Nelson: No plans to retire

WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson has no intentions of hanging up the gloves after his impressive seventh-round stoppage of Rudiger May in Essen.

The 37-year-old Sheffield fighter put on a classy performance which saw him dominate his German opponent and friend for six rounds before flooring him twice in the seventh.

Nelson has rejected suggestions he might consider retirement, saying he “could box up to the age of 50”.

“The only reason the rumour was there was because I wasn’t fighting but the Germans keep me busy,” he said.

“They (the federation) have put the weight up to 200lbs. They have given me a gift. I could box up to around 50 if I wanted to. The way I train, the way we prepare, the way my family is in the gym – I could box as long as I want to. As long as my wife lets me.”

He used all of his experience of 58 bouts to leave May without the slightest chance, with one judge awarding him all of the first six rounds.

“I felt strong and knew I could walk him down,” he said.

“Everything went exactly to plan. You can’t buy, borrow or pretend to have experience – and that is what I have a lot of.”

Nelson has also poured cold water on speculation about a possible encounter with hard-hitting Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli, who retained his WBU cruiserweight title with a fifth-round stoppage of Danish Jesper Christiansen on Friday.

“Talk is cheap,” Nelson said.

“I know they are trying to talk Maccarinelli up, which is good for him. I think he is a very good prospect. I think if you associate his name with mine, people would respect him as world-class material and in reality he isn’t.

“In reality, he’s decent European level. And I think as a businessman, I wouldn’t do that, put Maccarinelli with me.”

After two straight title defences in Germany – a somewhat daunting place for any foreign boxer – Nelson is keen to return, knowing the cruiserweight division will be “exciting in two years to come” due to the new weight limit.

“My plan is to come back to Germany. I love Germany,” Nelson said.“The German public treat me as if I’m a German man.”

However, Germany remains a controversial boxing location for most fighters and Nelson was deducted two points by the German referee.

He controversially called an intentional foul on the Briton after he threw May out of the ring following a clinch in the ropes. Nelson looked unimpressed though and went on to produce a spectacular finish one round later.

He confirmed afterwards he had no plans to grant May, his long-time friend, a re-match.

“I’d never do that again,” Nelson said. “Today was hard enough. I spent the whole day in my hotel room and didn’t want to see anybody. It was like stabbing your friend in the back and this is business.

May, badly hurt above his left eye, said the friendship was “temporarily put on hold after the first punch landed”.

“I had long been concerned about this day, the day where friendship would not matter,” he said.

“It was not easy but we are professionals. It’s still sports and no war. We’ll now have a drink with our families to chat things over.”