James Toney.... How good was he? And....

He's a throwback fighter in the sense that he was just made to fight. He's had around 80 fights, he got fat but kept his skills and slick defense so it wasn't always an issue. He has good power, very good handspeed, excellent defense and an outstanding ability to fight on the inside. He's a mean nasty guy when he's in the ring, definitely an ATG but had he been more motivated and stayed in shape he could have been a top 20 ATG for sure, Id say he's in the top 40 though with his career now.

 

Agreed

And i think Freddie Roach also stated that James Toney was probably the best natural fighter he has ever seen or worked with something of that nature. But he was just that.... a born boxer.

 

he's blessed.

 

top 40 based on:

please site me his wins against other HOF and ATG I don't think he has enough. I'm thinking about Evender but he was way past his prime. Great win anyway.

 

to be fair he had already been a pro 17 years and had I think 63 fights before he used steroids for the Ruiz fight. Toney's ability to slip punches and his counter-punching was beautiful to watch had a real good defense and a iron chin, could box and fight on the inside.KO'd Nunn and a past it Holyfield had a FOTY against Jirov. Toney was a great fighter.

 

He's an ATG. What he actually did gets overlooked I think, he's got some impressive wins and accomplishments. A Bit too much is made of what he could have been with proper dedication though.

 

Arguably the most aestetically pleasing fighter to watch of recent times when he's on. From the years 91-94, he was the man at SMW. Look at his fights with Little, R. Johnson, Barkley, Sosa, and both Mccallum fights to see him when he was younger. After Jones(good skillful fight from both men BTW), he never established himself as a dominant fighter again but he has always been his worse enemy throughout most of his career anyways even before Jones(Tiberi fight for instance). He still had some good scraps against Griffin(first fight), Peter(first fight), Ruiz, Holyfield, and especially Jirov(Steward gets pretty excited in the end). They don't make em like Toney anymore, there's a bunch of primadonnas nowadays. Say what you want to about his conditioning and weight but the guy had heart, loads of talent, lots of ring smarts, and would fight anybody. Toney was a true ATG, I wish Floyd was more like him in the sense of fighting anybody.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h227sP9Gc-I[/ame]


As you probably figured out, I'm a big Toney fan.

 

He is as good skillwise as Floyd, only tougher and with a great chin.

He could have been as great as Bernard or Jones, but he did not take care of his body, and also he was just never as physically gifted as either of them. For a boxer he is relatively short, and he never had worldclass power at the higher weights.

He was/is limited in the same way a Ricky Hatton is limited. At Heavyweight even if he still has his skills, he doesn't have the size, and while I might favor him against Tarver, or against Ademek, or Povetkin, he wouldn't be able to win against the 6ft7 beasts.

 

Very exciting fighter at each of his weight classes, although his stint at HW has merely been for financial purposes IMO.
His best years were at CW, and had some amazing wars at that weight. Doesn't have all that many HOFers on his record, but he didn't shy away from fighting anyone.
His defense is strictly from his hips and his excellent counterpunching ability. Second to Holy IMO alltime as for CPing.

Might've done more at HW had he been in it to win it, but we'll never know, and since he came into the division as the Klitschkos were ruling chances are even had he completely and totally dedicated himself, he'd just be a notch on one of the bros belts.

ATG, probably not top 50, but HOFer for shiz.:deal

 

Please don't put Hatton and Toney in the same sentence. Toney was a boxing prodigy

 

Yeah he has an older Holyfield as a win but that's when he just moved up. Think about that. His first fight at that weight and he takes on older but still good Holyfield who we can all agree on is an ATG/HOF'er.Toney was the underdog I believe in that fight. Another thing that gets underlooked is his win over Mccallum in the second fight. Mccallum, another HOF'er, was much more capable than Holyfield was when he fought Toney too. The first fight proved that Mccallum still had something left in his tank and he also came prepared in the second fight which is a close fight too. As far as beating a good prime fighter, he beat Nunn who was making big noise in the division before Toney beat him.

 

The Girov fight is also an all time classic. I think that Toney is definitely an ATG by something like top 60-100

 

Great counter puncher

Hes a hall of famer

If he beats Haye/klitschko brothers and win a major title

a def ATG

 

I think his ranking may go up soon after he retires. It's hard to judge his career as a whole when you look at Jabba and you forget he used to be smaller. His skill and determination to face anybody will always have him high in my books. Boxing was in a good place when Toney was doing his thing. One of the best SMW's of recent times and you NEVER questioned his opposition. Guy had balls. Look at his Peter fight, what fighter would move up three divisions and face a dangerous puncher like Peter? Not many. Add that to his short reign but again, never ducked anybody and you have yourself an ATG. As far as those not saying he's an ATG, your standards are too damn high. Props Toney hope you retire in good health, it's always a purist's dream watching you.