Melvin “Burrhead Jones” Nelson, passed away yesterday at the age of 80, according to a report from PWInsider. Nelson battled health issues over the last several years which included blindness due to glaucoma in both eyes and arthritis which left him bed-bound in a medical facility.

Nelson worked many of the territories including WWWF, Mid-Atlantic, CWA and Gulf Sport Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling and Championship Wrestling from Florida. During his career, he faced much racial discrimination such as being only allowed to wrestle other African-American wrestlers and not being allowed to eat in the same motels as his fellow competitors. 

Nelson retired in 1987 but went on to wrestle occasionally. He moved back to New York City in 2006 to spend the last decade closer to his children.

WrestlingNewsSource.com sends out our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Melvin Nelson.