former Iran Barkley and James Toney trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad is gonna train Zab Judah now. Well, Eddie couldn't get Toneys discipline issues under control, I doubt he can get Zab Judah focused...
um.. Toney joined Roach before the 'black years'... when he lost to Drake Thadzi. Toneys run under Roach hasn't been all great. The comeback at CW was great, yes, and the stoppage win over Holyfield, but after that Toneys career was a roller coaster again. But I don't think Roach has much to do with it. Not with Toneys success, and not with his failures either. Roach and Toney have been more like buddies than a trainer/fighter relationship - Roach had absolutely no authority over Toney. You can see that clearly in their fights, Toney practically never did what Roach told him to do. Toney just did what his boxing instinct told him, and luckily that instinct told him the right things more often than not. After the Batchelder fight, Roach just gave up on Toney, because he felt Toney just didn't want to put in the work necessary anymore. Toney then went to Shadeed Suluki for the 2nd Rahman fight. Suluki is an old-school trainer who pushed Toney in the gym, with the result being Toney coming in at an acceptable weight and looking decent. Toney became lazy again, parted ways with Suluki and had Joe Goossen in his corner for the Oquendo fight, where he looked terrible. He joined Suluki again after that and came in at his lowest weight since beating Holyfield in his last fight. I think if Toney has had Suluki in his corner after he moved up to HW, things might have gone otherwise. Toney doesn't need anybody to teach him boxing anymore - he just needs somebody who can impose discipline on him. And with a hot headed guy like Toney, we know that this is nearly impossible. Roach couldn't do it, Eddie Mustafa couldn't do it, and even Bill Miller couldn't do it at the end..
Interesting read. I thought Roach left Toney because he thought Toney should've retired. I remember him complaining about Toney getting hit more as he got older. Despite all that, Roach did say Toney was the most natural fighter he's ever seen and that's a huge compliment. Zab is a hot head and in need of discipline too but his career will only improve if he wants to be focus and if he takes training seriously. Training is suppose to be hard so when fighters step in the ring the fighting becomes easier.
It's true, Roach wanted Toney to retire and not take any more punishment. But that was because he felt that Toney lacked the focus and discipline to seriously compete at a high level anymore, not because he felt Toney was shot. For the Peter rematch, Toney prepared with Billy Blanks instead with Roach, and for the Batchelder fight Toney didn't prepare at all.
No I didn't say Roach thought Toney was shot I just thought he wanted him to retire for whatever reason. Thanks for telling me the reason though. Have you noticed Toney's current shape? He's not "fat" anymore he doesn't look too bad but the main question is, "Does he have the dedication to train?"
well he seems more big and muscular now than really fat, and looks like he's taking his training for that UFC thing seriously. I still think he will get embarrassed by Couture, simply because it's not his sport. Just like Couture would get owned by any half-decent boxer, even if he prepared himself well. Toney just lacks experience there. Then again I don't really care. I just think it's sad that Toney couldn't find the focus and discipline he now has for much of his boxing career. At boxing, I think Toney's finished. He's just too old to compete with the top dogs anymore, even if the top dogs at HW aren't all that..
