Nelson 'ready' to beat Perozzi

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28: Tori ‘Sho Nuff’ Nelson said she is “ready” for her world middleweight title bout against Teresa Perozzi.

The pair will face off for the WBA, WBC and WIBA championships belts in the All or Nothing fight card set for October 13 at the Fairmont Southampton.

Nelson said: “I can’t wait to come over, fight for the belt and hopefully bring them home with me. I’ve been training really hard. I‘m excited; I’m ready.

“It’s a blessing. I’m so thankful that they gave me the opportunity to come over to their country and fight.”

Nelson did not have any aspirations of becoming a pro boxer after heading off to the gym after her second child was born. She was more interested in finding a way to knock off some of the weight she had gained after the birth of her second child.

“I have always been very athletic and I had gained some weight I needed to get off quickly. I was told boxing was the best to get the weight off because of the cardio.”

Her natural ability caught the eye of her trainer who asked her if she would like to get into the sport.

“I told him if I was going to compete, I was going to be the world champion.”

She said her first amateur fight was an experience that was unforgettable.

“It was so crazy. My lungs were burning; my nose was burning. I was exhausted — it was like nothing that I thought it would be, but it was really good though.”

Nelson finished up with a 10-2 amateur record before turning pro.

During that time she was a three-time Golden Gloves champ.

“My age was getting up there and I just needed to go pro.”

According to boxrec.com, Nelson is the number one ranked American and third in the world in the middleweight division with a record of six wins and a draw. She beat Lorissa Rivas in Trinidad for the vacant WBC Middleweight title in July of 2011 in a 10-round decision.

Perozzi also won her WBA belt against Rivas last December in Trinidad.

Nelson said she prefers to fight 10 rounds rather than four or six because she is a slow starter.

“It really takes me a while to get a feel of what’s going on. I just feel them out the first few rounds.”

The under card of the All or Nothing fight night also has Bolivian Jennifer Salinas taking on American Karen Dulin in a featherweight bout.

Nelson said she has never fought on a card before with two women on it.

“Somewhere, some day,somebody needs to do an all-women’s card because males are not the only ones good in boxing. We don’t get the recognition that we deserve. Everybody only looks at the males but sometimes they let their egos take control of them.

“It would give us inspiration and let us know there are other women out there doing the same things we are doing.

“Having all women on the card would be wonderful.”

Tickets: general are $65 and ringside $95. Tickets are available at www.ptix.bm, the International Sports Shop and Gorham's.