Steven Nelson recalls getting punched by an 11-year-old Terence Crawford

Steven Nelson’s boxing journey traces back to an encounter with an 11-year-old Terence “Bud” Crawford at a park in Omaha, Nebraska. It was an experience and meeting that might just have forged Nelson’s path. 

Crawford, now a four-division titleholder and considered one of the all-time greats, was already well-known in Omaha, and his reputation had a significant impact on Nelson. “I was like, that’s the guy everybody talks about, Bud,” Nelson recalled. “They said, ‘Man, he punches hard as hell.’ I was like, hell nah, he wasn’t that big, he probably didn’t punch that hard.”

Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) would soon find out he was wrong. 

Reflecting on their first meeting, Nelson said, “He came up to me and said, ‘You don’t think I punch hard? Let me hit your arm.’ I was like, alright. He kind of frogged me in my arm, and it made my arm go numb. I was like, damn, he does hit hard.”

Nelson, now 36, fought on Crawford’s undercard, knocking out Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez (20-1-1, 10 KOs) in the fifth round of their scheduled 10-round bout at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

Despite starting his boxing career at age 21, years after Crawford had already gained local fame, Nelson quickly made strides. 

“Bud was the first person I called when I started boxing,” Nelson said. “I told him I am boxing now, and I’m good. Everybody says I’m good.” 

Nelson’s competitive spirit kicked in immediately, leading him to challenge Crawford. “I was like, ‘Man, I want to spar you,’” Nelson said. “He was already pro for three years. He said, ‘No, bro, this is a whole different level, man.’”

Steven Nelson, who served as a satellite communication operator in the U.S. Army and boxed on the Army team, earned the nickname “So Cold” during his military service. His gear was marked with his initials, SCN, since they all had the same Army-funded gear, which led a teammate to remark, “It probably stands for ‘So Cold’ Nelson because he’s cold at everything he does,” Nelson explained.

Eventually, Nelson got his chance to spar with Crawford.

“I go to the gym, I got my cousins with me, they got their cameras with them, and I am hyped up,” Nelson said. “I was like, I am about to spar Bud and I am about to beat him up too.” 

But the sparring session quickly humbled him. 

“Bud is just moving around, playing around, kind of laughing and stuff,” Nelson said. “Then he just threw a combination, boom, boom, touched me to the body. I’m moving now. I’m like, oh, okay. Then he started coming towards me. Now I’m moving around like, oh man, that body shot hurt. Then boom, boom, dropped me to the body.”

Afterward, Crawford offered words of encouragement that would prove pivotal to Nelson’s future in boxing. “He said, ‘You are good, though. Keep on working. Trust me, you going to be good. I can see it,’” Nelson recalled. “That day ignited something in me. I went back and really started studying boxing, watching fights, and improving my game.” 

The next time they sparred, Nelson’s progress was evident. “He was like, man, you like night and day. Now, what the hell? He said keep working, you cold.”