Nick Wells

Nick Wells (born February 11, 1951) is a former heavyweight boxer.

Career

Amateur level

As a member of the US Air Force and a four-time All-Air Force boxing champion, Wells won the 1972 US Amateur heavyweight championship. In that year, he twice knocked out future WBC and IBF heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. The first time was in the 3rd round of a National Amateur Athletic Union tournament; later that year, in the US Olympic Trials, he knocked Holmes out in the first round. He went on to face 1971 US Amateur heavyweight champion Duane Bobick in the finals of the Olympic Trials, where he broke Bobick's nose early in the fight and appeared to be on his way to representing the United States in the Olympics. But a head wound suffered before the fight at his hotel began to bleed profusely, and the fight was stopped by the referee. Bobick went on to lose to Cuban heavyweight and eventual gold medal winner Teofilo Stevenson in the Olympic quarterfinals.

One of the most popular amateur boxers in Texas during the 1970s, Wells was a five-time Fort Worth Golden Gloves champion and a two-time Star-telegram Texas State Golden Gloves champion. Three time Texas state champion 1969,1970,1971.Five time all air force champion1972,1973,1974,1975,1976. Two time interservice champion1973,1975.Three time interservice runner up 1972,1974,1976.Two time Nevada state golden gloves champion 1972,1973. 1972 National AAU Champion. Western hemisphere Champion 1972 or 1973. World military Champion(CISM games)1973 Texas state champion 1971. Wells compiled an amateur record of 189-18 with 110 knockouts, 72 of them in the first round.

Pro level

Wells declined an opportunity to be trained by legendary trainer and manager Lou Duva in New Jersey, opting instead to train and fight out of his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. He compiled a professional record of 10 - 3 before taking a job with the Fort Worth Fire Department in 1978, in order to support his one year old son Nickolas as well as to ensuring a stable futurer for the both of them. He continued his professional boxing career, but lost the Texas State Heavyweight Title match to Roy Wallace in his first bout since becoming a firefighter. He went 3 - 4 from that point, his last two fights ending in knockout losses to heavyweight contenders Eddie "The Animal" Lopez and Tony "The Tongan Torpedo" Fulilangi. He retired from boxing in 1983 with a professional record of 13 - 8, although some accounts list his record at 15 - 8.

Preceded by Duane Bobick

United States Amateur Heavyweight Champion 1972

Succeeded by James Chapman

References

• Fort Worth Firefighter's Association
• Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Jim Reeves
• Nick Wells bio on Boxrec.com
• US Amateur Heavyweight Champions

External links

Persondata
Name	Wells, Nick
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 11, 1951
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death