Exclusive:'He's got to' - Johnny Nelson's advice for York boxing prodigy Leo Atang as stock continues to soar
Boxing legend Johnny Nelson speaks to The Yorkshire Post about York’s rising star Leo Atang
Leo Atang’s stock is soaring at a stunning pace - but boxing icon Johnny Nelson has warned the York prodigy he will face “sticky moments”.
Since turning professional in 2025, the 19-year-old heavyweight has trodden a relatively smooth path. Opponents have offered little resistance to Atang’s offence, tending to succumb rather quickly.
Seven fights into his career, the teenage sensation has been taken the distance just once, by Belarusian journeyman Viktar Chvarkou in April.
Atang will make his stateside debut tonight (July 18), facing Glen Williams on the card building to Diego Pacheco’s battle with Immanuwel Aleem.
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Johnny Nelson’s advice for Leo Atang
“Matchmaking is so important to get the best out of him,” Nelson told The Yorkshire Post. “There are going to be a couple of sticky moments in his career.
“There are going to be questions asked. There are always going to be questions - ‘he's not done this, he's not done that’. There's always going to be that line there.
“But for Leo, he's got to just get on with it, keep learning his job, listen to his circle around him, make sure he makes the right moves and not be distracted by the bright lights and the attraction and the opening of a crisp packet. He's got to go and get the job done.”
‘Very, very talented young man’
Nelson, the longest-reigning cruiserweight champion of all time and one of Sheffield’s greatest sporting exports, is a strong admirer of Atang’s.
Much has been made of the teenager’s power, but Nelson has been just as impressed by his mentality.
“He's a very, very talented young man,” he said. “And even with his amateurs, this kid, he's sparred with the top dogs.
“If you speak to him, I don't know if it's a northern thing, if you speak to him, you think, ‘I like this kid’. He's just so down-to-earth, but he's talented. He's athletic-looking, he can fight, he's got bottle, he's inspired. And the thing is, you're inspired by people that come before you, and that's Leo. You speak to him and if you didn't know he boxed, you'd have no idea he boxed.
“He's such a nice, level-headed young man, but he's an athlete. He's not just a big guy, he's an athlete, which is a great contribution to being a successful heavyweight.”
Working with Matchroom
Matchroom Boxing have Atang in their ranks and were happy to apply pressure as soon as the heavyweight put pen to paper.
Eddie Hearn was confident enough to compare Atang to Anthony Joshua, which was quite the endorsement of an untested youngster.
“I think for him to sign with Matchroom, I personally think it's a great move because they can make stars of you,” said Nelson. “If you've got the talent, they'll do the rest of it.
“Matchmaking is everything in our sport, it always has been. Even the greats, they always said that matchmaking is as important as the fight itself.
“It's not just about winning the fight, it's about developing a fighter. So if you matchmake a fighter correctly, you'll bring the goodness out of him. You'll bring the best out of him, the confidence, the skill, the talent, everything that he's got.”