Good piece on Michael Nunn.

I remember a commentator saying during either Leonard-Hearns II, or Hearns-Olajide ( can't remember which ), that Hearns blatantly said he wanted no part of Nunn. Additionally, in every interview that Leonard partook in, he would usually dance around the question, when someone asked him about Nunn being a potential opponent. Personally, I think Hearns and Leonard both viewed Nunn as being a high risk opponent with minimal reward. Of course, had either one them beaten him before Toney got to him, it probably would have added a bundle to their legacy.

 

Yeah, definitely would have.

I find it unbelievably depressing that Nunn will always be associated with that first loss against Toney when he was at 36-0.

Nunn was overconfident, more than likely spiraling into drug use already (Article mentions him supposedly being a on-off cocaine user since the age of 21) and he still looked amazing against Toney.

Bleh.

 

It must've been Hearns-Leonard 2 because I just mentioned that quote by the commentator, and I've never seen Hearns-Olajide.

I've got it somewhere in the crates, but have never watched it.

 

I have to put something right here, both yourself and the article don't tell the whole truth. Yes Nunn was well ahead on points through 7 rounds....but through 10? No. Toney had been clawing him back, if youy didn't see that that then you're blind. In the end it was no shock Toney laid him out, as he'd been catching Nunn seriously for 3-4 rounds and Nunn was visibly troubled.
About Nunn being a druggie etc. by then I have no idea, but lets paint a realistic idea of the fight at least.

 

Toney was getting to Nunn with some regularity in the rounds leading up to the 11th.

I don't think it was a one-sided bout.

I actually thought it was rather close going into the 11th.

 

I said he looking amazing, not that he was winning on a landslide by points.

Looking like that against a motivated, in shape Toney IS amazing.

 

how do you know he was overconfident?
I'm not having a go at you, just sick of all the bollocks that is written about that fight. Toney had been coming on strong for 3-4 rounds, and that was a relatively green James Toney.

 

I remember Nunn definitely ahead in the fight, but not being completely shocked that Toney "caught" him. Toney was coming on for a couple rounds as I recall.

 

Nunn ran out of gas after about six rounds.

He did seem to be clearly out of shape compared to earlier fights, no surprise really as he had been getting worse and worse.

 

Nunn's actions in previous fights and even at the weigh in didn't scream cocky and overconfident?

 

Exactly.