Why James Toney never fought either Klitschko brothers?

[Ruthless-RKO]

What happened? and what were the reasons?

I hear Toney in interviews saying they ducked him?

I think I remember Vitali saying that he wasn't a big enough draw or something. I think James would have put up a better fight than some of the Klit brothers recent opponents at that time tbh..

Or is it because Toney fell out of the public view and rankings after his Samuel Peter fights?

Following the Peter losses, he had a crap performance vs. Oquendo?

[Tuan_Jim]

Toney was injured most of 04, while Vitali was busy contesting the WBC belt. After that Vitali retired, not to return till Toney was on the way down. Not sure a fight between them was ever feasible.

05 they were rebuilding Klitschko while Toney was boxing DK fighters and failed a drug test. He was wrapped up in the vacant WBC title for a long time. Perhaps he should have pushed for a Klitschko IBF challenge after schooling Peter but instead opted for a rematch and lost widely. I think his aim was to pick up the WBC belt and then stake a claim to a very sellable unification fight. He should have been in better shape for Rahman, could have done so much better. I don't think anyone really avoided anyone.

Did Vitali really say Toney wasn't a draw? Very odd given that he boxed Gomez, Johnson, Sosonowski etc.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Did Vitali really say Toney wasn't a draw? Very odd given that he boxed Gomez, Johnson, Sosonowski etc.

There was quite a bit of beef, I beileve Toney called Vitali's opponents, including Sosnowski 'Bum of the Month'

Depending on when the fight would have taken place, or venue, whether it be USA or Germany, I think it would have been fine tbh.

[Kalan]

Toney didn't have a chance in Hell... and he wasn't interested... It's like Canelo -- all talk and no follow through.

At least Mike Tyson was honest about not wanting to fight the K Bros.. "They're too big for me." ... I note that Toney and Tyson didn't fight. A better matchup

[JxhDel.]

His failed drug tests and his two losses against Peter put him out of the top HW scene

[Onetimeonly]

Vitali never fought anyone, toneys injuries and peds prevented a wlad fight.

[keithmoonhangover]

Vitali never fought anyone

I'm pretty sure he did fight someone. In fact, didn't he fight 47 people?

[Onetimeonly]

I'm pretty sure he did fight someone. In fact, didn't he fight 47 people?

Lol

[jamamb]

lol theres a cat on the current scene who thinks that wlad ducked tony, rjj, and even ike (who last fought in 99). wlad wouldve beaten toney handily, but if youve seen vitali vs kev johnson you know how pathetic a vit vs toney match could end up looking, vit flailing around and struggling to land any of his slaps, toney sitting back and probably not countering enough and looking like a blob

[Onetimeonly]

Kalan? Lol

[gregor]

Stylewise both Klitschkos were all wrong for Toney, and I do not think he was delusional enough not to see that.
So that is why despite all the talk he was not in hurry to fight either brother.

[HomicideHenry]

I so wanted Toney to fight "The Frankenstein Brothers" as he called them. He was so entertaining at the time. I remember him saying in KO or RING that he'd love to fight Chris Byrd because he used to slap him around in sparring "back in the day", and how he wanted that Roy Jones rematch.

The positive test for PEDs against Ruiz... Basically is what did it... In combination with not so great performances against Peter & Rahman... He missed his golden opprotunity, and wasn't before long we saw Toney fighting Randy Couture in the UFC for peanuts.

[Onetimeonly]

I so wanted Toney to fight "The Frankenstein Brothers" as he called them. He was so entertaining at the time. I remember him saying in KO or RING that he'd love to fight Chris Byrd because he used to slap him around in sparring "back in the day", and how he wanted that Roy Jones rematch.

The positive test for PEDs against Ruiz... Basically is what did it... In combination with not so great performances against Peter & Rahman... He missed his golden opprotunity, and wasn't before long we saw Toney fighting Randy Couture in the UFC for peanuts.

Peanuts? He got 750k

[BoxBuzz]

Toney didn't have a chance in Hell... and he wasn't interested... It's like Canelo -- all talk and no follow through.

At least Mike Tyson was honest about not wanting to fight the K Bros.. "They're too big for me." ... I note that Toney and Tyson didn't fight. A better matchup

That's a nice imaginative statement. Maybe Toney didnt have a chance, that's an opinion...so no issue with that. However, However Toney called them both out on many occasions. You can youtube several instances of him calling them out. I guess you're trying to communicate in your inimitable fashion, that he was bluffing. I don't agree, I think Toney would have been happy with the paycheck regardless of the outcome. And he absolutely campaigned for the fights. And he never seemed to show an lack of spine while in the HW division. Unless you think his steroids stuff was in response to his sense of insecurity. I think it was more likely an inadvertent ingestion. His body surely was not showing any great degree of increased definition.

[HomicideHenry]

Peanuts? He got 750k

Wasn't aware it was that high, although I'm sure he's had far and away higher purses in boxing. Still, it was rather unbecoming of a multi-weight champion to basically lay down for Randy Couture. It was about as tragic as Joe Louis becoming a wrestler.

[HomicideHenry]

That's a nice imaginative statement. Maybe Toney didnt have a chance, that's an opinion...so no issue with that. However, However Toney called them both out on many occasions. You can youtube several instances of him calling them out. I guess you're trying to communicate in your inimitable fashion, that he was bluffing. I don't agree, I think Toney would have been happy with the paycheck regardless of the outcome. And he absolutely campaigned for the fights. And he never seemed to show an lack of spine while in the HW division. Unless you think his steroids stuff was in response to his sense of insecurity. I think it was more likely an inadvertent ingestion. His body surely was not showing any great degree of increased definition.

Steroids don't necessarily make you look better. Almost everybody in the WSM competitions back in the 80s & 90s were on steroids, and probably the biggest abuser was Jamie Reeves (UK) and he looked like a dough boy.

[Onetimeonly]

Wasn't aware it was that high, although I'm sure he's had far and away higher purses in boxing. Still, it was rather unbecoming of a multi-weight champion to basically lay down for Randy Couture. It was about as tragic as Joe Louis becoming a wrestler.

No way he could have made that much boxing then.

[gilgamesh]

Basically the timing just never was right. I can't imagine he could've done much with either of them honestly. Just too much of a size differential. He might've been able to make Vitali or Wlad look foolish in spots with defensive moves, and mugging to the camera or crowd or whatever, but ultimately I just can't see him being able to put enough offense together to be able to fight them.

But yeah as for why he never fought them it was just a case of the timing never being right. Wlad was putting the pieces back together of his (at the time) shattered career in 2005-2006 and around that time is when Toney tests postive against Ruiz, and isn't promoted as heavily going forward from that point onward.

[DrDuke]

Toney was pretty lackluster at the HWs. Holyfield was his biggest scalp, but that was an absolutely faded Holyfield, who had only his name and nothing else. Ruiz sucked, no surprise, that Toney won him. Then he was saved from loss against Rahman by a corrupt decision and outboxed by Peter. Both Klitschkos would crush Toney, totally outwork with a big possibility of battering and stopping him.

[Onetimeonly]

Vitali would need an automatic weapon to stop toney.

[gilgamesh]

Vitali would need an automatic weapon to stop toney.

Possibly, but he might not even lose a round against him. Or no more than 1 or 2 at worst.

[overhand_right]

Toney beat Peter easily the first time around, he certainly wasn't outboxed. The rematch happened because Peter winning the decision was so ridiculous. But the Toney who showed up for the rematch couldn't do anything and he never looked good again. He was far too old by that point with years of punches and bad living catching up with him.

[Onetimeonly]

Possibly, but he might not even lose a round against him. Or no more than 1 or 2 at worst.

I don't think vitali would lose, but he wouldn't land much of note. He never came close to hurting Kevin Johnson. He could barely hit him. He lacked the power and offensive variety to get James in trouble. He'd of outworked him. The version that stopped holy field could have been a problem.