Dana's Circus.... 1988 is as good a place as any to point the beginning of two separate roads that are scheduled to inexplicable converge better than 22 years later. That was the year in which a svelte, 160 pound James Toney made his professional boxing debut in Auburn Hill, Michigan. Meanwhile that same year, yet seemingly light years away, Randy Couture was discharged from the US Army after six years of service and began earning an alternate spot on the US Greco-Roman Wrestling Olympic team. For Couture, he would accomplish the feat three times as he also served as an alternate on the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic teams. During that stretch he would also earn three consecutive NCAA All-American honors while wrestling for powerhouse Oklahoma State University. In 1991 as Couture’s wrestling team at OSU was finishing second behind the University of Iowa, James Toney would get his first shot at a major boxing middleweight title. After compiling an impressive 25-0-1 record, Toney earned a shot at highly regarded and undefeated IBF Champion Michael Nunn. Trailing badly going into the 11th round, Toney’s tenacity finally paid off as he landed a picture-perfect left hook that ended Nunn’s night and championship reign. The championship win over Nunn would be the first of many for Toney as he would go on to win various alphabet titles in 4 more weight classes. and racking up 72 wins. He would establish a reputation as a fighter with limitless potential and an equally limitless waste line. But his ability, regardless of the weight class was undeniable. Couture, on the other hand, turned his wrestling success and skill into an impressive MMA career that started in a UFC 4 man Heavyweight tournament in 1997. Couture would win the tournament and go on to face Maurice Smith for the UFC Heavyweight championship. Couture became the third heavyweight champion in UFC history as he used his superior wrestling to take a majority decision over Smith in a 21 minute single round fight. Over the next 13 years Couture would lose and regain championships in the UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions 5 times. At various points in their careers both Randy Couture and James Toney were considered the best at their sport. Even though boxing has a history as long and storied as any sport in existence, and MMA is still in it’s infancy in comparison, to become the best at either calls for many of the same ingredients. Neither guy would be Hall of Fame worthy in their respective sports if they didn’t possess the will and toughness to succeed. Neither guy would have mantles loaded with trophies and championship belts if not for a shared willingness to sweat, bleed and struggle to achieve greatness. While greatness is now a memory for both, but on Saturday August 28 each will try to recapture some semblance of their past glory in a sport that made Couture famous and one that Toney is trying for the first time. The boxer versus mixed martial artist angle will be the overriding theme of the bout and make it a much bigger event than either guy could produce on their own. But at the end of the day it will be two battle-tested combatants trying to beat the guy across from them. Fans of both sports likely understand that a win doesn’t make one sport better than the other, but a competitive fight could lead to interesting match-ups in the future featuring guys in both sports closer to their prime.
WTF is Coutre's problem with boxing? He doesn't miss his oppurtunity to say how boxing is dying during his guest spot on Redbelt, and now when James Toney is looking for an opponent he has to be the guy to step up and try to prove MMA is superior to boxing. I can't fault a guy for loving his sport better but to have him dissing the other sport doesn't sit well with me. I hope Toney mops the floor with him.
You heard him say boxing is dying on a show and that means he doesnt miss an oppotunity to bash the sport?
This is funny. Couture says boxing is dying and that equates to bashing the sport? The guy has dedicated the better part of his life perfecting his particular skill set so naturally he is going to want to prove it is superior to James Toney's. But damn, Couture has been nothing but respectful about boxing and Toney. Meanwhile Toney has done all the trash talking but somehow that doesn't matter.
What's really funny is that I'm the same age as Toney and I haven't won a title in any weight class. The bottom line of my post is that both these guys have been doing this stuff for a long damn time. And they are both tough mother f$%ers. You have to respect them for that.
:laughing: I love boxing, I really do. It's losing my interest at a rapid pace though, not enough fights that mean anything are being made IMO.
Don't laugh Steve_Dave, you know there ain't shit going on in boxing when you're starting threads about Chris Byrd.
Boxing is a fucked up sport that's been run poorly since I've been a fan. I'm a huge critic of boxing, just not when comparing it to cage fighting. There's plenty going on in boxing though, this Saturday is the second weekend in a row where there's a fight I can't wait for. :bears:
