greatness included his big punch and his solid chin. The challenger was also rated as one of the hardest-punching featherweights of the last 20 years. The second round saw Nelson, who has a reputation for rising to the occasion when pressured, maintain his high guard. He began relying on his speed, using his spindly legs to dance around the ring while focusing on counter-punching opportunities. Laporte was tentative coming in because he knew just how quick Nelson’s counter punches were, specifically the left hook.

The tactical approach taken by both men settled the contest into a measured pace by the third round. Nelson began finding his range with a rapier-like jab. Both men were extremely wary of the other’s power, resulting in a defensive posture described as a “Mexican standoff”. Laporte was hesitant to throw that right hand, knowing that if it missed, a screaming left hook would come straight back at him. Nelson, known as “The Mighty Warrior” for his ferocious aggression, was not showing this quality in the early going. Entering the fourth round, Nelson was forced to hang on after being trapped against the ropes by Laporte, who landed a flurry punctuated by a big left hook underneath. The champion looked to be in trouble but used his ring-wise nature to hang on and tie up the challenger for a necessary breather. This was deemed a good round for Laporte, who had successfully forced the action. The fifth round saw the tempo slow, marked by an unusual display of respect between the fighters, who offered silent apologies following minor infringements, touching each other on the chest “almost with affection”. Laporte continued to target Nelson’s body with the big left underneath. Nelson remained guarded, determined not to taste any more of the challenger’s power, keeping his hands very high.

By the middle rounds, Laporte was praised for maintaining a purposeful, almost robotic method. His fight plan was to set Nelson up and wait for him to become careless before unleashing his heavy right hand. Despite his methodical attempts, Laporte appeared frustrated, unable to reach the champion’s chin. At the end of the sixth round, which saw Laporte land shots causing blood to appear on the champion’s face, the contest remained exceptionally close. One ringside card showed Nelson ahead by a single point. Some observers suggested Nelson was focused on conserving his strength for a lucrative future contest with Jeff Fenech, preferring to steal the decision on points rather than risk a brawl. Nelson did land a good right hand behind his jab in the eighth round. Laporte was showing many encouraging signs, but was unable to press on the advantage primarily because of Nelson’s straight left hand.

The ninth round proved the most decisive for Laporte, who poured on pressure and trapped the champion against the ropes, launching combinations that included powerful right hands and a dangerous left hook. Nelson was in “all sorts of bother” during this vulnerable moment, but he demonstrated his mastery of ringcraft by tying up Laporte and riding out the storm. Despite being rocked, Nelson was back to his boxing best in the tenth, sticking out his straight left hand to control the tempo. Laporte had been pouring the pressure on with big shots, but Nelson was too elusive to press home the advantage. Entering the championship rounds, Nelson, who has a history of spectacular late-round knockouts, continued to build points in the eleventh by spearing out his left hand. Nelson grew increasingly confident, smiling and toying with Laporte, though he was careful not to get reckless against the heavy-hitting challenger.

In the final round, Nelson maintained control behind his long jab, which was landing consistently on the target area. Laporte had landed the bigger punches and had Nelson in trouble on several occasions, making the contest difficult to score. Nelson’s constant boxing and ring movement kept him out of sustained danger. Nelson finished the fight smiling and dancing, convinced he had won the bout. Following the final bell, the contest went to the judges—two Australians and an American. After a competitive and tactical encounter, Azumah Nelson was declared the winner by unanimous decision, successfully retaining the WBC Super Featherweight Championship of the World. One unofficial scorecard had Nelson ahead 107-104 going into the final round.