"He hit me with his forearm and bounced me off the ropes like a cartoon": Johnny Nelson reflects on a tough night in Pretoria in October 1992
Monday 20 July 2020 13:27, UK
Johnny Nelson recalls how he travelled to South Africa for a heavyweight showdown with Corrie Sanders, who would shock Wladimir Klitschko 11 years later...
Former WBO cruiserweight champion Nelson had a brief spell at heavyweight, including a short-notice fight against Sanders, a little-known opponent who would later produce a stunning upset win over Klitschko in Germany in 2003.
"I had boxed Carlos De Leon, and I didn't do my reputation any favours at all in that fight, so I was struggling to get work. I spent a lot of time in Europe as a sparring partner, working with everybody and anybody.
"Corrie Sanders should have boxed Tim 'Bonecrusher' Smith, but that fell through, so I got the call. This was short notice, it was like, 'A few weeks, and you're in son.' I didn't even know who Sanders was.
"I was flying down to South Africa, boxing a heavyweight, and I was thinking to myself, 'A good cruiserweight can beat most heavyweights.' I remember getting off the plane and it was winter here, but summer there, and I had a thick jumper, jeans and boots, because I had left the snow in England.
"The driver picked me up and looked me up and down, started laughing, and did the sign of the cross. I thought that they were just trying mind games. He even offered to take me on a Safari and I was like, 'No, I've only just got here, and I'm shattered!'
"I didn't catch a glimpse of Corrie Sanders until the day of the the weigh-in, and they purposely kept this guy away from me to make sure the fight went ahead. I actually stepped on the scales and he still wasn't there, but then he came out of the back room and I thought, 'oh, no.' He wasn't small, a big unit. An ex-Policeman.
"I remember going through the fight and he hit me with his forearm and bounced me off the ropes like a cartoon. I thought 'Woah.' I eventually lost on points to him, but I think I was more frustrating to him than anything. At one point, I kissed him on his forehead and everyone started laughing, which wasn't a good move, but it was a good experience.
"He had fast hands, which surprised me in the fight, but when he knocked out Wladimir Klitschko, I thought 'Wow', because Wladimir is a big unit. I just didn't think that Corrie Sanders was at that level. He exposed Wladimir, who learnt that night that he needed to refine his ring skills.
"I had no intention of ever being a heavyweight. The only reason I took these fights is because I couldn't get fights anywhere else. I was dipping my toe in the scene. I never actually wanted to be a heavyweight, because I was always boxing at a sizeable disadvantage."
