Nunn Offers Shape of Things to Come

Watching Michael Nunn of North Hollywood dance and bob and weave around Frank Tate on Thursday night at Caesars Palace to win the International Boxing Federation middleweight title, shifting gears from the Ali Shuffle to a flat-footed, in-your-face, aggressive style without appearing to breathe hard, it might be difficult to believe Nunn ever had a conditioning problem.

Believe it.

Bob Surkein remembers a different time. While chairman of the Amateur Boxing Federation, Surkein discovered Nunn in Davenport, Iowa.

“He was the greatest two-round fighter who ever lived,” Surkein said. “But by the third round, he was looking for a new home. He had no one to train him, to discipline him.”

That, of course, all changed in 1984 when Nunn turned pro and signed with the Ten Goose Boxing Club of North Hollywood. The first thing that changed was his conditioning, which improved dramatically under the watchful eye of trainer Joe Goossen.

The rest took a little more time.

It took Thursday night’s ninth-round knockout of Tate to finally shatter the arguments of those who questioned Nunn’s ability to punch and his ability to handle a world-ranked opponent with his run-and-gun style.

Even in a Friday morning news conference, his point having been indelibly made 12 hours earlier, Nunn couldn’t resist correcting a reporter who asked about his running style.

“People call it running,” said Nunn, a grin spread across his unmarked face. “It’s boxing.”

Semantics aside, Nunn seemed a perfect mix of the two Thursday. For weeks, Tate had heard over and over how he’d have to chase Nunn all over the ring if he hoped to win the fight.

So what did Nunn do? At the opening bell, he stormed across the ring and became the aggressor.

“I wanted to gain respect,” Nunn explained. “Both my trainer, Joe, and Mr. Surkein told me to take control of the fight from the start. I knew once I got a lead in the fight, it would not be about catching up. I knew my speed would kill him because I can be a consistent puncher with it. Speed kills all the time.”

So what now? The unbeaten Nunn has always been a busy fighter, with 31 bouts in a little less than four years. He’s already fought four times this year alone. But champions generally fight only about twice a year. Which schedule will Nunn adhere to?

His manager, Dan Goossen, while still savoring the championship victory, is already talking about Nunn’s first defense, possibly at Caesars Palace in October.

It won’t be against either of the other two world middleweight champs--Iran Barkley of the World Boxing Council and Sumbu Kalambay of the World Boxing Assn. Barkley, troubled by scar tissue over his eyes, may not fight for six to nine months. Kalambay lives in Italy and likes to fight there.

For now, Nunn’s handlers are saying thanks, but no thanks, to that.

“Anytime you fight out of the country, you may be just handing the fight away,” Surkein said. “Kalambay has a way of eking out a win. We’d be crazy to go over there.”

But Nunn, 25, will be going somewhere.

“I don’t want to get lazy,” he said. “I’m not going to rest on my laurels. I want to make as much money as possible. The title is not really yours anyway. You just borrow it, so you might as well enjoy it while you have it.”