Nelson gets points verdict

13 April 2012

Johnny Nelson opted to work overtime before retaining his WBO cruiserweight title at London's York Hall.  

Nelson, 34, had to travel the full 12 rounds to defeat tough but limited Brazilian George Arias in the seventh defence of his championship, though the outcome was never in doubt, as the wide and unanimous points verdict confirmed.

The British judge scored it 120-110 to Nelson, which meant the champion did not lose a round on his card, while the American official made it wider at 120-108 and the Spanish judge 119-110.

Nelson seemed to have the fight in the palm of his hand as early as the opening round.

A jolting right upper cut took everything out of Arias, but Nelson's follow-up was not speedy enough to finish the job and the Brazilian's head had time to clear.

It was not until the seventh that Nelson was able to connect cleanly with another right upper cut, but this time not with the same force or effect.

Arias, 26, had heart and endeavour, but no sweet science or armoury to worry the champion from Sheffield.

And it turned out to be a routine defence for Nelson, who will now be seeking a lucrative unification match with one of the other champions in 2001.

Nelson was too defensively slick to be undone by the advances of Arias who, to his credit, kept coming forward.

Nelson used the jab for the most part, and at times opened out with both fists, but Arias simply stuck to his task. By the 10th it seemed certain that the Brazilian would last the distance, and this he did, though losing by a landslide margin.

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