THE GOLF NET

Posts Tagged ‘Kidnap’

Sheffield's world cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson returns to the ring after an absence of almost a year to defend his World Boxing Organisation title for the 11th time tonight in Bayreuth, Germany, after what he describes as the most frightening few months of his life.

Nelson's north Derbyshire home was placed under police surveillance in the summer after the 36-year-old champion was threatened, along with his wife and two children, by an armed gang who were planning a kidnap attempt.

"When the CID first called to tell me what was happening, I laughed it off," said Nelson as he prepared to face the undefeated 23-year-old German Alexander Petkovic. "But when they said somebody had been offered £7,000 just to follow me, I knew it was serious. Apparently these guys were known for using guns and had been locked up for doing this kind of thing before."

Surveillance cameras and panic buttons were installed in Nelson's house, while tracking devices were fitted to the family's cars. "I even had a helicopter circling over my house. I've faced some hard men in the ring, but this was completely different because my family have been involved," Nelson added.

Police continue to keep check on Nelson's property. And, in such stressful circumstances, Nelson admits he has lost some of his appetite for boxing which has been his life since he turned professional in 1986.

Even though the safety-first manner of many of his 42 wins in 56 fights has brought as much criticism as praise, Nelson's unmarked features and overall fitness are testimony to the defensive skills he has honed under the tutelage of the Sheffield trainer Brendan Ingle.

The odds appear to be stacked against him tonight, even though Nelson at his best would be favoured to outbox the plodding and predictable home favourite. Germany, probably more than any other country staging high-profile boxing events, has become synonymous with questionable judging decisions going in favour of home fighters.

But there has also been evidence of a decline in Nelson's most recent appearances, to the point where the fighter himself concedes he may only have a couple of fights before retirement, irrespective of tonight's result. So it would be little surprise if Nelson were on the wrong end of a contentious points decision, especially if he produces one of the non-punching pacifist performances which have infuriated even his staunchest supporters.

Marco Antonio Barrera can further underline his claims to be numbered among boxing's greats if he can beat the southpaw Filipino Manny Pacquiao, the International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight champion, when the two fight in San Antonio, Texas, tonight.

The Mexican Barrera, 29, is fighting for the first time since news broke that he underwent a brain operation in 1997 to remove malformed blood vessels, a disclosure which has caused alarm in some quarters even though Barrera's greatest performances, including two epic meetings with Erik Morales and the win over Naseem Hamed, came subsequently.

Refreshingly, Barrera refuses to fight for any of the sanctioning bodies' title belts and is content to prosper in the recognition that he is the world's best featherweight and, in the wake of Roy Jones's poor performance last week, a contender for the title of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Pacquaio, 24, has reportedly impressed in training, given by Steve Collins' old mentor Freddie Roach, and is unquestionably a tough and able fighter. But Barrera is exceptional and it would be a major upset if the gifted Mexican did not triumph by late stoppage or clearly on points.

·David Haye last night claimed the English cruiserweight title in his eighth professional fight with a first-round knockout of Lincoln's Tony Dowling.