Getting them into the ring required a six-week promotional struggle. Dan Duva represented Whitaker, while Don King handled Nelson’s side. They disagreed over the location and timing before an approaching HBO deadline forced a compromise.
Once the opening bell rang, Nelson encountered a completely different kind of difficulty.
Whitaker controlled the distance with his right jab, quick feet and sharp counters. Nelson pressed behind his crossed-arm guard, trying to bring the fight into punching range, but he rarely found a stationary target.
The harder Nelson chased, the more opportunities Whitaker created. Sweet Pea changed direction, slipped punches by inches and answered before Nelson could set himself. Hooks and uppercuts gave Whitaker another route around his challenger’s guard during the middle rounds.
Nelson produced one of his better attacks in the seventh, putting combinations together and forcing Whitaker to work harder. He continued pursuing the champion over the closing rounds, landing occasional power punches without sustaining enough offense to take control.
The punch totals showed the size of Whitaker’s advantage. He connected with 464 of 989 punches, while Nelson landed 179 of 739. Whitaker’s jab accounted for much of that separation, repeatedly catching Nelson as he came forward.
Drama arrived during the final round for an unexpected reason. Whitaker briefly lifted Nelson’s leg and tapped him on the head during a showboating sequence. Referee Mills Lane deducted a point, giving Nelson a small consolation before the final bell.
All three judges awarded Whitaker the decision. Dalby Shirley scored it 116-111, Harry Gibbs had it 116-114, and Sid Nathan returned the closest card at 115-113. The narrow margins did not match the fight most observers had watched. The Associated Press scored it 117-110 for Whitaker.
Nelson later revealed that he had learned his wife Beatrice Tandoh’s health was deteriorating before the bout. He said the news damaged his concentration and left him wanting to finish quickly so he could return home. She later died from cancer.
Whitaker completed his lightweight title collection three months later by stopping Juan Nazario in the first round. Nelson returned to junior lightweight and continued defending his championship.
Their Las Vegas meeting remains special because neither man needed an artificial reputation. Nelson was already a proven great, making Whitaker’s command of the fight one of the clearest demonstrations of his brilliance.
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