Michael Nunn kept his title, but his reputation took a beating.
The unbeaten Nunn displeased many of the fans and infuriated Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. in retaining the International Boxing Federation middleweight championship Monday night."I'm seriously considering terminating the relationship," Arum said after Nunn beat Iran Barkley on a 12-round majority decision.
Then the promoter went further.
"We had a promotional agreement for one more fight and we're going to release him from it."
Arum also promoted Nunn's first two title defenses.
It was how Nunn won that upset Arum. The victory was workmanlike, but unspectacular.
"People who go to boxing matches are no different that people who go to any other entertainment. They want to be entertained," Arum said. "He won technically, but who gives a damn."
"I beat him more easily than Thomas Hearns or Roberto Duran," Nunn said.
Actually, Hearns lost to Barkley, getting stopped in the third round and losing the World Boxing Council title on June 6, 1988. Duran took the WBC title from Barkley on a 12-round split decision in an exciting match last Feb. 24.
Watching Nunn boost his record to 34-0 were Duran, who boxed a three-round exhibition before an estimated crowd of 6,500; Sugar Ray Leonard, who was a commentator for HBO television, and Emanuel Steward, who manages and trains Hearns.
Leonard and Duran will stage a long-awaited rubber match on Dec. 7 at Las Vegas, but Steward said before the fight that Hearns was interested in fighting Nunn, possibly next spring.
"I think before Michael Nunn can be mentioned in the same breath as Hearns, Leonard and Duran, he has to really go back to basics," Steward said.
Leonard felt that Nunn might be too concerned with being overshadowed by Leonard, Duran and Hearns.
"He's a talented champion," Leonard said, "but he's lost perspective."
Nunn, who had scored 23 knockouts in his first 33 fights, including an 88-second victory over Sumbu Kalamby in his previous defense, entered the ring as a 6 1/2-1 favorite.
One person who didn't appear disenchanted with the match was Barkley.
"Mike fought a great fight and I fought a great fight," Barkley said. "That's all I can say.
"Let's do it again," Barkley said to Nunn.
"I'm ready for that if you are, Iran," Nunn said.
The boxers definitely were in the minority in wanting a rematch.
The 26-year-old Nunn had much faster hands and quicker feet than the 29-year-old challenger. But while he often controlled the pace, Nunn never established dominance as he mixed boxing and punching.
Barkley, who at 160 weighed one pound more than the champion, kept applying pressure and started getting to Nunn in the late rounds.
Nunn's movment and quick punching inside didn't really impress the judges.
Keith McDonald had Barkley leading by one point going into the final round, but gave that round to Nunn for a 114-114 score.
Glen Hamada scored it 115-113 and Art Luri scored it 116-113, both for Nunn.
"He's a lot stronger than I thought he was," Nunn said. "The judges have it a little closer than I thought it was."
There were no knockdowns, but Barkley was cut on the lower lip and over the left eye. Cutman Eddie Aliano kept the bleeding under control.
Barkley also was badly swollen about the left eye, but he never lost vision in the eyes.
Barkley, who got $400,000 to Nunn's $1.25 million, now has a 25-6 record with 16 knockouts.
The 38-year-old Duran, who weighed about 20 pounds over the 162-pound contract limit for his fight with Leonard, just went through the motions in three 2-minute rounds with Danny Morgan.
At the final bell, Duran leaned through the ropes and said to Leonard, "No more champagne."
The two old rivals laughed.