As Steppingstone, Robertson’s Threat Is Second to Nunn

Every young fighter needs his share of steppingstones to make his way along the road to a title.

Michael Nunn, of North Hollywood’s Ten Goose boxing organization, is just such a fighter. The middleweight has won all 10 of his professional fights, the first eight by knockout. Many boxing people see him on course for a title shot in a year to 18 months.

That’s all fine and dandy, unless you happen to be one of his steppingstones.

Billy Robertson is Nunn’s next opponent. The two will meet Tuesday night at the Forum on a card that will feature Prince Mamah Mohammed fighting J. B. Williamson for the WBC light heavyweight title vacated by Michael Spinks.

Robertson, as might be expected, plans on forcing Nunn into taking a little detour from his road to success.

“All this talk about Nunn just makes Billy mad,” says James Wallace, his manager. “He doesn’t plan on being used as a steppingstone for anybody. He figures people think he’s washed up.”

Such thinking is understandable.

In January of 1984, Robertson appeared to have arrived. In only his third year as a professional, he took a 10-round decision over Jeff Stoudmire to win the middleweight title of a Forum boxing tournament.

Now, he may be ready to depart unless he can become the stepper instead of the stone on Tuesday night.

Robertson, 30, has lost his last four fights to lower his record to 10-5, with eight knockouts. He lost his Forum title earlier this year when he was knocked out by Lindell Holmes in the 12th round. He then lost a 10-round decision at the Forum to Jack Padia, was knocked out in the seventh round of a San Diego fight against unbeaten Tim Williams and lost to Sean Mannion in the eighth round of their October fight in Irvine.

“He should have won his last two fights, the only two fights I managed him,” Wallace says.

“I think he had fought too many tough opponents in a row. Now, at this point, we just want to see what we have.”

When it comes to tough opponents, Nunn is not exactly chopped liver. But Robertson has a plan. He may be lacking in victories, but not confidence.

“I’m tired of hearing about Michael Nunn,” he says. “I’m going to put a loss on his card. This is like a world championship fight to me. People say I’m through. Well, I’m not finished. I’m just begining to fight. I’m going to be the one to retire Marvin Hagler.”

Robertson is a body puncher with a good left hook. Nunn is a dancer, a finesse fighter who used those skills to thoroughly outclass his last opponent, Jorge Amparo, over eight rounds last month in Las Vegas. Comparing styles, it would seem as if Tuesday night’s 10-round fight might follow the same course.

No way, says Robertson

“This will be no fun for Michael Nunn. He’s in a lot of trouble. I will cut off the ring on him,” the Los Angeles middleweight insists. “After three rounds of taking shots to the body, he has got to stand and fight me. And that’s something I figure he doesn’t want to do.”

Says Wallace, “We will have a couple of surprises. Nunn will last seven, eight rounds at the most.”

Nunn, 22, shrugs off such talk.

“That’s easy to say, hard to do,” Nunn says. “Robertson is just another fighter to me. If he makes a mistake, it’ll end early.”

On one point, the two camps agree: this fight will not go the distance.

Nunn was booed by the Las Vegas crowd that watched him stay away from the dangerous Amparo. He would like to get back to knocking out opponents.

The fight will also test Nunn’s stamina. He seemed to tire in the final rounds of the Amparo fight, losing his effective jab. Tuesday night, he will be extending himself further, perhaps going 10 rounds for the first time.

On the road Nunn has taken, the bumps only figure to get bigger, the steppingstones rougher.

Another Ten Goose fighter, bantamweight Manny Olivas, will also be on the Forum card. Olivas will be seeking his sixth win in seven professional fights when he meets Lonnie Bryant in a scheduled five-rounder.

The Forum program, containing eight bouts in all, begins at 7 p.m.