Is this really a forum for boxing fans? Toney vs Saunders? Who sits around thinking about matchups like this and why. Saunders has beaten no one. Toney is one of the best fighters of the last 30 years. Toney beat Micheal Nunn as an up and coming prospect late replacement. Saunders best win is euro lev eubank jr. Nunn was 10x the mover/boxer/champion than saunders could ever dream of being and Toney broke him down and knocked him out
What would be funny is if we got the most disinterested versions of either. Then we could watch two fat guys feeling each other up all night long.
Probably have a higher chance of getting these two ballooned up and at cruiserweight, than we do getting them trimmed down and at middleweight.
Given that the groundwork of Michael Nunn's style is very similar to Billy Joe's (southpaw, quick hands, quick feet, counter-puncher, out-boxer ect.) but Nunn was about 5x better than Joe was, and has a better chin, I think it's safe to say that Toney beats Saunders.
Michael Nunn was vulnerable defensivley, he wasn't someone that would get hit a lot, but he was vulnerable to getting Knocked out with the left hand, he didn't have the head movement of BJS nowhere even near and they have even footwork, Nunn obviously has more power, Saunders is faster and Nunn has a weak chin and I believe that Saunders is better than Nunn, and I just get the feeling that Saunders style, that head movement and footspeed makes it so the slow footed Toney can't get near him or pin him down, Toney either wanted opponents to stand in the middle of the ring and box him or he wanted you to come to him, he couldn't deal with footspeed and movement, and to add to that, the head movement
Billy Joe has been hurt in every big fight I can remember him in. He gets lazy in rounds 6-10 often enough that it's worth mentioning. Andy Lee hit him clean in the mid rounds, Chris Eubank Jr, Coceres, Ryder, Monroe etc. When he backs someone into the ropes, he likes to throw shoe shiners, but he throws them from really low and opens his body right up, someone like Toney is probably gonna stay composed and counter him with a hard right hand in that situation. I like Billy Joe, but you can't call out Nunn for having defensive liabilities, and then act like BJS is untouchable. The difference is Nunn proved he can do it against the very best, we don't know anything like that about Saunders yet, unless you believe Lemieux is an elite fighter?
I love both guys. I’m desperate for Billy to get in shape and prove his doubters wrong by beating Canelo. But as each month goes by, I’m feeling less and less confident. He’s stagnating. Regarding a Toney fight, I have James beating him prime for prime. Billy wasn’t as fast as Micheal, and he didn’t have the reach or the athleticism. But he does have great skills. There’d have been fireworks at the pressers and James would have goaded him into a fight instead of a boxing match.
Toney was so bad with movers was he that he knocked out at that time the undefeated long time world champion Michael 2nd to Nunn who is at least 10 times better than Billy Jane Saunders could ever be.
I wouldn't go that far, I think BJS would be competitive with Toney, and Nunn for that matter. Stylistically, it's an interesting matchup and I can see why someone would be on the fence about it. I personally don't see Billy Joe winning, but it would for sure be a competitive fight.
No it absolutely would not be competitive at all! James Toney might be competitive with Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon throwing in BJS is like permitting murder.
