James Toney vs Michael Nunn

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Very good point.

 

Toney has beaten an absolutely prime Nunn who was in good shape.
He deserves full credit.Nunn was never the same after that fight.

 

Ahh, that makes sense.

 

Toney was a 10-1 underdog if I remember correctly... he was even considered one-dimensional by most (Toney and one-dimensional, can you imagine!!). Nunn was considered the #2 P4P fighter in the world. This was a voluntary defense and Toney was brought in for Nunn to look good before his home-town crowd in Davenport Iowa, because Nunn didn't look as great as he used to against Barkley and Starling.

Nunn surely underestimated Toney... not to forget that there was a lot of bad blood between them before the fight, which was a good thing for Toney, as he is a hot-tempered guy and this gave him some extra motivation. Toney really wanted to put it on Nunn, no matter how many punches he had to eat in return. He just wouldn't back down no matter the beating Nunn was putting on him for the first 5 rounds.

Nunn was also being portrayed in the media as americas darling, the nice guy, and Toney as a thug - while in reality exactly the opposite was the case: Toney is/was a nice guy outside the ring and Nunn was a criminal.

I think it was in the 7th round or so when Toney landed a monster body punch on Nunn that sounded like a gun shot and had Nunn bending over... that shot took a lot of fight out of Nunn imo

 

Man, Toney literally matured from a talented but green puncher to an absolute master-boxer during that fight... and it happened before our eyes

 

I remember when I first saw tonney when he beat Sosa .I had been following Sosa coming up the rankings when tonney beat him I knew that he was going to be something special. A real throw back liked his f#ck u attitude and boy could he fight.thought he would beat Nunn .Nunn couldn't cope with him.

 

https://i.imgur.com/98W0XSl.mp4

 

Best way to deal with counter punchers is the feint. Draw the exchange and make them lead.

 

I'm watching this fight for an article I'll be writing on it and I just realise how incredible similar the James Toney left hook in the 11th that put Nunn down looks like Joe Frazier's left hook that put Ali down in the FOTC. The little change in timing to draw the uppercut and open up that picture perfect punch. Only difference is Nunn is a southpaw and threw the left whereas Ali threw the right. Technique is timeless people.

 

By the time Nunn met Toney he wasn't at his best- partying, not training.
He made Toney look like a fool first half of the bout.
Then he got tired. Simple as that. And Toney to his credit took advantage of it.
Look at early Nunn fights and how he moved and in the Toney fight there isn't any of that.
Nunns biggest problem was they couldn't keep him away from his hometown.
At his very best he beats Toney and rather easily.
Watch the first 5 rounds and how easily he handles Toney and he isn't even at his best.
Watch how Nunn gets sloopy as the rounds progress. That's called not being in shape.
Nunn vs Barkley? That fight wasn't even close. Look at the punch stats of that fight.

 

Love Nunn but Toney beats every version