ProboxTV’s championship series is now on the ProBoxTV YouTube channel for $5/month.
Learn More
LAS VEGAS – One of Terence Crawford’s close friends and longtime stablemates got in 10 much-needed rounds on Crawford’s undercard Saturday.
Super middleweight contender Steven Nelson went the distance with Rowdy Legend Montgomery, but Nelson remained in control throughout their super middleweight match at T-Mobile Arena. Judges Eric Cheek (99-91), Max De Luca (99-91) and David Sutherland (100-90) all credited Nelson for an easy victory on the Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. undercard.
Omaha’s Nelson, 35, fought for just the second time since September 2020. Nelson (19-0, 15 KOs) had won each of his previous five fights by knockout or technical knockout.
Montgomery, of Victorville, California, slipped to 10-5-1 (7 KOs).
It looked at one point during the 10th round that Nelson would become the second opponent to stop Montgomery inside the distance.
Nelson’s right hand wobbled Montgomery early in the 10th round and made him stumble into the ropes. Montgomery held to prevent Nelson from capitalizing.
Nelson landed several additional flush punches later in the final round, but he couldn’t drop Montgomery.
Nelson pressured Montgomery throughout the ninth round, but Montgomery moved his way to the 10th round final round.
Montgomery went down early in the eighth round, but Nelson ruled that it wasn’t caused by a punch. Nelson landed various power punches once the action resumed and eventually backed Montgomery into the ropes, where Nelson nailed him with a left hook and a right hand that made Montgomery hold him.
Nelson drilled Montgomery with a right hand toward the end of the sixth round, which made Montgomery move away from him.
Montgomery connected with a right hand, but Nelson quickly fired back with a harder right hand when there were less than 30 seconds to go in the fifth round.
Montgomery tried to fend off Nelson with his jab as he boxed off his back foot almost exclusively in the third and fourth rounds. Nelson landed occasional right hands, but nothing as effective as the punches with which he connected during the first and
Nelson nailed Montgomery with a right hand exactly a minute into the second round. Another right by Nelson caused Montgomery to hold him later in the second round.
Montgomery landed a left hand that knocked Nelson off balance, but Nelson came right back and rocked Montgomery with a left hook of his own with 1:10 to go in the opening round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
