Greater fighter: Wilfred Benitez or James Toney

I can't see a case for Toney.

Will was both greater and better.

 

I hold Wilfred Benitez in much higher regard.

Toney's habitual PED usage is hard to ignore.

 

Toney matches up favorably H2H at 168. Roy beat him, but outside of Ward and Calzaghe, what other super middleweights even have a case of beating a prime Toney?

Certainly not like guys like Froch and Kessler.

But Benitez is a H2H force at 140, 147, and 154.

 

Benitez for sure. I love Toney, he’s one of my favorites but it’s hard to make a case here.

 

Depends on how you define greater and even better.

Benitez's win against Cervantes is excellent and he was great from 140 - 154 lbs - he wasn't a notable middleweight.

Toney's win against Nunn is excellent and he was great from 160 - 168 lbs and then ate his way up towards HW, with steroid assistance.

At their best, they were great but not better than the elite fighters of their era, but comfortably a half-step below - Hearns, Leonard and Duran were better fighters than Benitez overall and Hop and Roy were better than Toney overall in my opinion.

Toney has more p4p credentials in terms of "fighting any man, any size", having scaled more weight divisions with success and credible performances - Benitez holds a victory over a far better fighter historically in Duran than any of Toney's wins.

It's an interesting one - I don't think there's a gulf in class between the two.

 

Benitez.

 

Toney

 

Pretty much this.

 

Great post. Going to go against the grain and pick Toney.
Benitez lost that first Curry bout by the way. It was a bad decision.
And the first Weston fight is debatle on who won.
So Benitez greatest wins were vs Cervantes,Palomino,Hope and Duran.
Toney had his title saved by robbing Tiberi in a fight he lost clearly.
Toney beat: Nunn,Prince Charles Williams,John Ruiz,Holyfield,Sam Peter,Jirov, MCcallum.
Now that first fight with Peter was just a bad decision-Toney won. Holyfield was past it but only Bowe is the only fighter to ever stop Holy.
You know I think Leonard was beating Benitez handily and all people say is look how much Ray was missing. But going into the 15th round Leonard was well ahead.
Samething with Hearns. In a 15 round fight Benitez won how many rounds? 3/4?
Think Benitez was more naturally gifted but on the pro ranks Toney fought world class for alot longer and never got knocked out.

 

What PED usage ?!
The man was a fat blob for more than half of his career

 

Edge to Toney

 

How????

 

How was Hopkins better than Toney? I doubt Hopkins would have beaten Jirov or Holyfield. even at middleweight, Hopkins did not beat the likes of Nunn or Mc Callum