Bernard Hopkins vs James Toney: Why did this fight never happen?

They weren’t really - not for long, anyway. By 1993, when Hopkins was ready to challenge for the IBF title, Toney had already moved up to super middleweight.

 

This fight was rumored at cruiserweight but it never came to fruition.

 

Toney had already moved up to 175 before Hopkins had even won his first belt at 160. By the time Hopkins got up to 175, Toney had eaten his way up to Heavyweight and was never lower than 200 again.

That basically leaves a window 1988-92 where it could conceivably have happened. Toney was a virtual unknown for most of that period, and Hopkins was for basically all of it - so it was never going to be a big fight. Toney fought guys like Williams and Sosa before he'd even contested a world title, so if Hopkins had been put in front of him at that stage I've no doubt he'd have fought him - why wouldn't he? Hopkins was just another rank and file Middleweight at the time. But in terms of it being a big fight which fans would have been clamouring for, the window was never really there.

I know around 2010 / 2011 Toney was goading Hopkins a little and saying he'd meet him halfway in terms of weight (presumably 190 or something - this was around the time Toney fought Lebedev at Cruiser) but I doubt he seriously thought he had any chance of convincing Hopkins of taking that, and I equally doubt that Hopkins had any interest.

 

I think in these realistic time frames, the fights would've been fairly clear cut with decisive winners. Toney in their early careers and Bernard in the 2010s.

 

I believe it almost happened after Toney beat Jirov. It was announced but then fell apart, Toney went on to fight Holyfield.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-may-21-sp-boxing21-story.html

https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2003/may/22/columnist-dean-juipe-hopkins-to-meet-toney-a-few-c/

 

Yep! I remember this. The fight was very close to happening. I honestly don't think it would have been that great of a match. Both liked to counter punch and would have been hesitant to lead. BHOP especially had fully embraced a much more cerebral style of fighting that point of his career unlike his earlier Middleweight days when he fought with more physicality. Toney was never even close to fighting at 190 after Jirov. The lightest he fought at heavyweight after Jirov was 219 against Holyfield.

 

Toney was Ring FOTY in '91 mate.

 

Yep, hence why I said he was a virtual unknown for most (not all) of that 1988-92 period. His success in 1991 came largely out of the blue. Pretty sure he was 20-1 to beat Nunn.

 

He was ranked as the top or close to it at MW in 90 and 91. He wasn't the nobody you're making him out to be.

 

Wish it had have happened. Would like to have seen both go at it. Maybe a tactical fight perhaps, similar to Toney v McCallum?
Who knows. Depends on when it would take place, I see Toney getting a decision.

 

The fight that never was........ but was there really ever a right time?

Hopkins was a Middleweight from turning pro in 1988 all the way through to 05 and already by 1993 Toney had stepped up to Super Middle and then up to LHW by 95.......... before eating his way up to Cruiser and Heavy years before Hopkins had even stepped above Middleweight.

Can't see it ever being the most entertaining of fights had it had happened.... but certainly an intriguing one.

 

I hear you - maybe we're splitting hairs here. I'm not disparaging Toney (he's one of my favourite fighters of all time) and maybe my initial post made it sound like he was a lesser entity than he was before 1991. Can quibble the language but overall point stands that Hopkins versus Toney wouldn't have been a big fight at that stage. Don't think too many people were wondering about Toney fighting just another contender in Hopkins when he was facing Sosa, Nunn, McCallum etc.

 

Ah, gotcha. Well put, bud.