Who ranks higher P4P James Toney or Michael Spinks?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by quintonjacksonfan, Feb 26, 2026.


  1. quintonjacksonfan

    quintonjacksonfan Active Member Full Member

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  2. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Spinks, by a comfortable margin, imo.
     
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  3. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    It has to be Spinks. He was far more consistent and was the legit best at 175 and at heavyweight when he beat Holmes. Toney was the best at 160 after beating Nunn but at 168, he was second best to Jones and at heavyweight, he was never anything more than a top ten maybe top five.
     
  4. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    They're both SO great. I have to give it to Spinks, though I really don't grade his performance at heavyweight much. He was just such an incredible light-heavyweight, I think he could have been all time GOAT at that weight had he stayed.

    Toney is a total god.
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2026
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  5. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Spinks is unquestionably an ATG at LHW based on what he did, or did you mean he could have become the GOAT LHW?
     
  6. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Sorry I meant GOAT. Thanks for pointing that out and hi!
     
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  7. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Hi and no worries, easily done.
     
  8. Smokin Bert

    Smokin Bert Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Another vote for Spinks. Too good, and too consistent.
     
  9. themaster458

    themaster458 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'll go against the grain and say Toney. While Spinks was more consistent and was more dominant in one weight class, Toney had multiple great wins in multiple weight classes starting at MW and ending all the way at HW. Imo that should rank him higher P4P then Spinks.
     
  10. Terror

    Terror free smoke Full Member

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    James Toney for me. More great fights and more great fighters on his resume, much more volume, in more weight classes with more memorable performances for me.
     
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  11. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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  12. Oddone

    Oddone Bermane Stiverne's life coach. Full Member

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    Spinks by a damn mile.

    Spinks was the first reigning light heavyweight champion to challenge and defeat the reigning heavyweight champion. Larry Holmes no less. Something past greats Billy Conn, Archie Moore, and Bob Foster all failed to do.

    Spinks the fighter was complete and could do it all. At 6' 2" Spinks was one of the biggest light heavyweight Champions in history. His fighting style is best described as being a boxer-puncher. He was a tremendous two handed puncher who could box and dictate with his jab and knew how to utilize his height and reach versus taller and shorter opponents with unorthodox angles. As he was forced to do in his Light Heavyweight unification bout with 5' 7" WBC Champ Dwight Muhammad Qawi, and against the 6' 6" hard hitting Gerry Cooney.

    History should show that he was never off his feet prior and it took one of boxing’s hardest, fastest hitters ever to accomplish that knockdown and stoppage. However Tyson was his last fight because Spinks knees were shot, you can see a knee brace being worn for the Cooney fight.

    In the last 16 fights of his career were all title fights in which he went 15-1, 11-0 at light heavyweight and 4-1 at heavyweight.
     
  13. clum

    clum Member Full Member

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    Hell yeah brother, no way was Spinks as voluminous as Toney.
     
  14. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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  15. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    I give the skills to James but P4P to Spinks