Nunn Honor Can’t Make the Weight

Poor Michael Nunn.

Every fighter dreams of the day he can crack the Top 10. Whether it is the ratings of the World Boxing Association, the rival World Boxing Council or Ring Magazine, inclusion in the elite 10 in the world in any weight classification means a boxer has arrived.

Nunn figured he was close. An alternate for the 1984 U.S. Olympic boxing team, Nunn subsequently signed with the Ten Goose Boxing Club of North Hollywood and has proceeded to win all 15 of his professional fights, 11 by knockout.

And sure enough, the latest rankings of the WBA, out this week, show Nunn rated ninth--among junior middleweights.

Only problem is, Nunn is not a junior middleweight (156 pounds). Never has been. He’s a middleweight, fighting at 160.

It’s kind of like finding your California lottery ticket contains the winning number--in the New York lottery. Or that you’ve won a courtside seat for the NBA finals--at the Forum.

“I don’t care if they put him in with bantamweights,” says Dan Goossen, Nunn’s manager. “They are not rating junior middleweights; they are rating Michael Nunn. They are saying he’s the ninth best fighter in the world. It was just an accident, but the weight doesn’t matter at this point.”

Nunn, who has already had three fights this year, is scheduled to take on Jerry Holly next month at a still undetermined spot. Promoter Bob Arum is trying to find a Las Vegas site for the match. Holly, a sparring partner of middleweight champion Marvin Hagler, is 17-14 with 13 knockouts.

If Nunn can win that fight, who knows, he may be the next featherweight champion of the world.