i think griffith would cause toney problems and throw a lot more but toney will land the bigger shots. it would depend a lot on the judges, scoring aggression/volume = griffith, scoring power/defense = toney. i'll take toney in a fight that could go either way because i think he scores slightly better in the physical matchup.
I think the opposite kingfisher, I think Toney is a nightmare style for Griffiths. He's badly outsized here, plenty of pounds in hydration unless it's imagined ringside, two inches in height but worse than all of that is Toney's guile inside. Griffith proved himself strong enough to tangle with middleweights but it's not the strength that is the worry here but rather Toney's ability to weave punches inside with very little space. This, specifically, is his speciality, so Griffith's traditional hiding place when fatigued, inside, and the place where he takes control of these fights, inside, is barred IMO. I just think he will get hit with uppercuts inside and for all that Griffith can do work inside too, Toney is hitting harder in there. Outside, Toney is happy to wait. Yes, he pressed against someone like Nunn where waiting wasn't an option but here waiting is very much an option - how would Griffith find a way to make Toney, a master-counterpuncher, lead without great risk? Jabbing his way in? Nope, Toney tortures good jabs and is quite happy to provide the space to "follow it in" anyway. Volume? I hardly suppose it's a serious option. I see a pretty dull fight with Griffith trying to out-wait Toney but just getting out-pecked by a static, backfoot Toney who consistently gets the points up close. Griffith is good and tough enough that it would never get ludicrous on the cards and he wouldn't be stopped but IMO he's never really in this one either.
that's all reasonable , i picked toney, i'm thinking griffith is unlikley to get stopped and generally tried to win plus toney is a guy who doesn't really fight for every round, so it could easily be close. i had considered the size issue but maybe not enough, there aren't that many ex welterweights i'd pick over toney.
I'd expect a close fight, perhaps a bit boring even for most purists. Both of them too smart to let the other establish much of an offensive pattern.
Griffith improved immensely bu 1966...deftly handing a defeat to the same man who manhandled Carter...that ko would never have been repeated if they rematched...in fact, I'd wager that Griffith would have outpointed the Hurricane...twice.
