Nunn Will Play 2nd Fiddle to Hagler-Leonard Fight

Michael Nunn is about to perform in Las Vegas before the elite of the boxing world.

Unfortunately for the North Hollywood middleweight, this illustrious crowd is not coming to see him . The main objects of attention are a couple of guys named Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard.

But two days before that pair meets on April 6 in what is being called the fight of the decade, Nunn will face Charles Campbell in a 10-rounder in the same Caesars Palace ring. It is a chance for Nunn (21-0, 13 knockouts, ranked seventh by the World Boxing Council and ninth by the World Boxing Assn.) to make some new fans among the movers and shakers of the sport.

Nunn knows he can beat Campbell (16-3-1, 10 knockouts) of Fort Worth, Texas, because he’s already done that. Nunn won a unanimous eight-round decision over Campbell, also in Las Vegas, in 1985.

This time, the fight will be a semi-main event, preceding the North American Boxing Federation junior middleweight title fight between champion Donald Curry and challenger Carlos Santos.

Nunn’s next fight is also in the works. There are tentative plans to match him against Frank Tate (15-0, nine knockouts, ranked 17th by the WBC and 11th by the International Boxing Federation) of Houston. The fight would be held May 10 at as-yet-undetermined site and would be shown on either NBC or ABC. The other major bout on that card would match heavyweights Bert Cooper and Carl Williams.