BoxRec

The best Toney beats the best Hopkins IMO. However it would be very close.

Tomasino wrote:The best Toney beats the best Hopkins IMO. However it would be very close.

This. Although I couldn't rule out Hopkins winning the fight before they stepped in the ring. Toney was so emotional that maybe Bernard's pre fight mind games would get to him. He could play into his hands.

Toney all the way.

you never knew which toney would Show up, even before his fat HW days. he sometimes had off nights (probably already was also due to having Trouble making the weight) and sometimes he was really good.

prime toney lost to griffin and thadzi who are both inferior fighters to bernard. he also had some mediocre showing in other fights he won. but when he was on top of his game he was very tough to beat and could beat bernard.

The version of Toney who beat Prince Charles Williams actually holds the punch record for the light heavies. That version out hustles Bernard I think.

polecateddy wrote:The version of Toney who beat Prince Charles Williams actually holds the punch record for the light heavies. That version out hustles Bernard I think.

That's really surprising I thought I could remember Charles pressuring James and then Toney blazing back with heavier and more accurate punches. Prince Charles was a good hard fighter.

I think that a prime Toney would have beaten Hopkins over 12 but it'd have been very close over 15 rounds.

Toney is great at smoking a fighter out by tracking them down. I would of loved to see this fight duly down to tactics & skill.
Hopkins circles around pop shots or holds & wears people out . & I'd of loved to see how toney would of pulled off Hopkins & came back with counters. Had it been ugly I think toney gets awarded the fight for making it & pressing, people may not like this remark but Hopkins is a spoiler IMO toney on points

There arnt many middleweights who would of beat toney in the last 30 years,i think toney would of beat hagler

thechump wrote:There arnt many middleweights who would of beat toney in the last 30 years,i think toney would of beat hagler

Hagler was at top of the game at the weight for years, Toney is/was really skilled and suited to the sport but was a visitor at middleweight; I imagine Hagler doesn't weigh more than 21 pounds more than his prime now, Toney became a muscle/bulk bound skilled wreck.

palooka wrote:

thechump wrote:There arnt many middleweights who would of beat toney in the last 30 years,i think toney would of beat hagler

Hagler was at top of the game at the weight for years, Toney is/was really skilled and suited to the sport but was a visitor at middleweight; I imagine Hagler doesn't weigh more than 21 pounds more than his prime now, Toney became a muscle/bulk bound skilled wreck.

James toney is a stubborn fighter who wouldnt be bullied and this is why hagler would of lost,hagler would of met toney in the centre and been demolished round after round. I hear what your saying about the time hagler spent at middleweight compared to toney but when toney was at middleweight imo he would of done hagler within 6-7 rounds

Toney stops hopkins late

Groove Armada wrote:Toney would beat Hagler and so would RJJ.

Toney beat Mccallum, that's a good name to beat.

I agree that Jones would have beaten Hagler and McCallum v Hagler would have been a proper PPV bout and not for the faint hearted; styles make for fights (and decisions) and Hagler was not a pushover, any of the 3 would have got bashed up and known about it. The Toney that beat Barkley was a fantastic boxer/puncher but that version was not around for long, his style modified to suit his lifestyle and not to what brought him success, Hagler kept semi-sane and disciplined, James could not.

Groove Armada wrote:

dominik wrote:you never knew which toney would Show up, even before his fat HW days. he sometimes had off nights (probably already was also due to having Trouble making the weight) and sometimes he was really good.

prime toney lost to griffin and thadzi who are both inferior fighters to bernard. he also had some mediocre showing in other fights he won. but when he was on top of his game he was very tough to beat and could beat bernard.

I doubt he trained for those guys.
Prime TONEY is the Mccallum/Prince Charles Williams and his other great wins.
Hopkins lost to Taylor...You think Prime Toney loses to Taylor?

Toney is a real ATG.

he had ATG Talent but I wonder why a guy Comes in without Training in his supposed to be prime years? Motivation is a part of being great. I don't mind if a fighter loses his Motivation somewhere in his 30s but there is really no excuse for a fighter who is 30 and under to come out of shape.

I value Peak very high (thus I cannot understand why People rank BHOP above RJJ) but it has to be a sustained Peak and not suddenly losing Motivation in the middle of that Peak.

the only guy who lost Motivation before Age 30 and I still would be an ATG was tyson because of his unique circumstances (prison, early Domination of the HW Division).

thechump wrote:

palooka wrote:

thechump wrote:There arnt many middleweights who would of beat toney in the last 30 years,i think toney would of beat hagler

Hagler was at top of the game at the weight for years, Toney is/was really skilled and suited to the sport but was a visitor at middleweight; I imagine Hagler doesn't weigh more than 21 pounds more than his prime now, Toney became a muscle/bulk bound skilled wreck.

James toney is a stubborn fighter who wouldnt be bullied and this is why hagler would of lost,hagler would of met toney in the centre and been demolished round after round. I hear what your saying about the time hagler spent at middleweight compared to toney but when toney was at middleweight imo he would of done hagler within 6-7 rounds

Done him in 6-7 rounds?!!! Hagler took Hearns best shots and shook them off.

Nobody, but nobody would have smashed hagler up like that, he had one of the best chins of any fighter I've ever seen. It would have been a close tactical fight, I'm not sure who I would have favoured, both were great fighters, Hagler was far more dedicated that Toney, and a more natural at the weight. Toney was a naturally bigger man.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
Done him in 6-7 rounds?!!! Hagler took Hearns best shots and shook them off.

Nobody, but nobody would have smashed hagler up like that, he had one of the best chins of any fighter I've ever seen. It would have been a close tactical fight, I'm not sure who I would have favoured, both were great fighters, Hagler was far more dedicated that Toney, and a more natural at the weight. Toney was a naturally bigger man.

i was about to post something similar. 6-7 rounds....crazy talk.

No one came close to stopping Hagler - not even train wreck punchers Hearns & Mugabi. Hagler outworks, outboxes and outlasts the best of James Toney.