Toney's body looked solid vs Holyfield, and if I was seeing him for the first time, I'd say he's a really good heavyweight. He was tubby vs Rahman, and if I was seeing him for the first time then, I'd say he's a fat middleweight. So it depends which Toney you imagine seeing vs the greats is what I'm saying since the topic is H2H. Let's not pretend Toney looked the same fighter vs Rahman as he did vs Holyfield.
He didn't spoil though, he stood toe to toe and made them miss and pay, a large part of his alure HW contenders have been poor in many eras, he would have as much an easy time with the likes of Valdes, Walcott is too mobile for him, close though. He has much more skill than Dempsey, but Dempsey is much fitter, close fighter could go either way The best win he could possible not necessarily pull off in his 03 form would be Foreman, but then again Foreman might just take his head off
Valdes was rubbish though, Ruiz certainly has a case for being greater than Valdes, even though he was a bit rubbish too
I'd like to see him against a lot of the olde timers. Like Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsy, Rocky Marciano and Floyd Patterson for example.
He's only special vs over the hill types like Holyfield, or mediocrities like Ruiz. He never made it to the Klitschko level of competition and thank God for him, he never met Lennox Lewis. He thrived for a while in a mediocre heavyweight division, and still he gets the props from those who fail to put these things into perspective. In every decade besides the one he was lucky enough to be in, he would have gotten thrashed..as a fat ex-middleweight should in a division of heavies who are worth a damn.
Toney may have made a modest dent in the heavyweight class of the late fifties..until he crossed paths with Machen, Folley and of course Patterson and Liston. even the overstuffed (at the time) Willie Pastrano would have out boxed and decisioned him.
Patterson would have flattened Toney. It's not even necessary to say what Liston would have done to him.
I doubt Toney is stopped, it'd look more similar to RJJ-Toney Toney does much better against Liston than Patterson though
I was impressed how fit and solid Toney looked against Holyfield. Toney is 5'9", and he started his career at middleweight. At 217, Toney looked big and strong. I wonder how much of that was due to PEDs/steroids? When a guy gains a lot of muscle mass and very little fat, that's suspicious.
I always felt that the Toney that beat Holyfield would've been a good opponent for many of the heavyweight greats of the past. he certainly could've put up a good fight against the likes of Dempsey, Marciano and Johnson though I think against a big mover like Ali or Holmes he would be shut out. The big bombers like Liston, Lewis, Vlad and Foreman would probably get to him within the distance and Joe louis would certainly ko him after a few frustrating rounds. Toney showed that when he was in shape he was a competent and capable heavyweight and could be a troublesome opponent for many champs of the past. A world beater at HW? Of course not...but I wouldn't dismiss his chance at pulling an upset or two on a good night against the right opponent stylewise.