A former featherweight boxer in Sudbury had to use some of his old fighting skills when he accidentally came between a black bear and its cub.

By Ted Rath

A former featherweight boxer in Sudbury had to use some of his old fighting skills when he accidentally came between a black bear and its cub.

Rick Nelson, 61, was walking his dog through the bush outside the city on Sunday when he stumbled across the cub.

When it cried out for momma, Nelson knew he was in for a fight.

Within seconds, the 300-pound mother bear crashed through the bush and stood on her hind legs in front of him.

Before it could strike, Nelson got the first punch in — a right hand jab. But he only grazed the bear’s gnashing teeth, bloodying his knuckles. The bear struck next — digging a nasty gash across his chest and shoulders.

Nelson had one more in him: an uppercut that connected with the bear’s snout.

That did the trick. The bear dropped to all fours, blood dripping from its nose, and backed slowly into the forest with its cub.

Apart from boxing in his youth, Nelson also hunted bears in the past.

"He’s experienced with bears. He always knew, if it came to it, to hit a bear in the snout," his wife Sheryl said.

"When it went back into the bush, it was like two warriors backing away from the battle."

She said the boxing match has made him a bit of a celebrity at work, where he’s been given the nickname "Kung Fu Panda."

But he also knows he’s lucky to have walked away with only a few scratches, and blames it on himself.

"He knows he was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Sheryl said.