What's more shocking:Honeyghan's upset over Curry or Nunn's KO victory over Kalambay?

Honeygahn because of the scale of it, imagine FMJ getting beat by Junior Witter. Nunn-Kalambay, Nunn was likely a favorite anyway

 

Honeyghan>>>>>>>>>>>Witter

 

Well from an "at the time" point of view, and certainly an American perspective at least, it's obviously Honeyghan vs Curry, in part due to the egregious overrating of both American fighters in relation to their opposition and contemporaries in general.Also with Curry was being on the verge of being considered P4P number one, whereas nunn didn't yet have that level of hype nor respect, and kalambay was also needing the big win to establish himself outwith the hardcore fan.

In retrospect i'd say it was Nunn vs Kalambay, as Nunn did little before or after to show the outcome was an out of the ordinary, highly improbable result.He probably threw a straight left to the head with full torque and viscious intentions like that about 5 times in his entire career(bodyshots and uppercuts were his real power punches usually, with his offensive strengths swaying more towards volume/combo punching), and kalambay was usually a gifted defensive fighter, never stopped before or after.

With Curry Honeyghan a more convincing argument could be made after reviewing his career that he was always slightly vulnerable to unorthodox, explosive brawling, swarming types..fighters that liked to just whip in powershots and not give any respect to nice tidy textbook exchanges, which is where Curry shined.

It's not as shocking an outcome in retrospect that a seemingly not at best Curry ended up losing to Honeyghan, an at the time very good purveyor of unorthodox, sloppy brutality.Lloyd fought a lot like Pac at that point actually imo.Pity he didn't sustain it.

In other words the Honeyghan find tends to define curry's limitations far more in the stylistic sense, and who he was inherently as a fighter.IF he was really the truly great all-around boxer-puncher we were beign told he was, he should have handled the kind of rough, awkward powerpunching fight Honeyghan made it, even if with weight problems he had to come through a tough fight.Or even in loss should have shown more than the meek performance and quitjob he gave us.

With Nunn kalambay it tends to define them more in the ratings/all-time greatness assessing scene, both at the time and for many years after.Nunn's status went briefly through the roof, while kalambay's was destroyed as few fighters have had such a disastrous result in their at the time defining big time fight.. and he was too old to get enough done to restore it, nor had he done quite enough before it to stick in the memory for many.Nunn turning out to be a lazy waste of talent hardly helped either man.


So taking the styles, usual approaches, strong/weak points and mentality of the fighters into question i'd say it's the latter fight.From a big event at the time perspective it's Curry's fall from grace.

 

Honeyghan over Curry, clearly.

No one (apart from Lloyd and maybe one or two close by him) expected Honeyghan to beat Curry.

Nunn was considered a hot up-and-coming star and was given a good chance against Kalambay. The 1st round KO was a surprise, but not a shock on the level of Honeyghan beating Curry.

 

Since curry was drained and never fought at 147 again , and even worse : Honeyghan's excessive ramming , no big surprise in there , only when looking at records alone , it may be about as surprising , but if actually knowing the facts and watching the fights , then my answer should be clear and doubtless.

 

Honeyghan over Curry for me. The man who was designated pound for pound King after hagler stepped aside was considered unbeatable. Honeyghan was given no chance. What a performance Lloyd put on though ! With Nunn and Kalambay,it was more the manner of victory that was a shocker. Most expected a Nunn victory,but we expected a distance fight.

 

Nunn because he wasn't a big puncher and Kalambay was a very good boxer who held a win over McCallum and had shown a good chin. Very surprising 1st round KO in what had promised to be a good fight.

 

Spot on Stevie:bbb I've never seen Honeyghan put in such a perfect diciplined performence in the the way he dismantled Curry:yep he ****in wrecked him:deal

After Curry he adopted the swinging handbag attack in all his fights up to Starling

 

agreed!!!

 

Nunn's over Kalambay was surprising but if you think about it the punch looks more like a fluke. I doubt Nunn would have knocked out Kalambay with that punch had they fought another 5 times. But Curry was regarded as being the next great who was going to easily win the 154 pound title and soon fight Hagler in 1987. In hindsight it is easy to see that Curry had the weight problems, but it was shocking that night in 1986.

 

Anyone who was around at the time can truly appreciate how huge an upset honeyghans victory over curry was. It knocked the boxing world sideways, it really did. The only guy who i read who gave him a chance,believe it or not, was colin hart who i wouldnt be too keen on. Curry was being touted as THE next big thing up til then. Its ok having hindsight now in regards as to how Dons career panned out, but up til that night he was viewed as exceptional. Nunns victory was classed maybe as an upset as in the manner of the win, he was certainly not viewed as a near no-hoper the way honeyghan was.

 

That's right. Post Curry,Honeyghan seemed to lose all discipline in his offense.