Michael Nunn vs Gerald McClellan at MW

Michael Nunn

McClellan would have a punchers chance, but that's it. Once this fight goes past 4 that becomes less & less.

 

Agree

 

Two HUGE talents!

 

This would be an excellent match up between two fighter I really enjoying watching. I see it being a one sided fight though, something tells me Michael Nunn in his hayday would do a job on McClellan and after dominating for a number of rounds likely finish him off much like he did to a number of good fighters while on the come up and as champion.

 

Prime Nunn was very slick, with a great defense and great height and reach. I think he could outbox the always dangerous McClellan by clear UD.

 

I think that's a pretty good chance, though. Toney showed how open Nunn's defence was when he came down off his toes and McClellan was big, powerful and sharp enough to have a good shot at exploiting that as well, I think.

 

Nunn at his very best ought to take this. He was extremely hard to hit cleanly and was fast & rangy. He didn't have a long prime and once or twice he fought down to his opponent's level, but at his best he was damn good.

 

Nunn's agility was on another level. Switching stances, fast combination punches, leaning away from punches, turning fighters on the inside all in one rhythm. The Nunn version against Frank Tate was a marvel. I think Gman misses all night and is badly countered. The foot and hand speed of Nunn is all wrong for Gman.

 

His peak was very short; but as mentioned against Tate, Roldan and Kalambay; Nunn was perhaps as good as any 160lber this side of prime Hagler.

Because Tyson was so dominate, I think sometimes it is forgotten at his best, how good Nunn actually was. Even if you do not rate quite as high as I do, there was clearly distance between Michael and McClellan.

 

Disagree.

His defense was his height. Parry punches. He held that chin straight up & those hands low.Most opponents were shorter and couldn't reach him and threw and went off balance. Then, Nunn peppered away.

But holding that chin way up that high and at 12:00 only gets a guy ko'd. And McClellan had deceptively long arms and power with both hands. Something is going to land flush on Nunn.

 

I love nunn he was hugely talented and fast but I do agree with others McClellan was big had long arms and nunn may well be ahead on the cards but I fear his low hands and his high chin are just a KO highlight on a sports show waiting to happen in this contest .

 

McClellan had frighteningly beautiful, non-rythmic offensive footwork. This is not a basic (though very good) boxer like Tate, wild plodder like Roldan/Barkley/Sosa or flat-footer like Starling/Toney. Nunn's chin was out to dry, McClellan was 6ft1 himself, and McClellan sparred with tall southpaw Michael Moorer every day for years. Also, Emanuel Steward mastered Leonard (Hearns-Leonard I) for 12 rounds. All must be taken into account.

 

McClellan also beat Frank Liles and Roy Jones in 1988 on points each, almost like a hybrid Michael Nunn!

McClellan struggled with non-movers believe it or not. Go at him like Ray McElroy (ruined G-Man's Olympic dream), Milton (flurry, hold, flurry, hold) and Ralph Ward and ultimately Benn did and he struggled to get the space he needed to load up. Nunn was a back'er-off'er, straight up and almost too relaxed. McClellan had amazing timing and had such naturally heavy hands he only needs to land once, or follow up with a left to liver (that scored a ten-count every time it landed!).

 

Which were those fights then? Because the fights with Tate and Roldan were already over at the stage when Toney started to find Nunn with his punches. Nunn went the distance with Barkley, but took time off in most rounds, counting on that the spurts he fought in would be enough to win them. It was on two judges' card, but not the third's.

I don't see him beating McClellan if he fights in the on-off fashion he did against the lesser Barkley. And not if he goes out full throttle over the first half and then slows down, as he did against Toney. And he won't stop McClellan as he did with Tate and Roldan. McClellan took the best Julian Jackson had to offer and then finished him the moment he started to slow down. My money is on something similar happening with Nunn.