Adressing the Rocchigiani-Nunn controversy

So apparently this is a highly controversial decision.
I will post some more links as I get home and look for them.

Now,as far as the fight goes,I rewatched it last night and scored it and always thought Rocky won it,last night Igave Micheal rounds 1 and 3 and.....well....the rest to Rocky much to my own surprise.
It s a calssic case of what you like,Rocky s harder more accurate lower punch output or Nunn s high volume shoe shining.Myself I always thought Micheal Nunn could punch to a degree but in this particular fight he just seemed to pitty pat a lot.
Either way Rocky got a split decision where one card had him up by 2 points,one card had Nunn up by 3 points and one had Rocchigiani up by a somewhat surprising 7 points.
There are many underlying issues to be talked about on how the fight was made,the posponments,the corners,the commission and evertthing else.It also wasnt shown on american tv only in Germany on RTL.
Here is the fight:

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For those who wanna watch the actual full RTL broadcast and it s pre fight and all :

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In 2021,once Nunn was out of prison and Rocky had passed away the WBC awarded Nunn the belt for 1998 on the basis of they re being irregularities in the fight.Iwill try to look up this issue more.
To me,each and everytime I watch it Ihave Rocchigiani ahead wider or closer as Idont think Nunn fought the right fight.I dont really see a robbery here.
However Joe Goossen pointed out,and as reported in the German press,correctly the commission was supporting Rocky and apparently his coner was informed of the scoring round by round as it went much in the Sven Ottke way(another Sauerland fighter and Sauerland pratice).
So,if this is the irregularity the WBC was pointing out then they were right...but is it enough to completely take away a win from a guy?
Or was it more of a social help isuse for Nunn?
How do you guys see it?

 

Here is a post fight google translated article from the Welt paper post fight:

Rocky-Nunn

Rocchigiani fights in strong-willed and focused fashion
Germany's second world champion at light-heavyweight
2:1-Majority decision over American Michael Nunn
What next?

By JÖRG HUNKE

Berlin - The heavy belt shimmered greenly, the golden buckle looked huge, and the many small symbols of the various national flags made a colorful display. A belt that only world champions in boxing receive. "I like it," said 34-year-old Graciano Rocchigiani. But on this evening hardly anyone seemed to notice the trophy--the Microphone with their yellow, green, blue Foam heads next to it were what caught the eye. Once again a world champion in Germany, but one who raises more questions than he answers.

This night lacked the amazing, the unique, the superlative. Rocchigiani later sat in his light blue silk warmup suit in a sparely furnished room of the Max-Schmeling Hall, arms crossed in front of him and said that his tactics worked for him. With 2:1 on the judges' scorecards (113:116, 118:111, 115:113) he won the fight for the light-heavyweight title of the World Boxing Council (WBC) against American Michael Nunn. Rocchigiani tried to stay close to his opponent, often he rubbed his gloves against those of Nunn, the fight was at such close quarters. Rocchigiani used the infight to surprise his opponent with quick connects. For a long time he stuck to this tactic, whereas Nunn became less conventional with each passing round. The American landed his blows on the guard of his opponent, mostly ineffectively. [Nice non (Nunn?) sequitur follows - Nunn's blows were in fact so ineffective that...] already after two rounds Rocchigiani's left eyebrow burst open, but the American was unable to use this handicap to his advantage. He danced around the ring, as though he had watched too many Muhammad Ali videos, without realizing that precise punches decide the scoring, not cute hip waggling.

Rocchigiani by contrast seemed as strong-willed as had not been seen in a long time, although his preparations had been far from problem-free. First a bout of the flu nixed his fight in February, then a week ago he parted ways with his trainer Emanuel Stewart and instead turned to his brother Ralf. As late as the twelfth round, as the fight had long been decided he was dictating the tempo, landing the better connects. He seemed focused, on his goal and certain of victory [Well, this is a German associated with a big-name German promoter, fighting a non-German in Germany, after all...]. As Rocchigiani stepped into the ring prior to the fight, Nunn stepped in his way and jostled him, but the German didn't react. He had one goal and was focused only on that.

And still he needed many pauses in the action to recover from powerful punches [Doesn't say whether from his own or from Nunn's.] But still he plays coquettish with the issue of his age. "I hope, that my brother Ralf remains my trainer. For the next six years", he says. When asked about the long lay-off between the fight vs. John Scully a year ago and that vs. Nunn, he said: "I need such long layoffs. I'm 34."

Such long breaks will likely not be an option anymore. The WBC has mandated a bout in the coming months vs. Roy Jones (USA), although Jones prefers an April clash at Cruiserweight vs. Virgil Hill [the bout was a non-title bout basically at light-heavy - Hill weighed 177, Jones a half-pound less. This was Hill's last fight at light-heavy.]. That would give Rocchigiani a lot of freedom, he could select easy opponents to defend his title against [Interesting admission there.] Or once again take on Dariusz Michalczewski, who the previous evening had KOed the Italian Andrea Magi. He could earn a lot of money that way as he approaches the end of his career, since the TV networks will likely get into a bidding war over him. And money is certainly a special motivation for Rocchigiani, who said after the Nunn fight: "Financially I can now view the future in much more relaxed fashion."

Because after the first cancelled fight he found the training to be harder than ever. He thanked his wife and his female manager, who had both supported him, despite the hardships. He had had to lose 4 kilos (roughly 9 pounds) in ten days. Christine Rocchigiani explained that he husband had been "flat" since the cancellation in February. The exertions and hardships in training seem ever more difficult for the aging athlete. The time is thus ripe for a last, big-money piece of business. "If he boxed only for money anymore, that would not sit well with me", said his wife. So what will be the deciding factor. The Nunn bout is over, but questions linger.


Whisperings: Silent Post with wife Christine

Manager and Program director pass on the latest round-by-round scoring
Protest announced

Christine Rocchigiani shook he head, her body language was unhappy, her flushed face showed through her make-up. After the eighth Round Hans Mahr, Program director of the TV network RTL, entered the first row of Block D, and whispered the current score if the fight into her ear.

Two rounds later she got a visit from promoter Wilfried Sauerland. Again Christine Rocchigiani seemed upset, as Sauerland whispered into her ear and disappeared. "Why do you tell me this?", she cried angrily. Why the two men informed her of the latest scores is not easy to explain. As soon as a boxer knows how the judges have scored the fight so far, he can alter his tactics appropriately. Henry Maske for example knew the scores in his bout vs. Virgil Hill after only a few rounds and thus knew that the judges had scored against him in a big way. Wilfried Sauerland spoke of the fight between Axel Schulz and George Foreman and recalled how the camp of the American had already begun celebrating before the official scores were announced.

And so there are always helpers, who look over the shoulders of the men at ringside and see the results. In the corner of Graciano Rocchigiani Axel Kruse, soccer pro of the club Hertha BSC, was in charge of this information. This form of silent post is officially against the rules, but is nonetheless standard practice. Which makes it all the more surprising that Dan Goosen, manager of Michael Nunn, announced his intentions to file a formal protest against the decision after the loss. Goosen soke of unfairness. "That's silly, Goosen himself was constantly informed by me of the scores", said Hans Höngner, Vice-President of the German Pro Boxing Union.

The protest has little chance of success. Graciano Rocchigiani will remain world champion and possibly soon fight Dariusz Michalczewski. RTL-Information Director Hans Mahr had already begun the build-up to this and suggested to Michalczewski to take a few tune-up fights in the meantime. "Otherwise it won't happen", he said and described Andrea Magi, the most recent opponent of the WBO champion, as a "Strand hawker", who had been forced to interrupt his winter sleep.

And so the Managers of the two German boxers will soon begin negotiations, as a likely sold-out Berlin Waldbühne [loosely translated - forest amphitheater]in summer and gate receipts in the tens of millions should be reason enough. "For a very good purse Rocchigiani will surely take the fight, we also want it", said Peter Henraths, spokesman for the Universum stable, to which Michalczewski belongs. Because only by way of a big event can Michalczewski raise his public profile. His fight on Friday had a viewership of roughly 5.27 million, whereas 9.15 million tuned in the next day to see Rocchigiani. Those are figures that even Christine Rocchigiani surely would like to have whispered to her.

(WELT 23.3.1998)


So this might be part of the reason for the WBC decision.According to the article both Nunn and Rocchigiani s camps knew the scores round by round.

 

Another article:

BERLIN, 21st March 1998.
Ringside Report by Fabian Weber


Pugilists from the early era of boxing would have been proud of the tough Italo-German Graciano Rocchigiani. Despite suffering from a serious virus infection only one month ago, and despite the fact, that he and his trainer had finished their relation just some days before the fight, Rocchigiani soundly outfought American Michael Nunn to capture the vacant WBC Light Heavyweight title.

Graciano Rocchigiani and Michael Nunn were already scheduled to fight on February 7th, when the ringside doctor diagnosed 38.8°C feaver and a serious virus infection on Rocky, only hours before the event should begin. Promotor Wilfried Sauerland decided to postpone the whole event - much to the disappointment of some thousand fans, who had come to the Max-Schmeling Halle in Berlin to no purpose.

After getting past his sickness, which caused Rocchigiani to lose 9 pounds, he quickly suffered his second set back during his training in Miami. In contrast to Rocky’s expectations, his American trainer Emanuel Steward wasn’t the much anticipated help he would have needed to regain his physical and psychological shape. „Steward almost didn’t work with me at all“, the angry German complaint. „Most of the time he just concentrates on Lennox Lewis.“ So the former IBF super middleweight champion decided, it was better just to rely on himself, to return to Germany and to finish his training alone - only with the help of his brother Ralf, a former WBO Cruiserweight title holder.

Because of all these disadventageous events, most German experts awaited the fight of their countryman sceptically. But this situation not only wasn’t new for Rochigiani; it was the general feeling he was used from all his four tries to capture a world title in the last four years. Since 1994 Rocchigiani had challenged four undefeated world title holders: He dropped a disputed decision to Chris Eubank, twice went 12 competitive rounds with Henry Maske, and was again the victim of a disputed decision, when the WBO disqualified him after he had knocked out his countryman Dariusz Michalczewski with an illegal punch.

Everytime Graciano Rocchigiani had given his opponnent his thoughest test so far, and everytime he had proven the sceptics wrong. But even though: Everytime he didn’t come away with the title also.

This finally changed, when Rocky fought former two division champion Michael Nunn in Berlin. The American came from a nine fight winning streak, which seemingly looked too dangerous even to Roy Jones, who refused to defend his title against Nunn, his mandatory challenger.

The drastic difference in styles of the two world class southpaws made this matchup an eventfull and exciting fight for the 10,500 German spectators, who enthusiastically cheered for their countryman.

The slick and highly movable Nunn circuled around his opponent and scored with quick combinations en route to win the first two rounds. Hit by a jab the German, who proved to be highly vulnerable to face injuries several times in his career, suffered a bleeding cut above the eye.

From the third round on, though, Rocchigiani effectively came into the fight, moved his opponent against the ropes and landed precise hooks at close range. Even though Nunn, the 1984 Olympic Silver medalist, still possesses his quick hands and feet, his defensive has worsen decisively. When the fight went on, Rocchigiani found his opponent easily to counter, either with his stiff southpaw jab or with a hard left cross.

On many occasions the American gave Rocchigiani additional help to land punches, when he leaned back into the ropes, lowered his hands and arrogantly taunted the German. But Nunn’s reflexes are not good enough anymore to allow him these kind of games. Repeatedly the German snapped back Michael Nunn’s head, drove him into the corners and wobbled his knees. Nunn’s repeated tries to regain the momentum with soft multiple-punch combinations didn’t seem to bother Rocchigiani, as most punches either landed on Rocky’s high guard or just missed due to the effective peek-a-boo defense of the German.

Although not even the long silenced Nunn-supporters, who were outnumbered 1,000 times by German fans in the Max-Schmeling Halle in Rocky’s home town, had any doubts who was the winner, the decision was split. The judges ruled the bout 118:111 and 115:113 for the German and 116:113 for Nunn.

Only manager Dan Goosen found a reason to complain: „The German comissioners have acted illegally.“, Goosen defiantly pretended after the fight. „They slipped Rocchigiani’s corner the judges’ scores between rounds.“ Even if this would be true, it’s completely unlogically to assume, that this impoliteness had any impact into the outcome of the fight. Goosen, who announced he would file an official protest, was probably rather angry with himself, that he hadn’t been clever enough to arrange the same service for his fighter, too.

„I thought I won the fight, but the judges saw it differently“, a disappointed Nunn explained after the fight. „I landed more blows, probably three-to-one“, he pretended. In fact the American threw at least twice as many punches as Rocchigiani. But it was hard to find at least one significant blow of Michael Nunn per round. Stable mate and former 130 lbs champ Gabriel Ruelas, who was sitting ringside, also shook his head when the bout was over. But the more objective Mexican world class fighter was rather disappointed about Nunn’s performance and didn’t see a reason to dispute the decision.

Graciano Rocchiani, who won his first world title fight since 1989, had found himself in the twighlight of his career, when he stepped into the ring in Berlin. Now the new two-division champion has a bright future in front of him. „This is a special feeling for me today. I’m endless happy.“, an excited Rocchigiani said after the fight. „This WBC title is the greatest for me. This was the ultimately last train I could jump on.“, the 34-year old German admitted.

With a fax mail from Mexico WBC president Jose Sulaiman had restricted before the fight, that the winner has to face former WBC title holder Roy Jones Jr. next. But this seems to be rather a restriction to Jones than to the victorious German, as the former pound-for-pound king showed reluctance to step into the ring at all anymore.

The fight most Germans want to see is a rematch between Rocchigiani and WBO title holder Dariusz Michalczewski, who had successfully defended his title the evening before with a stunning fourth round KO of Italian Andrea Magi. As both seem willing to take on each other again, only the cooperative work of two rival promotors and two rival TV-station are standing in between this interesting rematch. But the past has proven, that these obstacles can be enough to prevent a fight, even if the public demands it aggressively.

Meanwhile one must honestly grant Rocchigiani his world title, after he suffered enough set backs in his past to fill three lives. And unquestionable the Geman has enriched the boxing world with a colorfull new world champion.

Rocchigiani: 40-4-1 (19), 174
Nunn: 52-4 (34), 174

so this one is more pro Rocchigiani but also makes mention of the exposed scorecards issue.

 

Another short pro Rocky article:

Germany's Graciano Rocchigiani pounded American Michael Nunn over 12 rounds Saturday to win the WBC light heavyweight title in a close fight ruled a split decision by the judges.Nunn landed far more blows against Rocchigiani, slipping jabs repeatedly through the German's closed peek-a-boo defense in the bout for the title vacated by Roy Jones Jr.But it was Rocchigiani, a former IBF super middleweight champion, who rocked Nunn with the harder punches, snapping the faster American's head back during the in-fighting and on the ropes.The judges ruled the bout 118-111 and 115-113 for the German fighter and 116-113 for Nunn in a high-tempo fight that often had the 10,500 spectators roaring.

 

So basically he confirms the articles with the issue being the scores known by Rocky s corner.
Seems a weak argument imo.

 

Not sure what market that could have been sold to.
From a pure sporting pov maybe.

 

When?2 months after the fight the WBC thing happened.

 

True but that doesnt mean Nunn would have went to Berlin again.
Also the WBC danced to Roy’s tune anyway at the time.
Dude vacated and then later changed his mind and the WBC acted like it didnt happen.