 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | May 10, 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | John O'Donnell Stadium, Davenport, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | IBF middleweight title | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toney wins via 11th-round TKO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Nunn vs. James Toney , billed as Rumble on the Riverbank, was a professional boxing match contested on May 10, 1991, for the IBF middleweight title. [1]
In the midst of a near three-year reign as the IBF middleweight champion, Michael Nunn, with help from his promoter Bob Arum, successfully lobbied for and received a chance to defend his title in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa. Arum had originally declined Nunn's proposal for a hometown fight, but eventually relented when riverboat casino tycoon John E. Connelly, owner of the Davenport, Iowa-based The President riverboat casino, offered to underwrite the fight. When the fight was officially announced, Connelly bought $100,000 worth of tickets as well. [2]
With Nunn in need of an opponent, Arum contacted the then-little-known and undefeated James Toney, the IBF's fifth ranked middleweight contender, and offered him the opportunity to face Nunn, promising him a career-high $45,000 purse and a three-fight contract worth $1,000,000 should he defeat Nunn, which Toney accepted. As Toney had only faced marginal competition up that point, he was installed as a massive 20–1 underdog by oddsmakers. [3] Nunn admitted at the pre-fight press conference that bringing a title fight to his native city "meant the world" to him. [4]
Nunn's team originally eyed Carver–Hawkeye Arena, home to the University of Iowa's basketball teams, as the site for the bout, but the school rejected the offer. Instead, minor league baseball team Quad Cities River Bandits' home ballpark John O'Donnell Stadium was chosen as it was determined to be the only venue big enough to accommodate the fight. The Nunn–Barkley was first world title fight to be held in Iowa in over 90 years, with the Jimmy Barry–Casper Leon fight for the world bantamweight title in 1898 being the last. [5]
For a large majority of the fight, Nunn thoroughly outboxed Toney, using his jab and elusiveness to keep the pursuing Toney off-balance and countering Toney's punches with rapid combinations of his own, and had built up a sizable lead on the all three scorecards. However, midway through the eleventh, Toney landed a straight right hand that sent the retreating Nunn forcefully into the ropes. A stunned Nunn attempted to trade punches with Toney in the middle of the ring, but was caught with another right hand followed by a huge left hook that immediately sent Nunn down on his back. Nunn barely answered the referee's 10-count, getting back up at the count of nine. After confirming with referee Dennis Nelson that he wanted to continue, Nunn was quickly sent staggering into the ropes after which Toney landed consecutive right hands that sent Nunn down to his knees. After the knockdown, Nelson stopped the fight just as Nunn's trainer Angelo Dundee threw in the white towel to signify surrender. [6]
After the loss, Nunn moved up a weight division to super middleweight.
Confirmed bouts: [7]
| Weight Class | Weight | vs. | Method | Round | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | 160 lbs. | James Toney | def | Michael Nunn (c) | TKO | 11/12 | Note 1 |
| Light Flyweight | 108 lbs. | Michael Carbajal (c) | def | Héctor Patri | UD | 12/12 | Note 2 |
| Super Lightweight | 140 lbs. | Vince Phillips | def. | David Taylor | UD | 10/10 | |
| Cruiserweight | 190 lbs. | Frank Lux | def. | Lon Liebergen | TKO | 7/10 |
^Note 1 For IBF middleweight title
^Note 2 For IBF light flyweight title
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | Sky Sports |
 United States | HBO |
James Nathaniel Toney is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and lineal middleweight titles from 1991 to 1993, the IBF super middleweight title from 1993 to 1994, and the IBF cruiserweight title in 2003. Toney also challenged twice for a world heavyweight title in 2005 and 2006, and was victorious the first time but was later stripped due to a failed drug test. Overall, he competed in fifteen world title fights across four weight classes.
Modern Woodmen Park is a minor league baseball venue located in Davenport, Iowa. It is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Since 1987, St. Ambrose University plays all of its home baseball games there as well. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, in the shadow of the Centennial Bridge, home run balls to right field often land in the river.
Michael John Nunn is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2002. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the IBF middleweight title from 1988 to 1991, and the WBA super middleweight title from 1992 to 1994. During both those reigns, he also held the lineal championship. In 2004, Nunn was sentenced to 24 years in prison for drug trafficking; he was released in February 2019.
Iran Barkley is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBC middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, the IBF super middleweight title from 1992 to 1993, and the WBA light heavyweight title in 1992. As an amateur boxer, Barkley won a bronze medal in the middleweight division at the 1982 World Championships.
Riddick Bowe vs. Jesse Ferguson, billed as "The Heavyweight Debate", was a professional boxing match contested on May 22, 1993, for the WBA and Lineal Heavyweight championships. The fight took place in RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, was Bowe's second defense of the title he had won from Evander Holyfield in November 1992, and was the main event of a card that included a fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins for the vacant IBF middleweight championship, which Jones won.
Tommy Morrison vs. Michael Bentt, billed as The Tulsa Shootout, was a professional boxing match contested on October 29, 1993 for the WBO Heavyweight championship.
James Toney vs. Roy Jones Jr., billed as The Uncivil War, was a professional boxing match held on November 18, 1994, for the IBF super middleweight championship.
Evander Holyfield vs. James Toney, billed as "The War on October 4", was a professional boxing match contested on October 4, 2003.
Thomas Hearns vs. James Kinchen was a professional boxing match contested on November 4, 1988, for the NABF and the inaugural WBO super middleweight titles.
Michael Nunn vs. Iran Barkley, billed as Thunder in the Night, was a professional boxing match contested on August 14, 1989, for the IBF middleweight title.
Nigel Benn vs. Iran Barkley was a professional boxing match contested on August 18, 1990, for the WBO middleweight title.
Darrin Van Horn vs. Iran Barkley, billed as Champions and Olympians was a professional boxing match contested on January 10, 1992, for the IBF super middleweight title.
Iran Barkley vs. James Toney, billed as Two Angry Men, was a professional boxing match contested on February 13, 1993, for the IBF super middleweight title.
Michael Nunn vs. Sumbu Kalambay, billed as Premier Battle, was a professional boxing match contested on March 25, 1989, for the IBF middleweight title. The fight won The Ring magazine's inaugural knockout of the year award for 1989.
Michael Nunn vs. Marlon Starling was a professional boxing match contested on April 14, 1990, for the IBF middleweight title.
Frank Tate vs. Michael Nunn, billed as Power Struggle, was a professional boxing match contested on July 28, 1988, for the IBF middleweight title.
James Toney vs. Mike McCallum was a professional boxing match contested on December 13, 1991, for the IBF middleweight title.
James Toney vs. Mike McCallum II, billed as Once Is Not Enough, was a professional boxing match contested on August 29, 1992, for the IBF middleweight title.
Jimmi Bredahl vs. Oscar De La Hoya was a professional boxing match contested on March 5, 1994 for the WBO super featherweight title.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Jorge Páez was a professional boxing match contested on July 29, 1994, for the vacant WBO lightweight title. The fight co-headlined the Top Rank–produced boxing card The Grand Rumble.