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. ||||| Image caption Attacks by black bears are rare, Canadian officials say 
 
 A Canadian man has fought off a 320lb (145kg) black bear with skills he learned from years as a boxer. 
 
 Rick Nelson, 61, from Ontario was walking his dog when a cub poked its head out of a shrub. Moments later, its mother charged out of the bushes and attacked. 
 
 He fought off the mother bear with his bare fists, walking away with just minor scratches on his face and chest. 
 
 The Canadian forestry ministry says that attacks by black bears are rare. 
 
 After several swings from Mr Nelson, the bear walked away from the fight with a bloody nose. 
 
 Mr Nelson said: "It just turned back around and walked away like nothing ever happened and followed the cub. So I really lucked out there." 
 
 Despite his encounter, Mr Nelson told a Canadian broadcaster that he did not want people to fear black bears. 
 
 The Government of Ontario says black bears usually avoid contact with humans.
– When a 61-year-old Canadian man startled a bear cub while walking his dog Sunday near Sudbury, the tiny "yelp" the baby bear made wasn't endearing. "I knew right away I was in trouble," Rick Nelson tells CBC News. "It's calling for mommy." Sure enough, the mama black bear emerged from the bush in attack mode, and Nelson, who didn't have a rock, stick, or any other possible weapon nearby, had to resort to what he knew best: boxing. His first swing at the 300-pound-plus beast hit it in the teeth, and the bear retaliated with scratches across Nelson's chest and face. Nelson, who the Guardian says is a former featherweight boxer and bear hunter, combined both skill sets to anticipate the bear's next move. "I knew it would swing first with its left, but it would really come with its right, because most bears are right-handed," he tells the CBC. And Nelson's second punch was spot-on, nailing the bear right in the snout. It was at that point the cub let out another sound and, either bored of the fight or frightened, started leaving the scene. As Nelson held his breath, the bloodied mother bear decided to follow her baby instead of bringing Nelson back to the mat. His wife, Sheryl, tells the Sudbury Star that when Nelson—who's since been nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda" by his co-workers—and the bear both retreated, "it was like two warriors backing away from the battle." Nelson, meanwhile, concedes, "I really lucked out there," adding that black bears really aren't that dangerous unless you mess with their cubs. The Ontario government concurs, noting on its site that the bears usually stay away from humans, per the BBC. (A Boy Scout leader fought off a black bear last year.)