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Michael Nunn vs. Sumbu Kalambay

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Premier Battle
DateMarch 25, 1989
VenueLas Vegas Hilton, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Title(s) on the lineIBF middleweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer Michael Nunn Sumbu Kalambay
Nickname Second to (Nunn) Patrizio
Hometown Davenport, Iowa, U.S. Chiaravalle, Marche, Italy
Purse $1,100,000 $400,000
Pre-fight record 32–0 (22 KO) 46–3–1 (26 KO)
Age 25 years, 11 months 32 years, 11 months
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg) 159 lb (72 kg)
Style Southpaw Orthodox
Recognition IBF
Middleweight Champion
WBA
Middleweight Champion
Result
Nunn wins via 1st-round KO

Michael Nunn vs. Sumbu Kalambay, billed as Premier Battle, was a professional boxing match contested on March 25, 1989, for the IBF middleweight title.[1] The fight won The Ring magazine's inaugural knockout of the year award for 1989.[2]

Background

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In January 1989, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank announced his intentions to create a middleweight unification series in order to crown an undisputed middleweight champion.[3] Arum's initial plans called for Michael Nunn, the IBF middleweight middleweight champion, to face WBA middleweight champion Sumbu Kalambay in a unification bout that March and then move on to face the winner of the Iran BarkleyRoberto Durán fight that would take place one month before the Nunn–Kalambay fight for Barkley's WBC middleweight champion.[4] These plans were derailed almost immediately when the WBA refused to sanction the Nunn–Kalambay fight, instead mandating that Kalambay face their number-one ranked contender Herol Graham, though Kalambay decided to go through with facing Nunn leading to the WBA to strip him of their title.[5] Angered by the WBA's decision, Arum criticized the organization, stating that the WBA was "extorting sanctioning fees" and acting "unlawfully" by stripping Kalambay.[6] At the insistence of Arum, Kalambay was still introduced as the WBA middleweight champion by announcer Michael Buffer during the pre-fight introductions. Kalambay, not largely known in the United States and seven years older than Nunn, was installed as a 4–1 underdog by oddsmakers.[7]

The fight

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The fight would last just over one minute. The two fighters started the fight trying to establish their jabs, though the taller Nunn was having much more success than Kalambay. Than with seventy seconds having gone by, Kalambay threw a jab that missed Nunn, who countered with a big left hand that caught Kalambay flush and sent him down on his back. Kalambay hardly made an attempt to get back up as he was counted out by the referee, giving Nunn the knockout victory after only 1:28 of action.[8]

Fight card

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Confirmed bouts:[9]

Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round Notes
Middleweight 160 lbs. Michael Nunn (c) def Sumbu Kalambay KO 1/12 Note 1
Cruiserweight 190 lbs. Yawe Davis def Randy Leaks UD 6/6
Middleweight 160 lbs. Dan Sherry def. Scott Sharp UD 6/6
Cruiserweight 190 lbs. Al Cole def. Lorenzo Thomas TKO 3/4
Super Lightweight 140 lbs. Charles Murray def Benjamin Quintero TKO 2/4
Super Bantamweight 122 lbs. Kennedy McKinney def. Charles Hawkins TKO 1/4
Light Heavyweight 175 lbs. Andrew Maynard def. Rodney Brown TKO 2/4
Super Welterweight 154 lbs. Robert Wangila def. Louis Saucedo UD 4/4

^Note 1 For IBF middleweight title

Broadcasting

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Country Broadcaster
 United States HBO
 Thailand Channel 7

References

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  1. ^ "Michael Nunn vs. Sumbu Kalambay". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ On this day: Michael Nunn scores spectacular KO 1 win over Sumbu Kalambay, The Ring article, 2022-03-25 Retrieved on 2024-09-04
  3. ^ Arum Makes Big Plans, NY Times article, 1989-01-11 Retrieved on 2024-09-04
  4. ^ Promoter Bob Arum Tuesday outlined a series of fights..., UPI article, 1989-01-10 Retrieved on 2024-09-06
  5. ^ Nevada commission says Kalambay not champion, UPI article, 1989-03-24 Retrieved on 2024-09-06
  6. ^ Boxing promoter Bob Arum blasted the World..., LA Times article, 1989-03-14 Retrieved on 2024-09-04
  7. ^ Kalambay Is Fighting for Name Recognition, LA Times article, 1989-03-25 Retrieved on 2024-09-06
  8. ^ One Punch, 88 Seconds Are All Nunn Needs to KO Kalambay, LA Times article, 1989-03-26 Retrieved on 2024-09-06\
  9. ^ "BoxRec - event".
Preceded by Michael Nunn's bouts
25 March 1989
Succeeded by
Preceded by Sumbu Kalambay's bouts
25 March 1989
Succeeded by
vs. Tony Powell
Awards
New award The Ring Knockout of the Year
1989
Next:
John Mugabi vs. Terry Norris