Someone posted these videos over on the Box Rec forum. The difference in James Toney's speech in them is startling. Toney in 1994… [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIpXR7-qmCY[/ame] Toney at the tail end of last year... [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7f3O5RKxyk[/ame]
True, but being fatter also impairs your speech as you gain more chins and it rubs against your throat.
In my opinion, Lights Out has definitely deteriorated. But after that many fights, and latterly, in fights where he got hit clean (and dirty, Sam Peters) by naturally bigger (no fat jokes...) men, it's not really a surprise. Even without his widely appreciated defensive skills, his chin would have meant he would have taken some punishment which ultimately would cause some slow-down and slurring after 80+ fights. Fat, punchy, slurry, blurry and beligerent... I still love him.
He speaks like he has nicely recovered from a last year's brain stroke... Now for a real brain stroke patient it would be quite nice to have made such a fine recovery, but for a supposedly healthy young (youth is a relative thing, ask an 80 years old...) man in general and for a professional boxer who depends on quick reflexes and fast working synapses in particular, it's simply desasterous...
James likes sparring to make up 90% of his training - I think this is the biggest reason he is slurring like this. He definitely has all his faculties though. Don't want to one of the greatest boxers of our generation choked out and tapping which is almost guaranteed if he does this UFC thing.
