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Product Description
A self-confessed coward, Johnny Nelson hoped his opponents wouldn't turn up. He twice froze when given the chance to take the world title. Glenn McCrory declared: 'He's scared. I don't think he'll ever do it now' and even Johnny's mother mocked him. But by the time of his recent retirement, Johnny Nelson had been undefeated world cruiserweight champion for seven years. Now Johnny relates his moving, funny, frank and inspirational story: an amazing odyssey from chump to champ. Legendary trainer Brendan Ingle, who produced a string of champions including Naseem Hamed, described Nelson as 'the biggest success story from our gym.' He might have added that the skinny kid from the wrong side of Sheffield was also the least likely to succeed. Nelson had a stubborn streak. Determined not to let early failures stop him, he went into exile, taking fights all over the world to learn his craft. Finally, nine years after being booed from the ring, he earned the respect of everyone. Along the way, he encountered the dark side of boxing: the drugs, the gangsters and the gamblers who wanted him to fix fights. He fell out with his best mates Herol Graham and Naseem Hamed and for the first time reveals exactly why they no longer talk. He tells the terrifying story of a plot to kidnap him. Johnny Nelson's story will appeal beyond fight fans as a straightforward, honest account of overcoming personal fears and terrible setbacks to become the best in the world.
About the Author
Johnny Nelson was born in Sheffield in January 1967. There were seven children in the family, all from different parents. After attending a recently transformed girls' school taught by nuns, he drifted into boxing to make new friends, turning professional despite being branded the worst fighter in the gym. After a series of setbacks, including two disastrous world title failures, he finally became world champion in 1999 and retired in 2006, his crown still intact. Johnny is now starting a new career in the media and still lives in Sheffield with his wife Debbie, their two daughters and a string of horses. Richard Coomber is a freelance sports journalist in Yorkshire, whose previous books include Give Me a Ring, the autobiography of boxing referee Mickey Vann, and King John, a life of John Charles. After a gap-year that stretched to 40 years, he is now also studying for a degree in local history at Leeds University.
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First Sentence
Even as I lay sobbing on the canvas, my brain was telling me this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Even as I lay sobbing on the canvas, my brain was telling me this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Very inspiring story..,
By
This review is from: Hard Road to Glory (Hardcover)
I followed Johnnys career quite closely when he was boxing, but until now never realise his true struggles and hardship en route to his world title successes.. If you love an inspiring rags to riches story with a great feel good factor, you are gonna have to grab yourself a copy... a must have item for Boxing Bio fans.. The book is also very affordable on Amazon, and is amongts one of my top 5 Boxing stories of all time.. and i have read hundreds..
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The title says it all!!!,
By
This review is from: Hard Road to Glory (Hardcover)
Brednan Ingle has worked with many good or world class fighters (Herol Graham,Prinne Naseem, Junior Witter, Ryan Rhodes) so its surprising that a fighter with a record of 45-12-2(29) would be the fighter he has been most proud of. In short J.Nelson should never have acheived what he did (6 year WBO Crusierweight champion, with 14 successfull title defences).Nelson turned pro in 1986 (at 19) and lost his first 3 fights (the worst of starts). in 1990 with a record of 15-5 he had a tepid draw with a faded Carlos De Leon for the WBC Crusierweight crown (its one of the worst fights in history). 2 years later with a record of 21-5-1 he lost another terrible fight to James Waring in another stinker for the IBF title. Nelson was then content to traverse the continents campaigning between Crusier and Heavyweight losing here and there as a journeyman. in 1996 Nelson had a record of 25-12-1 and was going nowehere. Somehow though things changed. From 1996 onwards Nelson went 20-0-1 (12) winning the WBO title and establishing himself as one of the best and most avoided Crusierweights on the planet. It was a career of 2 half's. the first 10 years were terrible, the next golden and its a very compelling tail. This story , not just the fights but what goes on behind the scenes and in the udnerworld you never see is a compelling tail and this book will serve as a great encourager of what can be acheived if your determined, belive in yourself and stick with it. Mr Nelson could easily have ended his career with non title and a terrible record. That he didnt is a testament as to what can be achieved, even with a bad start!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Failiure turned success by an "awkward streak",
By
This review is from: Hard Road to Glory (Paperback)
I grew up watching Johnny Nelson on Sky in the late 90's, but I never realised his career was so filled with setbacks (until I saw his record on boxrec) nor did I know of this book until I came across it on Amazon. Losing his first three fights and many more afterwards you wouldn't believe that he would go on well into his late 30's to defend a world cruiserwight title over and over. By his own admission, Johnny Nelson from day one in the gym did not enjoy hitting or getting hit and his book often describes a fearful man with fragile self-confidence. Disappointing and cowardly performances made him very unpopular in the UK at the time and Nelson became a "C" grade fighter who found it difficult to find fights. However, an underlying talent for boxing and a tremendous "awkward streak" distinguished him from other boxer who would have sooner given up. Whilst not amoung the very greatest of Britsh boxing champions, his diverse set of conflicting traits are what make Johnny Nelson's story so complex and the honest way it is told make it an excellent read. I couldn't put the book down till it was finished!
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