Thoughts on Michael Nunn?

[billeau2]

Not to belabor a point

Nunn was so fluid that his speed was easy to under estimate. This is a primary reason why I believe he would be a handful for Jones.

[Mugwump]

I remember being impressed by Nunn the first time I saw him (I remember it vividly because at the time I was living in South Africa).

I figured he would more than likely become the next big name in the sport and like many I was surprised that he went down to Toney. Although that's more a reflection of my ignorance of Toney's skills, I guess.

[phallus]

Nunn was so fluid that his speed was easy to under estimate. This is a primary reason why I believe he would be a handful for Jones.

I remember being impressed by Nunn the first time I saw him (I remember it vividly because at the time I was living in South Africa).

I figured he would more than likely become the next big name in the sport and like many I was surprised that he went down to Toney. Although that's more a reflection of my ignorance of Toney's skills, I guess.

i remember how shocked everybody was when Toney knocked Nunn out, it was probably the biggest upset of the year. it was a great fight to watch, Nunn looked great until he ran out of gas and toney started turning it on.

[Mugwump]

i remember how shocked everybody was when Toney knocked Nunn out, it was probably the biggest upset of the year. it was a great fight to watch, Nunn looked great until he ran out of gas and toney started turning it on.

Yeah, Toney was a real throwback fighter. A bit like Mayweather in that he benefited tremendously from receiving a *proper* boxing education which stressed the importance of head movement and counter-punching. Not that Nunn was incompetent by any means.

It's a pity he didn't acquit himself well against Roy Jones because regardless of how talented Roy was there was no way Toney should have gone down that comprehensively.

Whether it was arrogance on his part, poor attention to fitness and conditioning etc. I'm not sure. But Toney was a much better fighter than that bout suggested.

[phallus]

Yeah, Toney was a real throwback fighter. A bit like Mayweather in that he benefited tremendously from receiving a *proper* boxing education which stressed the importance of head movement and counter-punching. Not that Nunn was incompetent by any means.

It's a pity he didn't acquit himself well against Roy Jones because regardless of how talented Roy was there was no way Toney should have gone down that comprehensively.

Whether it was arrogance on his part, poor attention to fitness and conditioning etc. I'm not sure. But Toney was a much better fighter than that bout suggested.

toney had a couple of good moments in that fight, i think in rd 5 he does something no one else (as far as i know) has ever done to prime Roy, he made Roy miss twice in row and then stuck out his tongue.

toney watched old films of ezzard charles and tried to imitate his style, defensively yes, he was like charles but didn't have the hand speed or the footwork. after watching his other fights, like against jirov, i wonder what toney could have done had he come into the jones fight in shape and mentally prepared. i think toney has more of a chance of beating jones later in their careers and at a higher weight (cruiser or hw).

[billeau2]

toney had a couple of good moments in that fight, i think in rd 5 he does something no one else (as far as i know) has ever done to prime Roy, he made Roy miss twice in row and then stuck out his tongue.

toney watched old films of ezzard charles and tried to imitate his style, defensively yes, he was like charles but didn't have the hand speed or the footwork. after watching his other fights, like against jirov, i wonder what toney could have done had he come into the jones fight in shape and mentally prepared. i think toney has more of a chance of beating jones later in their careers and at a higher weight (cruiser or hw).

Yeah, Toney was a real throwback fighter. A bit like Mayweather in that he benefited tremendously from receiving a *proper* boxing education which stressed the importance of head movement and counter-punching. Not that Nunn was incompetent by any means.

It's a pity he didn't acquit himself well against Roy Jones because regardless of how talented Roy was there was no way Toney should have gone down that comprehensively.

Whether it was arrogance on his part, poor attention to fitness and conditioning etc. I'm not sure. But Toney was a much better fighter than that bout suggested.

If we live in a world with multiple time lines, with the binery property of winning/losing a boxing match, with odds that are always overpowered by sheer possibility...So that if a fighter is an eight to two underdog, there does not really have to be so many outcomes for the underdog to win...

But I digress as usual. My point is there could easily be a scenario where Toney prepared himself properly and the fight had a very different ebb and flow. Imagine waking up one day, your dog does not quite look like your dog exactly, and you go on Youtube to look up the Jones Toney fight and to your utter amazement it states that Toney won, or lost a close decision. Lol.

[Mugwump]

My point is that - unlike, say Leonard and Duran in their first fight when both fighters were not far short of their best - the Jones vs Toney fight was one in which only Jones seemed to turn up. Part of that can be explained by Jones' performance. But only part...

[QueensburyRules]

- -I keep on hearing the myth of how skilled Toney was, and certainly he was skilled enough to become a mainstay contender/champ, but nobody yet has ever been able to provide that fight against a top class opponent where the viewer was in awe of his demonstrable skills.

I'm still waiting!

[ShoulderRoll]

- -I keep on hearing the myth of how skilled Toney was, and certainly he was skilled enough to become a mainstay contender/champ, but nobody yet has ever been able to provide that fight against a top class opponent where the viewer was in awe of his demonstrable skills.

I'm still waiting!

You've never seen the Mike McCallum fights I take it? Or the Iran Barkley and Jirov fights either?

[Hank19]

He was released from prison last month after serving 15 years. Apparently found religion and became a vegetarian while incarcerated.

James Toney had his number in the ring but Michael was pretty formidable in my opinion. Had wins over Starling, Curry, Roldan, Barkley, Kalambay.

Nunn was ridiculously talented but he fell prey to drugs.
I believe he was already dabbling when he fought Toney.
I watched that fight and as great as Toney became and as good as he was at that time, Nunn was winning that fight handily. He just got caught.

I would have loved to see a prime Nunn fight RJJ at 160.