Just brilliant James Toney in his prime....

You have to appreciate the artistry of this guy. I think we may lose sight of how great this guy was once upon a time. He fought everyone and never ducked anyone. He gave us fantastic fights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBj-DLfeaO8&feature=related

 

voyz dat ping trey, voyz dat ping.

 

Definitely one of the best.

Also, in before cdogg's hating

 

He was fun to watch. I was a big fan of his til he started getting fat and had to focus more on losing weight than on training for bouts. It's too bad his mother owned that bakery.

And Irish, stop trolling.

 

Shitty trash-talker but very cool to watch

 

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Some of his early trash talk was funny.

 

Crazy to see how his speech has deteriorated over the years. I forgot that you actually used to be able to understand him.

 

"Voyz dat ping" is a James Toney expression, don't you remember his interview on Rampage and Dana White? :dunno:

 

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I was a fan of his right-hand counter, his win over Jirov was very impressive, and even though he beat Evander, its hard to rank him over Evander, even at 190 with the Jirov win, I think Evander would have beaten him to death over 15 rounds at that weight.

He probably pissed away the best years of his career, I'm not sure how he would have done versus even the likes of Carl Froch, not because he isn't a much better fighter than Froch, but because a half-dead man, even one as skilled as Toney, can't last long in that condition. Injections to take a pee? Damn.

 

Toney was awesome. Anti-Leap amateur, Anti-Jazzersize, Anti-earmuffed to the max.

 

Jim Lampley actually referred to the then-pending Khan vs Judah fight as a "Hand-speed extravaganza" :doh:

Its actually being peddled as such now. If Toney was in his prime now, at 160 or 168, I reckon he would be getting the Tiger Flowers treatment.

 

Roy Jones 'leap Amateurism' put a whupping up Toney's spine.

 

No whupping took place. He certainly avoided a fight incredibly impressively, though. Aided in doing so by Toney being half dead in the ring.

 

That can't be denied. Roy's elite leap amateurism was pretty dominant over Toney.

Roy isn't the best example though, he's probably the most naturally talented fighter ever.

 

Toney was fucking dead on his feet. As I said, any of the Super Sixers would have bowled him over. Guy had nothing. One ringside journalist said they heard something rumbling in Toneys stomach.

 

:atu::atu: Toney is fucking awesome.

"Quimpton Asshole Jackson" ::

I love the Mayweather reference too ::

 

Toney started off as a high-school footballer at around 200lbs right?

 

Admittedly he didn't look good at all, but I think Roy would beat any Toney. His freak speed and agility would always be too much for Toney's style imo.

I actually think a peak Hopkins matches up a lot better with Roy, and could pressure him and rough him up etc.

But again, that's Roy, he's unique, Toney would eat up the average leap amateur.

 

Still, even weight drained Toney wins every second of every round against Abraham.

 

As big of a Toney fan as I am, even I acknowledge that Jones Jr beats him 10/10 times, weight problems or not. Prime RJJ was just something else, and Toney never dealt well with that kind of style to boot.

 

He was a 205 lb qb, but he was fat. He certainly could have moved up to HW - RJJ told him he should after their fight - but he would have gotten killed in the heavyweight division of the mid 90s. Lewis, Bowe, Tyson, Holyfield, Tua, Golota, and a smattering of other contenders would have all splattered him.

 

I pretty much agree, but if Jones had ever taken the risks needed to put 'a whupping' on Toney he'd have ended up in an actual fight. Different dynamic. It was only the phrase 'put a whupping' I had a bone to pick with. Most of Jones against Toney reminds me of buzzlightyear.....avoiding a fight, with style.

 

shrug

It's not like it was Leonard vs Duran, Jones Jr had some mustard on his shots .. Toney just had an inhuman chin, and it would've been stupid for RJJ to take chances

 

I don't know completely. Granted, Jones was out of this world, but let's not forget how Roy (In his prime; way before all of the weight gain/loss excuses) was getting handled and frustrated by Montell Griffin. That same frustration led to him landing an illegal blow, thus, getting disqualified.

I know people may make mention of the re-match, but it still does not take away from Montell's ability to frustrate Roy for a while until the foul.

Toney, was faster, stronger and defensively better than Griffin. Now, it's not Roy's fault that Toney was not disciplined enough to maintain the proper weight in between fights.

 

I agree but the only reason he dominated was Toney was weight drained.

 

He fought at 156 as an amateur

 

Maybe yes and maybe no, or maybe a guy who is prepared to throw big right hands puts a dangerously-drained guy on his ass. This is not to talk up Arthur Abraham- a personal favourite of mine, but nothing more- this rather is to emphasize the horrible condition James was in that night. He was eating lettuce and water, and had received injections to help him urinate. Boxrec says the guy came in at 167??? Unreal. He could have, literally, died in the ring had he been fighting a different opponent.

I think he got lucky it was only Jones he was fighting that night. A more limited fighter might have found themselves obliged to hit him twice as hard, twice as often. With Roy, it was all a bit irregular and desultory.

There is simply no way a 5'10" guy of Toney's dimensions should ever have difficulty making 168, at that age.

Somebody like Nigel Benn may have hurt him badly that night, somebody who thought nothing of battering you to bits.

 

He is and always was a BRILLIANT counterpuncher, I've never said otherwise

HOWEVER... that was his game. PERIOD.

Forced to into ANY OTHER STRATEGY, he struggled mightily

I don;t object to people admiring his great countering skills and the sweet defensive moves that set those skills up as I too admire them, but it annoys the shit out of me when people attempt to call Toney a "versatile" fighter... he flatly was not a versatile fighter

And, he was a lazy bastard who ate his way out of greatness for years and years

 

ALL true. Jones had the style to beat him consistently. Too fast and not to proud to run in fear. Toney was not versatile at all. He was best against attackers like Barkley, JIROV or the bastard maker Holyfield.