BoxRec

I think it is fair to call him a "boxer of the past" at this point, as he goes on as part of a freak UFC fight. With his talent and genuine love for fighting I think he short-changed himself a bit with his weight and training issues, but he is an old school guy and I loved to watch him fight.

My first question is where do you see him as an all-time fighter?

Second is what were his 5 best wins?

I have:

1. Nunn
2. Jirov
3. McCallum II
4. Ruiz
5. Johnson

He didn't make my P4P top 100 I made earlier this year, but he'd surely make my top 150.

toney was a badass but i have trouble saying where he should be on an all-time list. i'll just say he might be the most inconsistent great fighter in the history of the sport.

His Chin should be ranked in the top 10. Even if you want to give him credit for never being solidly hit to test it.

I think actually he was in trouble on one occasion.....anyone remember when? Still carrying that attitude around and never being KO'd is a stunning aspect of his career.

BoxBuzz wrote:His Chin should be ranked in the top 10. Even if you want to give him credit for never being solidly hit to test it.

I think actually he was in trouble on one occasion.....anyone remember when? Still carrying that attitude around and never being KO'd is a stunning aspect of his career.

Sam Peter had him on queer street in their second fight. Aside from that, Jones knocking him down was the only time I remember him being in distress.

The Jones KD was a pure balance shot, Toney was never in any trouble vs Roy in terms of being hurt.

Reggie Johnson floored him with a harder punch than Jones did. I don't know if I would go so far as to say he was in trouble. But it was a legit knockdown.

I'd put James in the top 100.

Best wins

Nunn
McCallum
Jirov
Prince Charles Williams
Barkley- This was the best Toney I've seen even though the Blade was past it.

Merqui Sosa was another good one.

dempseyfire wrote:The Jones KD was a pure balance shot, Toney was never in any trouble vs Roy in terms of being hurt.

Disagree.

Toney was not legitimately down in any way, shape or form against Jones. He was pushed (accidentally or not, it's difficult to be sure) as Jones leaned on a ducking Toney, causing him to stumble into the corner.

It was no more a legit knockdown than Tyson, "being floored" when his knees were still a foot off the canvas & that cheating fvck Eddie Cotton called it.

I agree GI, my main point was that Toney was not hurt in any way.

Out of Toney three career knockdowns only the Johnson KD is one I would call Toney as 'stunned' in, although he was hurt the worst in his career in the 5th round of the first Peter fight IMO.

To rate him as an all-time great is tough.... He was excellent but hmm... That is tough.... If you had to make a list of the top fighters of the 90`s where would he be rated?

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

dempseyfire wrote:The Jones KD was a pure balance shot, Toney was never in any trouble vs Roy in terms of being hurt.

Disagree.

Toney was not legitimately down in any way, shape or form against Jones. He was pushed (accidentally or not, it's difficult to be sure) as Jones leaned on a ducking Toney, causing him to stumble into the corner.

It was no more a legit knockdown than Tyson, "being floored" when his knees were still a foot off the canvas & that cheating fvck Eddie Cotton called it.

toney wasn't hurt at all but it was a legit knockdown because a punch landed and then the ropes held toney up. agree with you on eddie cotton. he might as well have wore his tyson cheerleader suit in the ring with pom-poms.

yes pre-steroid use

Nunn
McCallum
Jirov
barkley
ruiz

Adamj1987 wrote:yes pre-steroid use

Nunn
McCallum
Jirov
barkley
ruiz

The Barkley win was really a great performance but I kept it off because I think Barkley was all but shot in that fight. Hard to say if it was Toney's doing or if he had nothing left.

I had Nunn at 1 too, which I also struggled with because he lost every round until that KO bomb he threw.

If I was going to put a James Toney fight into a time capsule for future generations I would have to say the Jirov fight. He had looked mediocre in his previous cruiserweight fights and Jirov was looking pretty damn good up until then. James never looked more fit or inspired than in that fight. If he had kept that form into the heavy's he could have really made a good run of it.

Between his being caught for steroids and his coming in obese against Rahman and others, his heavyweight career really disapointed me. Although to this day I cannot possibly see how any professional judge scored that first Peter fight in Peter's favor. James put on a clinic that night. It really was a beautiful thing to see a former super-middleweight standing toe-to-toe with a giant like Peter.

tzyuforever wrote:

BoxBuzz wrote:His Chin should be ranked in the top 10. Even if you want to give him credit for never being solidly hit to test it.

I think actually he was in trouble on one occasion.....anyone remember when? Still carrying that attitude around and never being KO'd is a stunning aspect of his career.

Sam Peter had him on queer street in their second fight. Aside from that, Jones knocking him down was the only time I remember him being in distress.

Yeah James had to hold onto the ropes to stay up against Peter, although if I recall it was boarderline behind the head. Still most guys would have went down I am sure.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Reggie Johnson floored him with a harder punch than Jones did. I don't know if I would go so far as to say he was in trouble. But it was a legit knockdown.

I'd put James in the top 100.

Best wins

Nunn
McCallum
Jirov
Prince Charles Williams
Barkley- This was the best Toney I've seen even though the Blade was past it.

Merqui Sosa was another good one.

Agreed, he was amazing against Barkley another good win for him was against Holyfield another great oerformance as well.