is a boxing genius ! This fight with Holyfield (2003) that just was on espn2 ... pure work of great boxing artist ...:icon_twis
James Toney is, as he has often said, a born fighter. He innately picks things up in the ring that normal fighters (and some gifted ones) miss. He adjusts remarkably well, he gameplans on the fly as well as anyone, he anticipates punches, and he paces himself. That's why he's so frustrating. James Toney, properly motivated and in any type of shape, could outbox anybody on the planet from Middleweight to Heavyweight. Anybody. He's so undisciplined, though, that he's put himself in a position that he's struggling with heavyweight journeymen while still running his mouth. He'll always be one of my favorite fighters based on pure talent, but he's as frustrating as there's ever been in boxing or any other sport.
I'm with you on this one. A motivated Toney could hang with or beat almost anybody. The problem was getting him motivated enough to do it. I'm a fan of those classic bouts on ESPN, though. I watched a couple of the Haugen-Paz fights recently. Good stuff.
Contrary to popular belief he's a very cool dude too. Met him on many occasions and he will crack you up. He likes Burger King too! http://youtube.com/watch?v=jSmiC0knRL4 and he's the king of john madden too. http://youtube.com/watch?v=mI2afBeOc8Y
Oddly enough, I had just bought his career on DVD yesterday, went home and saw his fight with Holyfield on ESPN Classics.
yeah a friend of mine met him and said the same thing. He signed autograph and was cool. Toney could have been even better in my estimate. If he wouldn't have to cut so much weight so fast against Jones he may have won. I was so happy when he beat Ruiz only to later have it turned into a NC:icon_neut
Toney is a counter puncher. He doesnt do as well against other counter punchers as he does against aggressive opponents that allow him to hang in the pocket and counter all night. For this reason, I think Jones beats him 4/5 fights. In a game of counter punchers, the more athletic/fast counter puncher ussually gets the edge. I think Michael Nunn beats Toney 4/5 times as well, but as Toney showed in that fight, he will always have the big eraser and he will always be around for the entire bout trying to make it work.
Toney was good yes! Boxing genius yes! But sorry,even a non weight drained Toney does'nt beat RJJ at SMW or any other weight 4 that matter
James Toney was a better boxer than Roy Jones. Roy Jones, however, was probably the most athletically gifted person to ever take up professional boxing as a career, and learned to box a little on top of it along the way. He'd be a struggle for Toney no matter how many times they fought.
Man I really wish Toney had stayed at Cruiserweight. When he was at that weight it made the division a lot more interesting. I'd like to see how he would have done against Bell, Mormeck, Haye or Cunningham.
