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Oscar "Battling" Nelson (1882-1954) was perhaps the toughest professional boxer ever to enter the ring. Although a Hall of Fame inductee, Nelson remains a lesser known great of boxing lore. From the beginning of his career at 14, the Danish immigrant presented himself as a man of integrity who never smoked, drank or took a dive.
In the ring and in public, Battling Nelson crafted a Renaissance man image as a lightweight champion, reporter, entertainer, real estate mogul, entrepreneur and ladies' man. The first ever champion in his weight class to mount a comeback, he strove to break new ground (even if he wasn't always successful).
This book tells the story of a ring legend whose endurance was second to none and whose trilogy with Joe Gans is one of the great rivalries in sports history.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments viii
Preface
One-1882-1899: From Copenhagen to Hegewisch
Two-1900-1903: Making Headlines
Three-1904: Positioning for the Title
Four-1905: Five Memorable Lightweights
Five-1906: McGovern and the Fight of the Century I
Six-1907: Repositioning for the Ascent
Seven-July 4, 1908: The Fight of the Century II
Eight-September 9, 1908: The Fight of the Century III
Nine-1909: Retaining the Title
Ten-February 2, 1910: A Disappointing Loss
Eleven-1911-1912: Mounting a Comeback
Twelve-1913: Fay and a Final Descent
Thirteen-1914-1917: At Long Last, Freddie Welsh
Fourteen-1918-1954: The Final Rounds
Appendix: Records
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Mark Allen Baker, business executive and writer of hundreds of articles and more than 25 books, is the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer and biographer. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. He was accorded a Lifetime Award of Merit by the State University of New York in 2022.
Summary
A biography of Oscar Battling Matthew Nelson, without question the toughest and most durable professional boxer ever to enter a ring. In the years since his death in 1954, there has been little disagreement over the significance of his life: a bona fide ring champion, whose endurance was second to none, and whose trilogy with Joe Gans was one of the greatest in sports history.
