Ray "Roughhouse" Nelson

(alias: Lew Comasana)

 

Ray Nelson started boxing around 1924 as a 18 year old high school student out of Phoenix, Arizona. He was said to have won every bout in his first two years except for his loss to Greb in 1924. After their battle Greb declared, "Nelson will be the next middleweight champion of the world. He has a world of stamina, can punch and has a sort of awkward cleverness.". Nelson used the fake alias "Lew Comasana" when he fought Greb. This name is often listed in record books, although it is incorrect.

Ray Nelson was managed by Willie Hunnefield, who used to be a lightweight from Los Angeles. After retiring from being a boxer, Hunnefield went to Phoenix to be a manager and promoter. Hunnefield stated, "It was in Phoenix that I found Nelson. When I first saw him he was just a punk kid in his second year of high school. He had a reputation of being a terrible scrapper. One day I met him and invited him over to my gymnasium to work out. He was pretty awkward at first - and hasn't entirely got over it yet. But he has acquired a certain cleverness to offset some of his clumliness now." -taken from the Beloit Daily News. July 27, 1926. Article titled, "Roughhouse Nelson Boomed By Greb As Next Middle Champ" written by Dan Thomas.

 

 

 selected bouts

1924
Nov 11	1924	Harry   Greb	Penns.		TKO'd by 3 (loss)

1926
unknown	1926	Mickey Rockson	Hollywood Legion Stadium, Los Angeles		W 10




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