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Can't Count Out Steven Nelson | Canelo vs Crawford
Steven Nelson Might Have His Hands Full Outside Of The Ring, But Inside? They're The One Thing That Simply Can't Be Overlooked
As he prepares for his Saturday matchup with Raiko Santana at Allegiant Stadium, Steven Nelson is a busy man. Not only is the part-time pilot fighting, but he’s making the ring outfits for himself and his childhood friend (and this weekend’s headliner) Terence Crawford.
I don’t want to waste his time, so I get right to the point when I ask why this 37-year-old renaissance man is still in the fight business when he can do so many other things.
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“I feel the same way,” Nelson laughs. “It is like why? But it is very interesting and fun for me. It takes a little bit of all my different skills and combines them because they all say boxing is art; it's a strategic game, you use your hands, movement, aggression, everything. So everything I do is combined to make up boxing, but I continue to do all the other things, as well.”
So the fire is still there for “So Cold” then?
“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “People say, ‘Oh, how long you want to go? When are you going to retire?’ That's something you don't put a date to. You just see if you still have the fire, and if you're healthy and your body feels it, then you keep going.”
And though he is closing in on 40, Nelson is still a relevant fighter at 168 pounds, having won 20 of his 21 fights while beating the likes of Cem Kilic, DeAndre Ware, and Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez, with his only loss coming via decision to unbeaten Diego Pacheco in January.
Now beating a live underdog like Santana won’t get the Nebraskan a title fight, it keeps his hopes alive in the division.
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“It's one of them fights where it's like, ‘Hey, I'm still here and I'm still a factor out here, despite a loss,’” said Nelson.
“I wish I could have gone back and did this different and stuff like that (against Pacheco). But that's all part of getting experience, because even with my age, I started boxing at 21, so, for me, to make these accomplishments and this progression, I'm okay with it.”
Nelson and Crawford didn’t meet in the boxing gym. Instead, they’ve been friends since Nelson was 11 years old, and they had plenty in common outside the ring. But eventually, the Omaha native found boxing while in the U.S. Army, and put together a stellar amateur career. He turned pro in 2016 and hasn’t looked back.
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And he hasn’t stopped attacking life, not just for his own benefit, but to inspire the kids in the B&B Sports Academy of which he’s the Executive Director.
“Since I was younger, I've always been inspired to be a leader and work with children because my grandmother owned a daycare and I looked up to her, and the way she ran things, I've always pictured myself doing the same,” he said. “So, for me to be that pioneer, that person to lead these kids and show them that it's possible despite where you're from or what you've gone through, it's all part of the plan. It doesn't surprise me that I'm doing this right now.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Nelson wins Saturday’s fight, and a couple more, and then takes home a title one day, because you don’t count out guys like him. You just sit back and watch an incredible story play out.
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“I tell people I've been in so many different walks of life that I feel like I've lived four or five different lives,” said Nelson. “I got so many stories, man, if I had a book or a documentary, it'd be amazing because I got so much to speak about. And my story is still progressing. I'm still writing, I’m still adding to it, and it's all a big plan.”