A tier system is actually the “best” way IMO and how I’d actually handle a real list, saying 1,2,3,4,5 of the best guys ever… they can all be swapped around with the right lenses, argument or value system. But just saying “Tier 1” and having 15-20 guys there, yeah that’s a good way.
He fought in the 80s not the 50s, Duran was juicing why not Ol Marv? Hearns accused Leonard - I personally just think they all shot up hormones like most athletes in the 80s.
What was the first actual tough fight Roy was in (don't say Griffin)? He was just so much better than his competition for so long. And that competition had HOF'ers Toney, Hopkins, McCallum, Hill, Johnson, Ruiz... It can be argued that Roy didn't even have a challenging fight until he was older than Hagler was when he retired... and Hagler had a LOT of tough fights.
I mean Hopkins, McCallum and Toney were all tainted for one reason or another… Green, Old, Scales - But yeah I agree.
Hopkins was no greener than Roy. Toney, one year older, had every opportunity to prepare for the fight that Roy had. McCallum, yeah. But Johnson was a great. Hill was a HOF'er. Ruiz was a very successful heavy. And Roy's filler was deep, guys like Tate and Sosa and Tarver and Gonzalez and Kelly, Grant, Griffin, Castro....
Toney win just plain don’t count Steward agreed… True about Bhop. The filler was deep, great resume lots of “good” wins similar to Emile Griffith.
Toney was Toney. He was 26, coming 4 months off a great performance against Charles Williams, and got schooled like he had never been schooled before or since.
As a weight drained husk, IDC what you want to believe my friend but that is a fact, folks who were there have said this and it’s visually very apparent… RJJ acolytes defend it to the death because they’re insecure about his resume, that’s my impression but RJJ doesn’t need Toney on his resume and to me he doesn’t have a version worth valuing. I think RJJ > Toney before you get the wrong impression.
I was there. On a press pass no less. He was the same weight he was for Williams. He signed the contract. He knew what was up. He knew he couldn't beat Roy on his best day.
People who were on the scene, in the gym etc not at the fight Mr but very impressive, albeit disappointing… you watched the biggest let down in super fight history L - I’ll say this too, it’s a dead even fight for my 0.2$ but I favour Toney to get the job done.
Spoiler alert... They already fought the fight and Roy clowned James. They are both great but they are not on the same level.
100% should he have been in-shape? YEP but did RJJ really beat the real James Toney? quite obviously not, you’d need to be a hater or a Roy fanboy to think otherwise.