Duck, parry, avoid...did Jones sidestep Nunn?

Whats your view on this one. Will always rate Jones more for his ability rather then his record and the only fighter I can think of who at their best could match him talent wise was Micheal Nunn.

If we go back to super middle in the early 90's then who do you guys pick?

Lets say the Nunn who beat Tate v the Jones who beat Toney?

who wins and how?

Jones all day for me in a head to head. Nunn a fantastic athlete and supremely gifted. Jones an even better athlete and even more gifted is the long and short of it, I think.

Even in the Tate fight, which was Nunn's absolute peak, Nunn was forced to digest some pretty big left hands (round 2, if I remember correctly) and Tate could arguably have been given a knockdown in the fifth (albeit it would have been a bit of a 'nothing' knock down). Nunn could pull some scary, ridiculous defensive moves using his speed and reflexes, and most of the time it worked, but he wasn't quite as elusive as Jones. Both took chances, but Nunn was always that little bit more likely to pay for it, I feel.

I think going by the form book, Nunn's only chance would have been at 160. At Super-Middleweight he was pretty average. Looked poor against Cordoba (I had him losing that one, and there were so few crisp counters or quicksilver flurries in that fight compared to his previous ones) and he went through the motions for twelve rounds against Little, too. Jones by close-ish decision at Middle, by stoppage at Super-Middle.

As for sidestepping Nunn, I don't think so. Nunn's last fight as a Middleweight came in 1991, by which time Jones, while developing nicely, was yet to hit world level. Jones was under his Dad's management and training at that point, and some say that Roy Sr was a bit too cautious in his matchmaking and progression of his son's career in the early days of it, but I tend to think that Jones' transition from promising Olympian to world title winner was smooth and quick enough.

And by the time Jones had announced himself as the Super-Middleweight to beat by outclassing Toney, Nunn's best form had been left behind.

I'll go with Nunn. The lightning straight flurries and long left uppercuts behind a busy southpaw jab would neutralize Roy's leaping hooks.

I don't think Nunn could get by 12 stanzas if he was on his bike constantly, I think Roy would find a leaping super shot at some point to buzz him and follow it up and do his pot shotting, if Nunn was playing runner.

But if Nunn pressed and let his hands go, Roy would have kittens trying to get off. Nunn was so better-rounded than Roy... incredibly smooth and flowing. I think Roy rather conveniently avoided the fight with Nunn at light-heavy, even though Nunn was many years past his best.

Nunn at his best, fighting the right fight, would decision Roy Jones.

Little and Liles were beating Nunn at the time while Jones was dominating Toney, does this not factor in at all?

Jones ran from Toney all night.

Nunn stood in front of Toney and outboxed him.

does this not factor?

Not when Toney caught up with Nunn and not when we're talking of a fight specifically in 1994 when there form lines were very different.

Roy looked ordinary against Hopkins, struggled with Griffin and Harding.

Toney was on a drip at hospital to keep him alive the night before Jones fight, Nunn fought a Toney in peak condition and didn't run like Roy did, he just stayed right in front of Toney and just completely out-boxed him. What he did against highly-talented undefeated Olympic/World champ Tate was out of this world, barely putting a foot or hand wrong, and more impressive than any of the excellent performances of Roy, to me. He had Roldan down in the first round and totally dominated, flurried Curry out of the ring. He was absolutely incredible, against top-notch opposition.

OneTwo, you were originally referring to a fight that could have happened at 168lbs, not a fantasy fight between the pair at their bests or in Jones' case his worst.

Aye, because the Jones fight was the only time in Toney's career that he took liberties in training and had to shed a load of timber in a big ol' rush beforehand, I guess!?

Nunn stood right in front of Toney and had his way with him for a long time, sure, but in the end he got slowed down with body shots and knocked out. I bet Michael wishes he'd spent those last few rounds 'running' from Toney the way Roy did!

There's no doubt that Nunn's speed, athleticism and unorthodoxy make him a nightmare for almost any Middleweight in history, and peak for peak Roy isn't going to have a cakewalk here, but I'd still feel confident making Jones the favourite. Just that little bit harder to hit, and once Nunn's tasted Roy's power, which was pretty freaky at 160 (not that Nunn was feather fisted, mind you!) I can imagine Nunn backing off and fighting very cagily, like he did against Barkley.

Nunn was an amazing talent, but what he did for a couple of fights or so, Jones did for countless fights, year after year.

Nunn represents what Tarver did for Jones jnr but quicker.

Nunn had size and speed Jones just had speed.