James Toney Dream Fights

[Flickergrab98]

But who is the King of Madden?

I’m sorry, but… What?

[Blond Beast]

I’m sorry, but… What?

Toney fans will know it’s a reference to when he slapped the microphone out of Jim Grey’s hand and exclaimed “I’m the King of Madden!” Good stuff.

[Flickergrab98]

Toney fans will know it’s a reference to when he slapped the microphone out of Jim Grey’s hand and exclaimed “I’m the King of Madden!” Good stuff.

Really? First time hearing about that one. Sounds like something I wish I could’ve seen live

[IronDanHamza]

What about James Toney vs Mike Tyson in 2002 or 2003? I honestly think James could have won around that time
But to answer the OPs question probably James vs Gerald. I think that would have been an action packed fight

hopkins vs toney would have been more of a chess match. I consider James to he a little bit better at chess but Bernard was more disciplined

You consider Toney a better chess player than Hopkins? How did you come to that conclusion?

[IronDanHamza]

Well its not that crazy of a conclusion considering Roy Jones himself said that James Toney was the best and most skilled boxer he ever went against

Classic case of a fighter embellishing their best win if you ask me.

Roy Jones totally embarrassed and dominated James Toney in first gear, whereas a green Hopkins gave him a handful of problems.

Toney is better than Hopkins in a few areas, the chess side of things certainly isn’t one of them.

What’s Toney going to do? Outbox Hopkins? Out think Hopkins? I see absolutely nothing to suggest he could do either.

[QueensburyRules]

Toney fans will know it’s a reference to when he slapped the microphone out of Jim Grey’s hand and exclaimed “I’m the King of Madden!” Good stuff.

- - Sure you ain't getting mixed up with when he started jumping hysterically shouting Burger King when being interviewed by Merchant?

[markusmod]

- - He dropped it because 1-He was never going to earn his $100 mil defense purse vs Lewis or Tyson. 2-He was never going to be one of DKing stooge fighters. There was a negative $0.00 public interest in the Ruiz rematch.

That was his problem, Jones thought he was bigger than he was. Holyfield said he turned the fight down because Jones was treating him like some "opponent" and wanted the bulk of the money.

[QueensburyRules]

That was his problem, Jones thought he was bigger than he was. Holyfield said he turned the fight down because Jones was treating him like some "opponent" and wanted the bulk of the money.

- - You're mixing up Roy at the apex of his career with Field in a slippery sloping decline of his career: clowned by Byrd, then KOed by Toney with boxing license yanked after Donald.

[markusmod]

- - You're mixing up Roy at the apex of his career with Field in a slippery sloping decline of his career: clowned by Byrd, then KOed by Toney with boxing license yanked after Donald.

Byrd clowned many who overlooked him, just ask Tua.

[Willow The Wisp]

James Tony was a Great fighter and in accordance he has been voted into the IBHOF. But as he extended his career with Goosen-Tudor after 2002, some mythos was built up around him as he resumed his dedication (and started Nandrolone, it has been said), and won a war with Vassiliy Jirov, beat an unhealthy shell of Holyfield and befuttled a couple of decent heavyweights at the end of his career as a winner; and years later in 2010, deep into the throws of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, irrationally challenged the then no. 7 ranked MMA heavyweight Randy Couture in his half hearted UFC 118 cash grab, making himself known to an adjacent collection of fight fans, and not in a good way.
Imposing a realistic assesment of James Toney, we should recall that Toney was a world ranked, effective fighter from 1990 through 2006 in spite of periods of lax training, and during his physical prime, though he matched against an excellent collection of fighters, he stuggled with some of the better fighters he faced like Merqui Sosa, Reggie Johnson, Mike McCallum, Dave Tiberi, and on occasion got the benefit of the scoring. His 1994 fight at 168 against Roy Jones Jr. For the IBF title represented Toney's zenith as a fighter, and also illustrated his limits, as he was comprehensively beaten by a decidedly greater fighter. In 95' and again in 96' the underrated Montell Griffith beat a prime Toney twice, which I mention for temprence becase those were both good decisions and they are oddly forgotten today. The following year I was assisting in the corner of Drake Thadzi up in Connecticut fighting against Toney for the lightly regarded IBO Light Heavyweight belt, and Toney had to forgo a shot at the vacant title because he came in heavy, like an idiot. It didn't make any difference as Drake, a Malawi, Africa born Olympian fighting out of Shediac, Canada, "the lobster capital of the world", easily beat his ass.
After this Toney went on a respectable tear at Cruiserweight and really wouldn't be regardedas a spend force untill around 2007. Prime Toney was a HOF level fighter, and 200 pound Toney could still bust a move (in the vernacular of the era). He covered allot of ground in his 29 year, 90 fight career.
Enough to surrender his ability to speak audibly by the time he hit 40. The hottest nearby opponents that James Toney missed, for my money.........

1993 - 94 Bernard Hopkins.................L. 12
1993 - 94 Gereld McClellen.................L 12
1993 - 94 Nigel Benn...........................W. 12
1994 - 95 Chris Eubank........................W. 12
1994 - 95 Steve Collins........................L. 12
1995 - 96 Graciano Rocchigiani..........W. 12
1995 - 96. Virgil Hill...............................L. 12
1995 - 96 Henry Maske........................L. 12
1995 - 96 Fabrice Tiozzo.....................L 12
1997 - 98 Dariusz Michalczewski........L 12
2005 - 06 Chris Byrd.............................L. 12

Toney gained weight as he went, but he could have gotten in shape for the fights listed, in the timeframes listed, to have made those possible.

1988 Middleweight
1992 Super Middleweight
1995 Light Heavyweight
1997 Cruiserweight
2002 Heavyweight