James Toney as a heavyweight?

Apparently he is a HW hall of famer since he beat past it Holyfied. Byrd will be inducted for the same win according to some posters.

 

HE wasn't all that but he compiled impressive list of names especially if you consider he won the first Peter fight and beat Ruiz if you're not too picky about PEDs. That gives him: Oldyfield, Peter, Ruiz, Guinn, lost the first Rahman fight and made the old version quit.

The Toney of the Holyfield and Jirov fights was pretty impressive boxer too

Well yes but then you have people making a fuss about Archie Moore who in truth didn't beat a better HW than old Holyfield if we actually look at the opponents

 

Mediocre.

A fat slow cruiserweight.

his defensive skills enable him to be a spoiler if you're vastly flawed\thoroughly mediocre yourself, or a shell of your former self like Holy, but he's no threat to any elite heavy.

He was important in highlighting how **** the heavy scene contenders had become though, and also his exploits did further enhance\solidify the idea he was a great natural stylist and fighter that should have achieved more in his career.Mediocre as i think he was at hte weight, all things considered, it was still entertaining to watch him use superior ringcraft against naturally much bigger men.

 

Very good fighter,pound for pound,but I don't rate him as a heavyweight. Who did he ever beat at that poundage ?

 

THIS,

and I'd just like to add that as a MW cum L-HW or today's S-MW, he is excellent and for my money Toney was the true definition of a "throwback" fighter.

 

My favrite fighter ever, an i rank him very highly h2h. Not saying he could be an all time great at heavy. big fighters with power would always beat him, lewis, wlad. I see him always giving holyfield problems even in his prime. Big guys that would jab him an box him with big power though would always do a number on him.

 

I was always a James Toney fan. It's all been said, but his technique was fantastic.

 

It's not just that he beat Holyfield, but how he beat him. I think a prime Holy still gets clowned and dismantled on the inside.

 

I could watch him against Mccallum everyday.

 

Gene Tunney didnt beat a better heavyweight than old Holyfield either

 

I think you could argue Toney looked his absolute best vs Holyfield. He was just as fast and sharp as with Iran Barkley or any other title fight in my opinion. Plus he didn't have to make weight. If we were to rate THAT Toney at heavyweight, he's amazing, not even taking into account that he was once a middleweight.

But the Toney that fought Rahman to a draw just 3 years later looked like a shell of the fighter that fought Holyfield, just as Holyfield was a shell of his self vs Toney.

I believe Toney would GET UP, if he knew he was gonna fight Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, or any of the greats in 5 weeks. By the time Toney moved up to heavyweight, he mastered his craft with a **** ton of experience. So I'd expect to see the Holyfield form of Toney vs them, so you have to give him a chance.

 

Archie Moore beat the #1 contender, and tore a swathe through the rankings.

I respect what Toney achieved at heavyweight, but realisticaly there is no comparison.