On this day 22 June 1986 (Exactly 34 years ago today) Azumah Nelson successfully defended his World Boxing Council featherweight title , knocking out Danilo Cabrera in the 10th round at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan
Nelson, then 24-1 with 19 knockouts, landed a right to Cabrera’s chin with 29 seconds left in the round to record his fourth title defense. Cabrera was a late replacement for Juan LaPorte of Purto Rico, a former division champion, who withdrew from the the scheduled 12-round bout a week before citing a rib injury.
Nelson, a then 28-year-old from Ghana, weighed 126 pounds. Cabrera, from the Dominican Republic, weighed 125, and dropped to 24-3-1.
Elsewhere;
On this day 22 June 1980 (Exactly 40 years ago today) Horst Hrubesch scored a double as West Germany beat Belgium 2-1 to win their second European Cup at the Stadio Olympico in Rome.
They seemed in dominant mood and Horst Hrubesch settled any nerves with an early goal, but Belgium were to draw level when Rene Vandereycken converted a penalty.
Hrubesch flicked home a header with two minutes remaining, though, and that brought another European Championship victory for West Germany.
After losing the 1976 final to Czechoslovakia on penalties, West Germany were determined to put things right in Italy. A side boasting soon-to-be-crowned European Footballer of the Year Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Karlheinz Föster and Hansi Müller avenged that defeat in the group stage.
Among the contenders – whose number had risen from four to eight teams – were 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cup finalists the Netherlands, England and a solid Italy side hoping to win on home soil for the second time in 12 years. But this was to be West Germany’s – and Horst Hrubesch’s – tournament.
Germany : Herald Schumacher, Manfref Karltz, Karlheinz Forster, Uli Stielike, Bernhard Dietz (C), Bernd Schuster, Hans – Peter Briegel (Bernhard Cullmann), Hansi Muller, Horst Hrubesch, Klaus Allofs , Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Manager : Jupp Derwall
Belgium : Jean -Marie Pfaf, Eric Greets, Luc Millecamps, Walter Meeuws, Michel Renquin, Wilfred Van Moer, Rene Vandereycken, Julien Cools (C), Raymond Mommens, Francis Van Der Elst, Jan Ceulemans.
Manager : Guy Thys
Referee :Nocolae Rainea (Romania)
Winners: West Germany
Runners-up: Belgium
Third: Czechoslovakia
Fourth: Italy
NB: This was the last European Championship with a third place play-off.
On this day 22 June 1937 (Exactly 83 years ago today) Joe Louis knocked out James J Braddock in round 8 for his first heavyweight boxing title in significant moment in African American sporting history.
On this day 22 June 1938 (Exactly 82 years ago today) Joe Louis scored a stunning 1st round knock out of German Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium to retain his world heavyweight boxing title
On this day 22 June 1979 (Exactly 41 years ago today) Larry Holmes knocked out Mike Weaver in round 12 to retain his WBC heavyweight boxing title at the Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
On this day 22 June 1996 (Exactly 24 years ago today) Michael Moorer beat Axel Shultz by split decision for the vacant IBF heavyweight boxing title at the Germany Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany
By: George ‘Alan Green’ Mahamah
