Toney is one of my favorite boxers ever (of course that is long list). It seems that he gets sold a little short on here, sometimes as an underskilled slugger with a good chin and big heart. While some of that is true I think he was extremely skilledin the ring and a dangerous opponent for any fighter at Super feather or light weight. 3X champ in 2 different weight classes. 9 (3)-3-1 record in title fights (prior to moving up to LWW). 50(34)-8-1 over all. learned his trade as Bobby Chacon's main sparring partner for 3 years. Won 2 wars with Rocky Lockridge (1988 FOTY), a 2-1 record in a trilogy with John John Molina, absolutely schooled Jorge Paez, a draw (should have been a win! IMO) agains Mitchell (before dropping the 2nd fight), a clutch comeback stoppage of gamache, a split with Thobela, stopped Haugen before being stopped on cuts in a good fight with JCC (Chavez was ahead). How do you remember Lopez? a borderline great? a determined fighter with skill limitations? a brawler? not at all?
Extremely skilled is not a phrase I associate with Tony..but he was more then just a simple brawler. I never saw the 2nd Molina fight, so if I could get a report on that to refresh my memory on it whilst we are on the topic Id appreciate it. His overhand right was quite exceptional and often a hard punch to get away from if you wanted to stand there with him. He also had one of the better understated and well proportioned mullets I have seen on a boxer and for that I remember him fondly.
Tony was getting clearly outboxed in this one and seemed to have no answer to anything Molina did. Oh he tried and turn into a brawl, but Molina could not be lured in (Like he would be in the 3rd fight). The fight was stopped. Tony claims he was caught with an elbow in the 2nd that blew a hole in his eye socket. from the end of the 3rd rd on the Dr. looked at it and finally stopped it.
I've always thought Lopez was a very underrated fighter. His jr. lightweight title reign was very impressive IMO. He beat Lockridge twice, Molina twice, and Paez - that's a helluva reign! Even a guy like Tyrone Jackson wasn't considered a total pushover. His win over Molina in their rubber match is one of the best fights ever, and one of the most surprising "comeback" wins I've ever seen. Brian Mitchell did seem to have his number, but then Mitchell was another very underrated fighter as well.
You thought the first Mitchell fight should've been a win for Lopez? I thought Lopez was very lucky to get that draw.
Lopez was fun, and looked rather brilliant beating Tyrone Jackson, (the dirst time I saw him). I always figured him a lucky fighter (met Lockbridge post Knight; always going to get them close decisions in Acro), but with hindsight, I did him a disservice. The Molina series showed his quality, was the first man to beat a prime Paez, took Thobela's '0' at a weight above his best, and most impressively, one of only two men to of got something out of a (near) prime Mitchell, although like Rivera, it should be noted it was with home field advantage.
