Nuncio Begins Sparring with Walton for Pro Debut

After Raul Nuncio's close decision loss at the held at Madison Square Garden, the Glen Cove fighter has resumed training, this time for a much bigger task: he has decided to turn pro.

at the age of 30, has competed in the Golden Gloves and won Novice gold, Open silver, and placed in the semifinals – coming up short against Swedish Olympic star Naim Terbunja.

Nuncio stepped in the ring on Wednesday, May 25, to move around with pro boxer George Walton – a trainer at the gym who's been in the ring with the biggest names in the sport – including Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya, and Danny Jacobs. Walton also starred in the Oscar-nominated documentary film On The Ropes.

"Over the years, I've seen Raul progress tremendously," said Walton. "He absorbs a lot, he's always willing to learn. He's ready psychologically, but right now I think physically he needs to tighten up a little more, which will come with more sparring."

Nuncio's trainer, Eddie O'Boyle, agrees: "We're going to keep putting him in the ring with George, to see if he can handle the pressure, and then we'll start getting him in with some other guys, and we'll make our decision on the future," he said.

The fighter will soon visit the booming fight town of Las Vegas, to meet with a familiar face and former Glen Cove resident Tim Lane, who has made quite a name for himself in Las Vegas, and is now a prominent trainer at Randy Couture's Xtreme Couture gym.

Nuncio's visit of the Sin City will be strictly business, with one objective - get in the ring with boxing's best and brightest, and gain the extra bit of seasoning to launch his professional career.

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