Unbeaten Nunn Knocks Out Davis in Second Round

LAS VEGAS —  Ten Goose Boxing had its feathers ruffled early Thursday night when Walter Sims lost a unanimous decision to Victor Acosta in the ESPN Western Regional Lightweight Championship at the Showboat Sports Pavilion.

But Michael Nunn quickly saved face for the Goossen family’s North Hollywood stable with a second-round knockout over Larry Davis in a middleweight bout two fights later.

Nunn and Davis were cautious in the first round of their scheduled six-rounder, but the winner quickly took control in the second.

Nunn, who weighed in at 159 3/4, hit Davis with an overhand left and followed with a combination, pinning Davis against the ropes.

Another flurry bounced Davis off the ropes and onto the canvas face first.

He stood up to the 10-count, but Nunn immediately moved in and, after a pair of hard lefts, referee James Molinell stopped the fight at the 1:15 mark.

“I just wanted to feel him out at first, so I took my time,” Nunn said. “Then I started picking it up. I set him up with a jab and came across with the left hand.”

The native of Davenport, Iowa, remained unbeaten with the win, improving to 6-0--all knockouts and five in the first round.

Sims, a 23-year-old Cleveland native, suffered only his second defeat against 14 wins and two draws in the scheduled eight-rounder.

The 135-pound right-hander last fought Oct. 11--a 10-round draw againt Martin Quiroz in Las Vegas--and said the eight-month layoff hurt.

“I really felt rusty. I’ve been sparring, but it’s not the same as fighting,” Sims said. “My timing was off, and I just couldn’t put any combinations together.”

Judge Cindy Martin scored it 78-74, while Lou Tabat and Hal Miller each had it 77-75 for Acosta.

The left-handed Acosta, from Puerto Rico, improved to 16-9-1.

Acosta opened a cut over Sim’s right eye in the second and dominated the early rounds.

Sims battled back and won the last three rounds, but Acosta stayed low and avoided any knockout attempts.

In a third ESPN Western Regional Championship fight, Gary Williams of Pomona knocked out Paul Barton of Portland at 1:16 of the second round in a wild lightweight fight.

Barton, with blood streaming from a cut over his left eye, floored Williams in the first round but fell himself in the second after taking a straight right hand.

Williams remained undefeated (10-0 with 7 KOs) with the win.

In the main event, Roman George of Lafayette, La., knocked out Zack Hewitt of Union City, Calif., at 2:58 of the ninth round to win the ESPN Western Regional Junior Middleweight Championship.