How many of you believe Michael Nunn had a style to beat Roy Jones?

[FinitoElDinamita]

Why or why not?

[blegit]

Wow, I get enough of this at home. I'm from Davenport, Iowa so that is all I hear. Everybody thinks that RJJ ducked or wanted none of Nunn and that Nunn could have beaten him. I think Nunn was quite a problem for most but RJJ in his prime was something special. Nunn was just good/great. He'd have to land a shot to turn the fight his way. I can't see him or anyone outboxing a prime RJJ.

[X]

Nunn was big, strong, fast and young. I do think he would have given Jones all sorts of problems. I really rate Roy Jones, but we seem to be rewriting a lot of history about how good he was.


The divisions he was in (especially light heavy) were pretty weak while he was around. Can't criticise the guy for fighting whoever was there, but we never saw him in with a Nunn, a Benn or a Eubank ....... never mind a prime Calzaghe, Spinks or Foster.

[JonesJrMayweather]

Jones' power is often over looked, plus he was equally as smart, and ungodly fast by comparison to Nunn. Truth about Jones career is that no one ever outboxed him during his prime. He was starched cold at 35 after shedding weight. Hard to see Nunn beating Jones.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Thankfully after much thought, this is an answer I can keep short but sweet.

Technically yes, but no.

[ICB]

Wow, I get enough of this at home. I'm from Davenport, Iowa so that is all I hear. Everybody thinks that RJJ ducked or wanted none of Nunn and that Nunn could have beaten him. I think Nunn was quite a problem for most but RJJ in his prime was something special. Nunn was just good/great. He'd have to land a shot to turn the fight his way. I can't see him or anyone outboxing a prime RJJ.

RJJ was only a novice when Michael Nunn was at his best, remember Michael Nunn's prime didn't last long. After the Sumbu Kalambay fight he went downhill, he struggled against both Starling, Barkley, then got KO'ed by James Toney.

But yes the Michael Nunn who beat up Frank Tate, would give RJJ all sorts of problems. A tall slick Southpaw is one of the worst style match ups for RJJ.

[Master]

Nunn at his best would have given Roy problems but so would Roy to Nunn. As ICB said there primes never crossed and by the time Roy was top dog Nunn was all but finished.

[blegit]

Wow, I get enough of this at home. I'm from Davenport, Iowa so that is all I hear. Everybody thinks that RJJ ducked or wanted none of Nunn and that Nunn could have beaten him. I think Nunn was quite a problem for most but RJJ in his prime was something special. Nunn was just good/great. He'd have to land a shot to turn the fight his way. I can't see him or anyone outboxing a prime RJJ.

RJJ was only a novice when Michael Nunn was at his best, remember Michael Nunn's prime didn't last long. After the Sumbu Kalambay fight he went downhill, he struggled against both Starling, Barkley, then got KO'ed by James Toney.

But yes the Michael Nunn who beat up Frank Tate, would give RJJ all sorts of problems. A tall slick Southpaw is one of the worst style match ups for RJJ.

Yes, I agree that when Nunn peaked RJJ was just coming on but there was a point at Lt Heavy when they could've crossed paths with each other. Nunn was still formidable and world class. I think this was when Nunn just KOed Guthrie. Echols told me RJJ agreed verbally to Nunn in person that they should fight but then would not negotiate the possible fight. I always wondered if there was truth to this but I haven't any real proof.

[FinitoElDinamita]

Wow, I get enough of this at home. I'm from Davenport, Iowa so that is all I hear. Everybody thinks that RJJ ducked or wanted none of Nunn and that Nunn could have beaten him. I think Nunn was quite a problem for most but RJJ in his prime was something special. Nunn was just good/great. He'd have to land a shot to turn the fight his way. I can't see him or anyone outboxing a prime RJJ.

RJJ was only a novice when Michael Nunn was at his best, remember Michael Nunn's prime didn't last long. After the Sumbu Kalambay fight he went downhill, he struggled against both Starling, Barkley, then got KO'ed by James Toney.

But yes the Michael Nunn who beat up Frank Tate, would give RJJ all sorts of problems. A tall slick Southpaw is one of the worst style match ups for RJJ.

Exactly.. Nunn's prime was cut short because of drugs. Pre-Drug Nunn has more than a good chance to beat Roy imo..

[chinchekked]

Difficult to say to be honest because Roy was such an oddity in so many senses. In Roy's prime there was no style to beat him because he was just a dominant athlete. Roy seemed to do a lot of things on the fly when in the ring so to pinpoint a style to defeat him is almost impossible, sure Nunn was a tall southpaw just like Tarver so the comparisons will imminently flow but Roy just got caught with a hellacious shot. It's not like he was outboxed andsystematically broken down so my answer is that I have no clue but I will say this.....Nunn was no slouch!!!!

[JazMerkin]

Nunn was big, strong, fast and young. I do think he would have given Jones all sorts of problems. I really rate Roy Jones, but we seem to be rewriting a lot of history about how good he was.


The divisions he was in (especially light heavy) were pretty weak while he was around. Can't criticise the guy for fighting whoever was there, but we never saw him in with a Nunn, a Benn or a Eubank ....... never mind a prime Calzaghe, Spinks or Foster.

This is exactly how I feel. He was an excellent fighter in his prime, but I've seen people act like he never lost a round from going pro to the first Tarver fight.

Nunn would be difficult, I'd favour Jones, but you never know. Jones certainly knew what fighters to fight & not to. He always made sure that he never even went near negotiations with Frankie Liles, who reportedly more than had his number in the amateurs & I thought beat him in their box-off. I can really see that one being difficult for him in the pros.

I know the obvious thing that people say is that 'oh that's the amateurs it means nothing in the pros' or that Liles wasn't on the same level as a pro, but who would have thought that Vernon Forrest would decisively beat Shane Mosley twice if they hadn't fought.

[JonesJrMayweather]

Nunn was big, strong, fast and young. I do think he would have given Jones all sorts of problems. I really rate Roy Jones, but we seem to be rewriting a lot of history about how good he was.


The divisions he was in (especially light heavy) were pretty weak while he was around. Can't criticise the guy for fighting whoever was there, but we never saw him in with a Nunn, a Benn or a Eubank ....... never mind a prime Calzaghe, Spinks or Foster.

This is exactly how I feel. He was an excellent fighter in his prime, but I've seen people act like he never lost a round from going pro to the first Tarver fight.

Nunn would be difficult, I'd favour Jones, but you never know. Jones certainly knew what fighters to fight & not to. He always made sure that he never even went near negotiations with Frankie Liles, who reportedly more than had his number in the amateurs & I thought beat him in their box-off. I can really see that one being difficult for him in the pros.

I know the obvious thing that people say is that 'oh that's the amateurs it means nothing in the pros' or that Liles wasn't on the same level as a pro, but who would have thought that Vernon Forrest would decisively beat Shane Mosley twice if they hadn't fought.

Actually it was RJJ who had his number. Roy beat him both times they fought. So even with the Forrest Theory your argument supports RJJ beating Liles. Its that kind of misinformation that gets passed around constantly, and part of the reason why i don't listen to old timers opinions about old era fighters. Because even in modern times with guys still fighting people fuck up the truth, start bullshit rumors or never challenge them.

[Hulk]

No one at the time had the style to beat Roy Jones Jr.

Montel Griffin came the closest, and even he got knocked out twice, except they called one of them a DQ.

Nunn was a very good technical boxer, but that wouldn't work against Roy, because Roy was so unorthodox, lightning fast and as JonesJrMayweather said, Roy was very powerful.

Toney KO'd Nunn, and I expect Roy would have as well.

[Spicoli]

Nunn was a capable cutie. Roy was a much quicker and frankly more confident hurtful cutie when this match mattered most, a very short window at 168. Nunn got whipped by Cordoba 1st time around and came a bit lackadaisical when it mattered most afterwards to me. He was out guiled and out quicked by Steve Littles (rip) before he went to lt hvy! I can see Nunn having that half cocked smirk and rolling out and giving Roy some thoughts and Jones just being to fast, too short a hooker and shifty of foot placement for Nunn. Really comes down to styles mostly, Nunn would afford him room and time.

[JazMerkin]

This is exactly how I feel. He was an excellent fighter in his prime, but I've seen people act like he never lost a round from going pro to the first Tarver fight.

Nunn would be difficult, I'd favour Jones, but you never know. Jones certainly knew what fighters to fight & not to. He always made sure that he never even went near negotiations with Frankie Liles, who reportedly more than had his number in the amateurs & I thought beat him in their box-off. I can really see that one being difficult for him in the pros.

I know the obvious thing that people say is that 'oh that's the amateurs it means nothing in the pros' or that Liles wasn't on the same level as a pro, but who would have thought that Vernon Forrest would decisively beat Shane Mosley twice if they hadn't fought.

Actually it was RJJ who had his number. Roy beat him both times they fought. So even with the Forrest Theory your argument supports RJJ beating Liles. Its that kind of misinformation that gets passed around constantly, and part of the reason why i don't listen to old timers opinions about old era fighters. Because even in modern times with guys still fighting people fuck up the truth, start bullshit rumors or never challenge them.

My god! You're like Roy Jones' chief of propaganda. They fought FOUR times. I've seen two of those fights. Of the two I haven't seen, Liles apparently clearly won one, while Jones closely won another. Some have claimed that was controversial, but having not seen it, he gets the benefit of the doubt.

Of the two that I have seen, the first was a fight in the National Championships. Liles absolutely batters him. He completely dominates him & hurts him badly a couple of times. The other is in the box-off for the 88 Olympics. I personally think that on current scoring criteria or that of the time, Liles deserved the win, but it's not a robbery. Still, from what I saw, I think Liles could have given him real trouble, although I wouldn't back him for the W.

Still, I'd say that's the one guy Roy really should have fought.