Toney is always going to be one of my all-time favs...since the day he gutted it out and leveled Michael Nunn. But really, Usyk's place in history is not in question.
Toney is one of my favourite fighters and a bona fide atg. But he was never a nice person or a great analyst. Usyk is obviously an all time great. Is he unbeatable as some of his fans think? No. But he is as good and accomplished as a modern fighter can get.
It's nothing new for Toney to make certain statements (for example a few years ago he talked about the 'Klitschko sisters'....). James was a great champion who occasionally exaggerates.
Hes right. He doesn't mean average literally he means for a champion whose defended his title a few times. He said "none of these fighters are ATG". He is correct. Uysk fans counter the whole "he has 4 opponents and his fights are close" thing with the notion that Dubois, Tyson Fury and Joshua are these special fighters anyone whose ever lived would have trouble with. Theres nothing backing that up besides the belief that this era is special because recency and because size. Fury, Joshua and Dubois lost to Ngannou, Andy Ruiz and Joyce who are some of the slower HWs we've seen. Chisora lost to checks note......everyone.
Toney thinks everyone is average. Usyk would’ve got a straight forward UD against Toney and Toney would still say he’s average.
Love James, but sometimes he says things just to say things. Respect what he did at heavyweight (enhanced or not), but Usyk would have run through everybody Toney faced at that weight.