March 1989 On the heels of his axtounding victory over lightheavy champ Don Lalonde, can Ray leonard drop back down to 160 to reclaim his old title, this time against Micehal Nunn? Leonard has to be installed as the favorite, but I don't know. Nunn looked pretty sharp. Does Leonard have enough left? The experts are divided 50/50.
My answer is no, not at that time. Leonard in 1989, could have definately lost several pounds and still been competitive at that weight. He also would have taken Nunn the distance and probably won about 4 or 5 rounds. But, Nunn's youthful quickness, reach, and hunger to prove himself against an established great would give him the edge here. I don't see a knockout win for Nunn though. Sugar was still reasonably durable, and Nunn I tend to think fooled the boxing world into believing that he was a huge banger with that once in a lifetime KO of Sumbu Kalambay. It was certainly impressive, but we never saw anything like this from Nunn niether before nor after. Both Leonard and Hearns more or less admitted that they really weren't interested in fighting Nunn. There was more money and recognition in fighting each other plus other men around at the time. Probably less risk too. I don't see a 1989 Leonard vs a 1989 Nunn, as being a very exciting fight. Too much dancing and jabbing along with probably no knockdowns or periods of serious exchanges. Nunn by close decision in what is probably a dull contest.
I concur...Nunn by decison. Lalonde was a setup fight so Ray could get 2 titles at once. Like to have seen Ray move up against a Foster, Spinks, or Qaui type fighter and bounced around like a basketball.
Wasn't Leonard at a Nunn fight where was was screaming profanities at him from ringside trying to psyche him out?
But what if...what if, Nunn lands on Leonard's chin the way he did on Kalambay. Could leonard survive past the first round? Would it be too much to ask him to get up? WOuld he collapse into the ropes the way Kalambay did or would he stage an Archie Moore-Yvonne Durelle like comeback? And Who do you take in a 1988 middleweight matchup between Leonard & Kalamabay? By the way, I don't as Leonard-Nunn a boring contest at all. You're playing it too safe with your scenario. Remember, these two guys don't like each other and Nunn isn't afraid of Leonard in the way that Leonard is afraid of him. I need feedback people!
