James Toney vs Lennox Lewis

A fired up Lewis is about the worst opponent for Toney I can imagine, and stops him in 7 or 8. But I don't think Lennox would go for it and see him winning a UD over Lights Out.

 

He would be a nice addition to Lennox Lewis' resume and legacy.
One of the best HW champions ever wouldn't have a problem, and he wouldn't be what he is if he wasn't able to beat a boxer who started at middleweight.

 

Toney was a legit heavy at the time he fought Holyfield. That said, still not his best weight and at best he makes it to a wide UD loss to Lennox.

 

If Toney somehow managed to go 12 rounds ( unlikely) he would be beaten comprehensively and wouldn’t win a round.

 

Toney has to be the most overrated heavyweight of the past 50 years. He takes a beating in this fight.

 

It wouldn’t be remotely competitive. Lewis at 6ft 5 would toy with him and keep him at bay with his jab, lean on him and blast him with uppercuts if Toney got near. This fight would be a beat down. Both Klitschko brothers would have dismantled Toney as well. I think Lewis would have been more brutal as I could imagine Toney being a bit of a dick in the build up.

 

We weren't that far off it being a viable fight:

2003

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, Champion

1. Vitali Klitschko
2. Chris Byrd
3. Corrie Sanders
4. Roy Jones Jr.
5. This content is protected
6. David Tua
7. John Ruiz
8. Wladimir Klitschko
9. Fres Oquendo
10. Mike Tyson

 

You have to respect Toney's sheer audacity but he was very lucky he didn't meet a prime Lewis or a Tyson .. he would have been decisively thrashed ..

 

Kinda weird how as late as 2003 you have three guys who were middleweights at some points in the top five heavyweight rankings.

 

Boring UD by Lewis.Would look similar to the Tua fight with Toney having a bit more success by going to the body and Lewis missing more punches,.

 

James Toney was a wonderful fighter. The Ezzard Charles of modern day boxing. However, Toney v Lewis???? Silly matchup IMO, as the natural weight difference was so vast. However, if by chance the match had actually been made, then I think Toney would have probably outboxed Lewis for 3 or 4 rounds. Toney could certainly absorb a punch at his natural weight but at heavyweight it would have only taken him to walk onto one Lewis right hand (which would have been inevitable at some point in the fight) and it would have been game, set and match to Lennox. Like Foreman, Shavers and Lyle, Lewis had an incredibly powerful punch……..even for a heavywieght. Donovan Ruddock, will confirm that.
This would have been even more true of the Manny Steward version of Lennox Lewis.

 

Toney’s HW career consisted of beating a shot 40 year old Holyfield, getting outboxed by Sam Peter, juicing to beat John Ruiz and arguably losing to Fres Oquendo, Lewis takes this effortlessly.

 

Don’t forget getting robbed by Sam Peter, losing to Rahman, stopping Rahman and that one guy he beat named… Guin? Unbelievable work overall for a guy who at one time fought at middleweight could any other middleweight have achieved his success at 190lbs and above?

 

Toney would settle to survive, I think he’d do that fine enough but he’d lose every round lol.

 

Maybe Canelo and RJJ if he stood around, but that's it.