Boxer versus wrestler, it's been done before.

They need to stop making out Toney is the first good boxer to step up. Mercer, Botha and Phillips were champions and made the transition. They just don't have James mouth. The only thing boxers have in common in MMA are they are old, past it and overweight.

I think Butterbean was one of the few to actually try to learn something but he is very low on the talent chart but was able to be relatively successful.

I think Jeremy Williams is the only guy who had a genuine love and respect for his boxing and judo.

 

ALI vs INOKI in JAPAN 1976
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They are making out Toney is the first "great" boxer to step up. He is. :good

 

That is irrelevent. Relatively speaking he is facing the same class of fighter but in MMA. He is still old, grossly overweight, past it and almost forgotten in his own sport.

The outcome of such bouts have already been shown time and time again.

Plus they have made out like Toney is the first boxer to step up because they are fighting in the UFC. Some of the fighters that Bean, Mercer and Botha faced would and should be considered 'stepping up'.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOvtofjL1i8[/ame]
:huh

 

No, it's relevant to the point you were making. You were saying they are making out Toney is a cut above the previous Boxers to make the transition. He clearly is, anybody who knows anything about Boxing at all will agree with me.

Now this is irrelevant. I wasn't saying Toney is going to win, nor did I comment on the fight itself at all. I was just correcting you, Toney is clearly the most talented and greatest boxer to ever step in an octagon...and UFC has rightfully made that clear.

What would you like them to do, show footage of Pride and other organizations during their promo's? Look, I don't know what your problem is, but Toney has had the courage to make the transition over to the UFC. If he loses, it won't really mean anything for obvious reasons. If he wins, that sucks for the UFC and MMA in general.

Goodluck on fight night.

 

No I said they are making out he is the first good boxer to step up. Toney is great but Mercer, Phillips, Botha even Butterbean are capable boxers.

The outcome is relevent because they are making Toney vs Couture an unknown fight. It isn't unknown. Real fans already know that a boxer will land a knockout punch every now and again but MMA is no longer style vs style.

The fight intrigues me and I can't wait for it but the UFC are selling this fight for money. Dana White admits he isn't into freakshows but he is putting on a freakshow.

I haven't got a problem but I'm calling it like I see it.

 

only problem is that toney is old, good thing couture is ancient as well. hey is that relevant?

 

You seem begrudged for nonsensical reasons. All the UFC have done is try their best to promote one of their events. James Toney, love him or hate him, will be in the Hall Of Fame, and is many moons more talented than any Boxer who has previously tried his hand in the UFC. That's how they've promoted the event and James Toney, and that's the way it is. Nothing further to add on this point.

I'm here to discuss the outcome. I appreciate your opinion.

Again, nothing to say about this particular point.

You definitely seem like you have a chip on your shoulder. James Toney is the first world class boxer, elite Boxer, to ever make the transition into the UFC. Since when has Dana given a **** about other organizations, he's supposed to start showing footage and endlessly referencing Butterbean and Ray Mercer now? Come off it, he's doing his job.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5VprWqVcgc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5VprWqVcgc[/ame]

 

Mercer-Sylvia was to have been a boxing fight in a cage originally but the Commission refused to sanction it. So it was officially changed to a MMA match while both went in on the understanding that it would really be a boxing match. Mercer also lost to Kimbo Slice in an exhibition bout when he got caught in a guillotine choke, in what was both's first MMA bout.

Perhaps the most interesting wrestler-boxer bout since Ali-Inoki (which is fascinating for so many reasons) is that in 2003 we came very close to Lewis-Lesnar, back when Lesnar was still in the WWE. It even got the point of McMahon discussing with Nevada about what they would have to do to get sanctioning for the event. However Lewis soon learnt that Lesnar was a real athlete and started throwing out all sorts of crazy rules.

 

Would have been funny if Mike just decapitated him.

 

Yes but it is relative because Couture is moons more talented than anyone that other boxers faced and faired so so against.

It may appear like I'm begrudged but I'm not. I don't think Toney vs Couture is going to teach us anything we don't know. The fight intrigues me but then so does Pudz vs Butterbean. Real fans and the mainstream would like to see Pacquiao vs Frankie Edgar and see what would happen with some training.

The whole boxer vs MMA discussion is a moot point to any real fan with a brain. A boxer can no longer compete in a 50-50 fight in MMA because it is not style vs style anymore. Boxing is now only an element of MMA so they always have a chance but a fan has to be deluded to believe that if Toney ko's Couture that he will then run through Cain and Brock.

 

Indeed. That has nothing to do with anything I've said though. You were implying that James Toney coming to MMA was no different than a Ray Mercer or a Butterbean making the transition. My only reason for giving any input on this thread was to tell you that you are wrong, that James Toney is leagues above those guys and that will be why UFC have drew so much attention to his participation. A world class, halll of fame Boxer entering the Octagon. It's never happened before.

It's a promotion. The UFC want Boxing fans to buy the PPV and get behind James Toney, who himself is almost entirely responsible for that 'Boxing vs MMA' tag.

The same thing happened when Royce Gracie came back to challenge Matt Hughes. Royce hadn't done anything of note in years, and then he came back and the whole thing was promoted as being some kind of big super showdown. Hughes had been fighting tougher opposition for a few years before that fight, and of course, Royce was taken apart in one-sided fashion.

UFC are promoting an event, don't take it too personally.