Nunn Fights Hard to Find a Boxer to Commit for Title Bout With Him

For North Hollywood middleweight Michael Nunn, the battles these days are being waged behind closed doors.

Nunn has pursued his dream of a world title with fancy footwork, a highly effective jab and a newly discovered knockout punch that has pushed his record to 27-0 with 18 knockouts, including six in his past seven fights.

But the final step in the struggle to get to the top is being fought with other weapons: money and influence.

Having won the North American Boxing Federation middleweight title by stopping Darnell Knox in four rounds last week in Las Vegas, Nunn naturally reasons he’s ready for a world title shot.

What are his options?

First there is Thomas Hearns.

Forget that.

Hearns, the World Boxing Council champ, is fighting in another stratosphere. He demands purses in the seven-figure area and opponents with seven-figure appeal, like a Marvin Hagler or a Sugar Ray Leonard. Talk now is centering on a Hearns-Hagler fight, possibly in April.

There is Sumbu Kalambay.

Forget him, too. At least for now.

Kalambay, the World Boxing Assn. champ, already is committed to fighting Mike McCallum, probably in late winter or early spring.

So that leaves the International Boxing Federation and its new middleweight champ, Frank Tate of Houston.

After their fighter beat Michael Olajide last month for the IBF title, Tate’s people began talking to the handlers of former champion Roberto Duran about a fight.

But when Duran reportedly asked for between $150,000 and $175,000 for such a

match, the search went elsewhere.

“The most Duran could expect is $75,000,” said Ron Katz, matchmaker for the Houston Boxing Assn., which owns Tate. “Before Hearns won his fourth title last week, a Duran fight was more attractive because he also had a chance for a fourth title. But Hearns has taken the luster off that.

“What Duran is asking for is now an unwarranted amount of money. There’ll be no fight unless he gets more realistic.”

So Tate’s search for an opponent has narrowed to two other possibilities: Nunn or British middleweight champion Tony Sibson.

The Nunn option, on the back burner several days ago, has moved to the front thanks to a big-money offer to Tate from promoter Bob Arum, who has Nunn under contract. How big, no one is saying at this point.

“There are still so many possibilities,” Katz said, “but the Nunn possibility stands out. This is not a guy we’re looking to duck.

“Personally, I would like to see Frank fight Michael Nunn. I would love for that fight to happen, not only from a financial standpoint, but because it would not be that hard of a fight. We know Frank can beat Nunn because he’s already done that, so the fight itself would be no problem.”

Nunn and Tate met twice as amateurs, splitting the two decisions.

“At this point, we need to build Frank up into a guy who can get a super fight,” Katz said, “something like Tate-Hearns. Frank needs more marquee value. To get that, our plan is to take fights like this.”

If Nunn and Tate should meet, it would probably be in Las Vegas in February, perhaps as part of a pay-per-view doubleheader, along with the Kalambay-McCallum fight.

Sounds good to Dan Goossen, Nunn’s manager.

“When all the words are said, if Tate’s people feel confident of winning,” Goossen said, “and if the money’s there, and the network’s there, or the cable situation is there, we’ll get the fight. From our standpoint, we want a world title, and the only way to get it is to fight Tate.

“But until I get confirmation, I don’t get too excited.”

A fight that is confirmed is tonight’s 10-round main event at The Country Club in Reseda between heavyweights Mike Hunter of Encino and Andre Smith of San Diego.

The entire six-fight Country Club card, washed out two weeks ago because of flood damage at the Country Club, will be held tonight with the first bell at 8.