RSSMike Nixon
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Mike Nixon: So Close, Yet So Far
If a fighter had “future champ” stamped on his forehead, Mike Nixon did. He was a smooth boxer with a good punch. He had solid skills and a lot of heart. He was a real crowd pleaser. For all the attributes Mike had he lacked one thing… The ability to take a good punch. He was stopped six times in his thirty seven bout career. In fact he stopped in three rounds by Larry Davis in his pro debut in 1970. Mike was a raw eighteen year old kid at the time and he showed the grit and determination to come back and win thirteen in a row. In 1971 he was halted in nine by George Davis. In 1972 he was kayoed twice by Art Davis. Mike learned to stay away from guys with the last name of Davis.
Mike would reel off eight victories in a row plus a ninth round no contest against the rated David Love in 1974. In 1975 he lost a decision to Olympic Gold Medal winner Sugar Ray Seales. He then scored an upset points verdict over future light heavyweight champion, Mike Rossman. The rematch produced one of the most devastating knockouts I’ve ever seen. In the seventh round of a close and competitive fight, Rossman launched a right hand that landed like a guided missile on Nixon’s jaw. Need I say “lights out”? It was one of the hardest punches I’ve ever seen landed.