James Toney's Career at Heavyweight

Look I think Toney had an outstanding career at HW when it's all said and done..
The big downside was his steroid use, so I guess you have to call into question everything he did at HW, but I really think Toney showed an excellent defensive style for being such a fat slob..

For starters, he crashed the HWs with a KO of Evander Holy field, but I think he really proved something by taking on the bigger guys like Hasim Rahman and Sam Peter...

There was actually an exchange during the Peter fight that I think highlights Toney's career at HW perfect:
Peter had him along the ropes and was unloading with hard combinations which Toney slipped and ducked and came back over the top with a right hand that landed flush on Peter and sent the weather beads flying!! I don't know that I've ever seen any other HW roll with punches like that and come back with such a precise counter punch, it really was a thing of beauty..

All in all, I am a huge fan of James Toney at HW, he reminds me of a throwback fighter from the 1940s

 

Bump for Big James

 

Toney was well past in his loss to Big daddy Brown at heavyweight.

 

Prime Toney schools almost all heavy today except Fury and Usyk

 

My uncle used to say "I'd like to see him in with either of the Klitschko s because of his mobility." Just the passion my uncle had for James. In fact he called him Tunney just like gene Tunney without the toney lol (he thought they were related).

It's interesting you bring up James' injuries op, when James snapped his Achilles tendon he cried on the canvas like a new born baby; he was ready to show everybody what he was about! Matter of fact his stock woulda rose a gazillion percent if he beat mccline. Why? Because it's a size mismatch, making him one tough sob, and it's a message; for all the super heavyweights to line up including or even solely including the Klitschko s.

I like how you talked about his tendon biceps in the Rydell Booker fight. Why mince words? This was toneys prime as a heavyweight, seriously!!!

He had a great gifted physique Mike Tyson like except for no 6 pack which was a 4 pack at the time lol, but his muscles! And explosiveness! That is why he busted his arm ''too much muscle/ right muscles from weightlifting." In this fight he had the pop of a light heavyweight or a cruiserweight which may not be hw pop but it was stronger than in the Holyfield fight where he came in lighter at 217. In Rydell Booker fight he blazed with combinations, oozed offense, and put together a bunch of punches, max was starting to feel bad for Booker BUT James couldn't get him outta there with the broke bicep. Man! He moved so swift that fight! Perhaps even doing roadwork- he was IN SHAPE!!! His poney trunks were not like his oversized pants in the sam Peter fight lol. What a specimen!

So in his mid 220s he looked impeccable, but then I guess he tried doping to either make more muscle or I'm not sure if steroids help injuries (like his torn biceps) I am no doctor nor pretend to be! So in the Ruiz fight he had high (was it) nandralone ? But he looked tubby. For the rest of his career he got the job done but failed aesthetically but who gives a chit about looks, it's the skill that's involved.

Like the op said , what started this resurgence in his career? Well he was a Friday night fights main eventer but that's about it. He was catching attitude but with respect from teddy atlas bob papas, Bryan Kenny and max Kellerman. I hold them responsible to making James see the bigger picture, go down as a fnfer or reclaim the glory: hence he began his career at top of the cruiserweight division and never looked back. From flyweight to ya momma's weight, I James am knocking everyone out!! It's my world and y'all are living in it! Nuff said, mad amount of respect.

Great thread starter!