After the less than scintillating win over Duran in December of 1989, Ray was put on the shelf for months. The huge gash caused by the Duran right needed plastic surgery to repair, and Leonard couldn’t make any decisions on a next opponent.
Michael Nunn was the middleweight champion of the world at the time, and have beaten all contenders. Since he was young and tall and easily could have gone up a few pounds to challenge Ray, Leonard really wanted no part of him. Even after his eye healed, he chose to stay dormant and didn’t mention any names in particular. He stayed busy as the HBO color man, and seemed content just doing that.
In the fall Ray decided to challenge the young Terry Norris for his WBC super welterweight belt. Norris had knocked out faded John Mugabi in March of 1990 for the crown, and beat a weak at best fighter named Rene Jacquot in July by a decision.
Sugar Ray said he wanted to figure out if he was the fighter for the nineties, and that if he couldn’t beat Norris, he should quit.
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