How does history remember James Toney's...

If there's any justice, JT will be remembered at his best.

 

With a lot of question marks, was Toney using steroids during this time in his career? It's very difficult to quantify his achievements when you consider that he may well have been cheating throughout

 

After a breathtaking start (as a title holder) in both divisions (Nunn and Barkley), he never could quite live up to the hype. But that was because we the fans set a very high bar, and despite moments of brilliance against the likes of McCallum and Williams, he still fell slightly short...

 

Well I'm not going to cast aspersions over fighters who have never given me reason to believe they have cheated. If you want to then by all means go ahead, but I won't take part in that discussion. Toney however has given us more than one reason to believe he's cheated

 

Although inconsistent when compared to the very,very best...had a willingness and fearlessness to compete with anyone in his own era...also had any attribute you would care to mention that would allow him to compete with anyone from any era in his best divisions. Great fighter.

 

What is an oxymoron?

Roy Jones Junior begs to differ...

Was Toney very good? Yes

Was Toney excellent? In the era of Queensberry Rules, yeah probably

Was Toney great? No, if there is slight doubt over his excellence... And great fighters do not lose to the Montell Griffin's of this world, TWICE, near their pomp!

 

one of the greats. if you didn't know any better, how can you watch his fight vs Michael Nunn, then vs Samuel Peter and realize it's the same guy? Being successful in as many divisions as Toney is reason enough

edit: oh i didn't answer the topic exactly but whatever

 

Opinions...everybody got em. Toney's overall record speaks for itself. Opening statement means if you haven't a clue...that Toney is a great, but not there with the very best, mainly due to lack of motivation. Which is very much a key to how great a fighter is... Roy Jones Jr. also rates Toney as one of the best fighters of all time...for your info. So I'd imagine... he would care to differ.

 

one of the greatest? no way.. A very very good fighter defensively who could beat anyone if he was in shape and motivated. I am not sure where I would rank him in the ATG list. top 75? I don't know .

 

Saw JT train at Wild Card 'n fight live, N. Even as an undersized heavy, he was amazing to watch sparring -- incredible reflexes, doing things that can't be taught -- flattening one giant after another, bellowing, "Who's next?"

 

Uncommonly skilled and talented but also weight drained. Had he managed his weight a little better I dont think he wouldve had the struggles with Tiberi and even a Reggie Johnson.

He was one of my favorites. I loved the first McCallum fight. Great display and skills by both boxers. I believe Toney clearly won that bout.

At `68 the Prince Charles Williams fight comes to mind. The way he toyed with a good fighter and then dropped the hammer on him in the 12th.

 

One of the greatest and underrated, up there with the very best

HE should be remembered as fighting some of the best opposition of any middleweight in history in that brief time, what with: McCallumx2, Nunn, Prince Charles Williams, Reggie Johnson, Barkley. It's much better than Hopkins opposition.

Retrospectively instead of fighting Jones he should have been put in with Hill and focus on cleaning house at 175

 

I think great, he was a natural, and a true professor of the ring!