On this day 19 May 1990 (Exactly 31 years ago today) Ghana’s Azumah Nelson tried to join the exclusive group of three-division world champion boxers by challenging world lightweight champion Pernell Whitaker, but he was handed his second career loss, when Whitaker won a 12-round unanimous decision to retain the title.
In the final round, Whitaker lifted Nelson’s leg with his right and tapped him on the head with his left. Referee Mills Lane was not amused and deducted a point from Whitaker.
Whitaker landed 464 of 989 punches (47%) and Nelson connected on 179 of 739 (24%).
Location: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Referee: Mills Lane
Judge: Harry Gibbs 116-114
Judge: Sid Nathan 115-113
Judge: Dalby Shirley 116-111
*World Boxing Council Lightweight Title (2nd defense by Whitaker)
*International Boxing Federation Lightweight Title (4th defense by Whitaker)
Pernell Whitaker showed his quickness and ring cunning. Azumah Nelson showed his age.
As a result, after 12 rounds at Caesars Palace, the 26-year-old Whitaker scored a unanimous decision over the 31-year-old Nelson to retain his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council lightweight titles.
All three judges had it for Whitaker, an Olympic gold medalist from Norfolk, Va.: Dalby Shirley by 116-11l, Harry Gibbs by 116-114 and Sid Nathan by 115-113.
”I told him to stay on the outside and keep him looking for you – boxing like you got bad breath,” said George Benton, Whitaker’s trainer.
In the early rounds, Whitaker worked Nelson from a distance, using his jab and countering Nelson’s wilder swings. Not until the third round could Nelson, moving forward with his arms crossed in front of him, draw Whitaker into serious exchanges.
Whitaker managed to hit Nelson repeatedly in the fourth round, and by the fifth, Whitaker was scoring well with hooks and uppercuts, landing practically every punch he threw against his slower opponent.
Frustrating Time
In the sixth round, Nelson was so frustrated at his inability to reach his target that he ran at Whitaker. Nelson scored early in the seventh round with a right-left-right combination, but by the end of the round, Whitaker was timing Nelson’s charges and scoring with combinations.
Whitaker won the IBF lightweight title in February 1989 by decision over Greg Haugen.
In his first defense, in April 1989, Whitaker knocked out Louie Lomeli in three rounds.
Then, in August 1989, he avenged the only loss of his career when he beat Jose Luis Ramirez by decision. With that victory, Whitaker retained his IBF title and won the WBC lightweight championshipas well.
In his only bout in 1990 before this, Whitaker won a 12-round decision over Freddie Pendleton in February.
Nelson won his first world title in December 1984, when he knocked out the WBC featherweight champion, Wilfredo Gomez, in 11 rounds. In February 1988, Nelson stepped up in class and won a 12-round decision over Mario Martinez for the WBC super featherweight title.
Elsewhere;
On this day 19 May 2012 (Exactly 9 years ago today) Chelsea stunned Bayern Munich in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Allianz Arena to win the Champions League for the first time.
Thomas Mueller’s late header put Bayern on the brink of victory on home territory but Didier Drogba levelled things up with a bullet header at the death before coolly converting the decisive spot-kick.
The tournament which gave Chelsea their greatest agony when they lost on penalties to Manchester United four years earlier in Moscow delivered the greatest glory in their 107-year history.
Juan Mata missed Chelsea’s first penalty but David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole were all successful. Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer were all on target for Bayern.
The momentum shifted decisively when Cech denied Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the post to leave Chelsea on the brink and present Drogba with his moment of destiny.
He was calmness personified as he rolled the ball past Neuer to spark wild scenes of elation among Chelsea’s players, staff and supporters.
Suspended captain John Terry joined the celebrations and lifted the trophy alongside Lampard but it was Drogba who was the hero, running the length of the pitch swirling his shirt above his head in triumph, as owner Roman Abramovich finally claimed the prize he craved above all others.
On this day 19 May 2007 (Exactly 14 years ago today) Didier Drogba goal late in extra time was enough to secure victory for Chelsea over Manchester United in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley.
Drogba produced a rare moment of brilliance in a game that failed to live up to expectations to complete a cup Double for the Blues.
With penalties looming, he played a one-two with Frank Lampard before poking the ball past Edwin van der Sar.
Ryan Giggs missed a good chance to win the game for United in normal time
Chelsea became the first team since Liverpool in 2001 to win both the F. A. Cup Cup and the League Cup in the same season. Manchester United, the Premier League champions, was denied a record fourth league and cup double
Cheese was the last team to win the F. A. Cup at the Wembley before it was demolished — beating Aston Villa in the 2000 final — and by this victory became the first to win at the new Wembley.
Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Essien, Terry, Bridge, Mikel, Makelele, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Kalou 93), Drogba, Joe Cole (Robben 46), Robben (Ashley Cole 108).
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Diarra.
Booked: Makelele, Ferreira, Ashley Cole, Kalou.
Goals: Drogba 116.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze, Fletcher (Smith 92), Scholes, Carrick (O’Shea 112), Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs (Solskjaer 112).
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Evra.
Booked: Scholes, Vidic, Smith.
Att: 89,826.
Ref: S Bennett (Kent).
On this day 19 May 2018 (Exactly 3 years ago today ) Eden Hazard’s first-half penalty decided the FA Cup final in Chelsea’s favour at Wembley to leave Jose Mourinho and Manchester United a trophyless season.
Hazard twisted and tore past Phil Jones before drawing a clumsy foul from the United defender after 22 minutes.
He calmly dispatched the penalty which was to prove to be the decisive moment in a final that was hard fought rather than distinguished.
On this day 19 May 1965 (Exactly 56 years ago today) West Ham United won the 5th edition of the European Cup Winner’s Cup against 1860 München of West Germany 2-0 in London
West Ham began the game brightly, but despite chances at both ends, there was no score at half-time. The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when Ronnie Boyce threaded a pass between two defenders and Alan Sealey scored from a difficult angle.
Two minutes later, a free kick to West Ham was not cleared; Bobby Moore crossed the ball, Radenkovic failed to collect the ball and Sealey scored a second goal to seal the match for West Ham
On this day 19 May 1999 (Exactly 22 years ago today) Lazio of Italy won the 39th edition of the European Cup Winner’s Cup against Mallorca of Spain 2-1 in Birmingham
Christian Vieri, who had played in Spain for Club Atlético de Madrid, gave Lazio the lead after only seven minutes with a looping header from a Giuseppe Pancaro cross that evaded Mallorca goalkeeper Carlos Ángel Roa.
Mallorca fought back and pulled level just four minutes later. Jovan Stankovic stole down the left and crossed to an unmarked Dani who steered the ball beyond Lazio goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani from close range.
Mallorca gained the upper-hand after the goal and pressed with a man advantage when Vieri was taken off the pitch for treatment to a head wound after a collision with Roa. Both clubs had further chances before the interval, but the defences took over after the break – until Nedvěd’s late intervention.
On this day 19 May 2014 (Exactly 7 years ago today) Decorated Dutch coach Louis van Gaal was confirmed as new Manchester United boss after signing a three-year deal with the Old Trafford club.
BY: GEORGE ‘Alan Green’ MAHAMAH
