Toney just won a decision

[Zuni]

Fighting as a profession is a tragedy waiting to happen. A baker can bake successfully when he's 65 years old. What's a fighter going to do when he's 40? He will fight.

 

[RepairManManMan]

Fighting as a profession is a tragedy waiting to happen. A baker can bake successfully when he's 65 years old. What's a fighter going to do when he's 40? He will fight.

You have to be impressed with the Fighters who get out early or can somehow retire unharmed. Foreman somehow got out without much brain damage it seems, same with Hopkins so far.

I always felt like if I was a boxer I would fight (if I was good) until I won the lineal title and then retire as champion. No reason to monkeydance for a bunch of bloodthirsty fans

 

[Halge]

He was fighting at cruiser weight for this?

No.

http://8countnews.com/index.php/boxing-news/879-james-toney-outpoints-kenny-lemos-in-colorado.html

In heavyweight action last night from the Sky Ute Casino Event Center in Ignacio, Colorado, 44 year old James “Lights Out” Toney (75-8-3, 45 KO’s) defeated Denver's Kenny Lemos (12-8-2, 8 KO’s) by way of an 8 round unanimous decision.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/toney-lemos-weigh-in-at-sky-ute-209254

James Toney 243.2 vs. Kenny Lemos 291.8

 

[Sir Punchalot]

Tragic.

 

[Mr Boogaloo]

aha 243 makes a lot more sense. christ, my jaw dropped to imagine he made 200lbs

 

[MMAmouse]

aha 243 makes a lot more sense. christ, my jaw dropped to imagine he made 200lbs

A year and a half ago he made the drop to 199 lbs to fight Denis Lebedev and that was pretty much the death knell for his career. He looked absolutely awful in that fight. Shot to shit. Now he can barely beat club fighters.

 

[Mr Boogaloo]

no. way.

he must have been ill.

 

[d3vil0ck]

holy shit, had no idea the lebedev fight was at cruiser. that is insane. whatever toney was taking to get down to that weigh tmust have wrecked his body even more, considering who knows what he had to do to gain all the weight in the first place. he needs to retire.. damn.

he was honestly my favorite non HW boxer of the 90s. sucks to see what has happened to him

 

[RawHawg]

A year and a half ago he made the drop to 199 lbs to fight Denis Lebedev and that was pretty much the death knell for his career. He looked absolutely awful in that fight. Shot to shit. Now he can barely beat club fighters.

Strange enigma; an older fighter can drop a ton of weight, look physically fantastic, but perform terrible. In his comeback, George Foreman got down to 235 against Qawi, almost looked like the George of old, but performed awful.

 

[GhostBlade]

How much money is Toney even getting for his fights? What was his pay against Lebedev? The guy must be strapped for cash and/or he always has something to prove.

 

[MMAmouse]

Strange enigma; an older fighter can drop a ton of weight, look physically fantastic, but perform terrible. In his comeback, George Foreman got down to 235 against Qawi, almost looked like the George of old, but performed awful.

Luckily for him Qawi was in even worse shape. He was a 4 round fighter that night. Hatton is the most recent example of what you describe. At some point ballooning up in between fights and dropping drastic amounts of weight come fight time doesn't work for fighters' bodies anymore. You can't stay 25 forever, I suppose.

 

[RawHawg]

Luckily for him Qawi was in even worse shape. He was a 4 round fighter that night. Hatton is the most recent example of what you describe. At some point ballooning up in between fights and dropping drastic amounts of weight come fight time doesn't work for fighters' bodies anymore. You can't stay 25 forever, I suppose.

I agree with you. It was indeed lucky for Foreman that Qawi was so heavy and got tired quick, because early on he was smacking Foreman almost at will. Foreman could have easily gotten derailed by the Camden Buzzsaw that night. I really do feel if Qawi had come in to that fight at the minimum HW limit he would have won and maybe even stopped Big George.