BoxRec

Main Event Professional Boxing LLC, in association with Lights Out Toney Promotion, has announced that former multi-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (76-10-3, 46 KOs) will take on “Lightning” Mike Sheppard (24-20-2, 10 KOs) on May 13 at the Convocation Center of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The fight will be at heavyweight and will be the 48-year-old Toney’s first fight since an August 2015 decision loss to Charles Ellis.

In addition to Toney-Sheppard, former two-time world champion, Cornelius “K9” Bundrage, Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner and Patrick “Boss Man” Boozer are scheduled for action.

Tickets are on sale now at the EMU box office and www.emutix.com.

Apparently this will be for the WBF title, Toney's second attempt at capturing it...

Toney must need the money? The guy can't hardly talk anymore as it is.

Badhusker wrote:Toney must need the money? The guy can't hardly talk anymore as it is.

It's puzzling to how James Toney is still able to get a Boxing License.

This will be, by all accounts, Toney's final fight. If he hangs 'em up after winning an admittedly meaningless belt, this fan will be happy...

I don't understand why this guy receives so much attention, while Briggs for example receives barely any.

The Briggs vs. Oquendo fight has been discussed on this forum. Briggs is not that bad considering Hughie Fury is also getting a title shot.

RScarf1 wrote:The Briggs vs. Oquendo fight has been discussed on this forum. Briggs is not that bad considering Hughie Fury is also getting a title shot.

Not really. Unproven prospects get title shots, that's a lot more sensible that two utterly past it fighter who were never ATG material fighting for a vacant belt.

. . . opposite Godzilla in a burger eating contest on Japanese television.

Badhusker wrote:Toney must need the money? The guy can't hardly talk anymore as it is.

To be fair it was pretty difficult to understand him in his prime!

It's a sad twilight. HIs career could've moreso mirrored Bernard Hopkins even shared a ring with him if he stayed in shape.

BitPlayer wrote:

RScarf1 wrote:The Briggs vs. Oquendo fight has been discussed on this forum. Briggs is not that bad considering Hughie Fury is also getting a title shot.

Not really. Unproven prospects get title shots, that's a lot more sensible that two utterly past it fighter who were never ATG material fighting for a vacant belt.

I don't think that Briggs is utterly past it. Hughie Fury is rated No. 25 on BoxRec and Briggs is No. 35. That's not much of a difference. What is the best win on Fury's resume? Fury got his title shot because of who he is related to.

RScarf1 wrote: I don't think that Briggs is utterly past it.

Then you're the only one. Even Briggs knows he's utterly past it.

RScarf1 wrote: What is the best win on Fury's resume? Fury got his title shot because of who he is related to.

Rudenko, Kassi, and Guinn. What are Brigg's top three since he received a terrible beating from Vitali and was out for four years?

punchoutsb wrote:Rudenko, Kassi, and Guinn. What are Brigg's top three since he received a terrible beating from Vitali and was out for four years?

Kassi is boxrec No. 116 heavyweight. Guinn is inactive since the loss to Fury, has only one win against someone who was 8-28 since 2014. Rudenko is Fury's top win. Rudenko is No. 28 and I think he has improved since the loss to Fury, winning 7 in a row and a minor title from the WBC. Rudenko was probably rated lower when he fought Fury.

I'll admit that Briggs' opponents since Vitali have not been great, but he has defeated all 9 of them. Briggs' best win since Vitali was against Zoltan Petranyi who was a heavyweight, but is now a cruiserweight rated No. 45. Briggs also defeated Raphael Zumbano Love who is currrently rated No. 182, but probably was rated a lot higher when he fought Briggs. Love won Latino titles from WBO and IBF. Briggs defeated Maurenzo Smith who is currently rated No. 202. Smith had a draw against former contender Vinny Maddalone in 2013 which was a few months before he fought Briggs.

RScarf1 wrote:

punchoutsb wrote:Rudenko, Kassi, and Guinn. What are Brigg's top three since he received a terrible beating from Vitali and was out for four years?

Kassi is boxrec No. 116 heavyweight

Kassi is rated lower than he should be due to getting robbed.

RScarf1 wrote:

punchoutsb wrote:Rudenko, Kassi, and Guinn. What are Brigg's top three since he received a terrible beating from Vitali and was out for four years?

Kassi is boxrec No. 116 heavyweight. Guinn is inactive since the loss to Fury, has only one win against someone who was 8-28 since 2014. Rudenko is Fury's top win. Rudenko is No. 28 and I think he has improved since the loss to Fury, winning 7 in a row and a minor title from the WBC. Rudenko was probably rated lower when he fought Fury.

I'll admit that Briggs' opponents since Vitali have not been great, but he has defeated all 9 of them. Briggs' best win since Vitali was against Zoltan Petranyi who was a heavyweight, but is now a cruiserweight rated No. 45. Briggs also defeated Raphael Zumbano Love who is currrently rated No. 182, but probably was rated a lot higher when he fought Briggs. Love won Latino titles from WBO and IBF. Briggs defeated Maurenzo Smith who is currently rated No. 202. Smith had a draw against former contender Vinny Maddalone in 2013 which was a few months before he fought Briggs.

I'm not sure why you're using boxrec ratings for any of this. Rudenko and Kassi are much better than anyone Briggs has faced since the comeback; I would favor Guinn (even right now) over any of Briggs' opponents as well. Briggs best win is probably Love or Marrone which is pretty terribly pathetic. I'm honestly not sure how you came to the conclusion that 50 year old Petranyi was his best win...I remember watching him as cannon fodder in the late 90's and early 2000's

Marrone is not his best recent win. I've seen Marrone fight at the Hard Rock when he lost to Guillermo Jones. I don't agree with the WBA sanctioning Briggs vs. Oquendo, but Briggs is not shot. He probably has faced opponents below world-class level because the top boxers do not want to face him.

RScarf1 wrote:Marrone is not his best recent win. I've seen Marrone fight at the Hard Rock when he lost to Guillermo Jones. I don't agree with the WBA sanctioning Briggs vs. Oquendo, but Briggs is not shot. He probably has faced opponents below world-class level because the top boxers do not want to face him.

Congratulations, but I've seen Marrone fight too. He's not good, but he's better than Zoltan Petranyi

Briggs is shot, even Briggs knows this. Your last sentence is laughable.

punchoutsb wrote:

RScarf1 wrote:Marrone is not his best recent win. I've seen Marrone fight at the Hard Rock when he lost to Guillermo Jones. I don't agree with the WBA sanctioning Briggs vs. Oquendo, but Briggs is not shot. He probably has faced opponents below world-class level because the top boxers do not want to face him.

Congratulations, but I've seen Marrone fight too. He's not good, but he's better than Zoltan Petranyi

Briggs is shot, even Briggs knows this. Your last sentence is laughable.

Briggs said he was supposed to fight David Haye, but Haye pulled out. Briggs said Haye was scared because he's smaller than him. If Marrone is better than Petranyi, he's not much better. Marrone's rating is No. 303 at heavyweight. He used to be in the top 100 at cruiserweight when he got the title shot against Jones. At least Petranyi is in the top 100 in the cruiserweight division at No. 45. I know Petranyi is 50 years old.

Neither Briggs nor Oquendo possess a recent record justifying a shot at any HW title, it's pointless discussing their resumés. By the time they do fight it will have been more than three years since Oquendo won a fight...

RScarf1 wrote:

punchoutsb wrote:

RScarf1 wrote:Marrone is not his best recent win. I've seen Marrone fight at the Hard Rock when he lost to Guillermo Jones. I don't agree with the WBA sanctioning Briggs vs. Oquendo, but Briggs is not shot. He probably has faced opponents below world-class level because the top boxers do not want to face him.

Congratulations, but I've seen Marrone fight too. He's not good, but he's better than Zoltan Petranyi

Briggs is shot, even Briggs knows this. Your last sentence is laughable.

Briggs said he was supposed to fight David Haye, but Haye pulled out. Briggs said Haye was scared because he's smaller than him. If Marrone is better than Petranyi, he's not much better. Marrone's rating is No. 303 at heavyweight. He used to be in the top 100 at cruiserweight when he got the title shot against Jones. At least Petranyi is in the top 100 in the cruiserweight division at No. 45. I know Petranyi is 50 years old.

Why on earth do you keep citing boxrec stats like they mean anything?

Quite the silly point you're trying to make.

Damn shame. Toney was just incredible in his prime. Sadly his last great performance was 2004. Don't care what he's getting paid for this. Trust me, every punch he can't slip from here on in will cost him.

It's just really sad. I wonder how much he has earned in his career as a multiple of what I have, yet he has to risk his health, maybe even his life coming back at his age in his condition or lack of. Didn't anybody advise him about putting money away for his retirement?

candyslim wrote:It's just really sad. I wonder how much he has earned in his career as a multiple of what I have, yet he has to risk his health, maybe even his life coming back at his age in his condition or lack of. Didn't anybody advise him about putting money away for his retirement?

Toney may not be doing this for the money. Obviously boxers coming back due to money problems is very common, but that's not always the case. These guys love this sport and have literally given most of their lives to it. It's hard to walk away from something you've been doing for 30+ years.

punchoutsb wrote:

candyslim wrote:It's just really sad. I wonder how much he has earned in his career as a multiple of what I have, yet he has to risk his health, maybe even his life coming back at his age in his condition or lack of. Didn't anybody advise him about putting money away for his retirement?

Toney may not be doing this for the money. Obviously boxers coming back due to money problems is very common, but that's not always the case. These guys love this sport and have literally given most of their lives to it. It's hard to walk away from something you've been doing for 30+ years.

Exactly.