James Toneys greatest wins: Rank them

[JAB5239]

Originally Posted by IMDAZED

I'd take out Barkley and where is McCallum?

McCallum might be 6th or 7th. At almost 36 with a MD, I don't consider that one of his top 5 wins.

I like the Barkley win but could be talked into move him if something better was offered. He was coming off the surprising rematch win against Hearns, who had just beat Hill, and his ko of Van Horn.

[IMDAZED]

Originally Posted by JAB5239

McCallum might be 6th or 7th. At almost 36 with a MD, I don't consider that one of his top 5 wins.

I like the Barkley win but could be talked into move him if something better was offered. He was coming off the surprising rematch win against Hearns, who had just beat Hill, and his ko of Van Horn.

Fair enough but I'd venture that version of McCallum was worlds ahead of Barkley, pound for pound. Even at 36.

[Toney616]

Originally Posted by JAB5239

What do you think Jame Toney 5 greatest wins are? Post and discuss.

1. Michael Nunn
2. Vasilly Jirov
3. Evander Holyfield
4. Reggie Johnson
5. Iran Barkley

My list
1. Nunn
Class A win
Best wins: Barkley, Kalumbay, Roldan
After losing to Toney would go on to beat Corboba who is a very underrated fighter

2: Reggie Johnson
Class A win
Reggie was an elite fighter, but he doesnt really have many solid legacy enhancing wins. Dudes best win is Steve Collins

3: McCallum
Class A-
McCallum was past prime but still an elite fighter at the time. He would go on to beat the tough Harding for the wbc belt and give Roy a more competitive fight than either Toney or Hopkins did

4: Jirov
Class A?
Not very familiar with Jirov's resume, but he gave a damn good account of himself against Toney

5: Holyfield
Class B-B+
Holyfield way over the hill, but he still had a lot left in the tank to carry on being fairly competitive at hw for the following years. I would rank this win about the same as the Tim Littles win

[Steak]

McCallum at 36 was still an incredible fighter. He went on to beat Jeff Harding at LHW afterward, and that was a pretty darn good win.

Toney's win over McCallum is definitely better than his wins over Holyfield, Barkley and Reggie Johnson, although you can make an odd sort of argument for the Holyfield win being better.

Nunn and Jirov could be ranked above the McCallum win though.

1. Nunn
2. McCallum
3. Jirov
4. Holyfield
5. Johnson

and I thought it was clear as day he beat Sam Peter the first time around, but for simplicities sake I wont include Peter in the rankings...not sure if I would even put him there anyway.

[Toney616]

Originally Posted by Steak

and I thought it was clear as day he beat Sam Peter the first time around, but for simplicities sake I wont include Peter in the rankings...not sure if I would even put him there anyway.

"Sam Peters best punch is an overhand right to the back of the head"- Freddie Roach

I had Toney winning that fight by at least 2 points. Toney was officially shot after that fight

[Miburo]

I have no problem with throwing the Barkley win up there because, although perhaps not the best of his opponents, critics were becoming increasingly skeptical of Toney going into that bout and he made it look like nothing. One of the most thorough destructions of the past 30 years. I think Toney was always fighting the weight at 160, he had to really shrink himself down. He could have easily made a career at 175.

[SCtrojansbaby]

Barkley was the whipping boy of every good middle-light heavyweight of the 90s except Hearns. After coming off a bad performance and you needed someone to look good against you always called Iran Barkley you were guranteed to get a spectacular KO.

Oh and Holyfield was waaaaaaaaaay shot how can you people honestly say that is a better win then a prime Prince Charles

[Toney616]

Originally Posted by SCtrojansbaby

Barkley was the whipping boy of every good middle-light heavyweight of the 90s except Hearns. After coming off a bad performance and you needed someone to look good against you always called Iran Barkley you were guranteed to get a spectacular KO.

Oh and Holyfield was waaaaaaaaaay shot how can you people honestly say that is a better win then a prime Prince Charles

Who has Charles Williams beat?

[crold1]

Originally Posted by IMDAZED

I'd take out Barkley and where is McCallum?

Agree. McCallum was still highly regarded though I'd rate the draw with McCallum higher than the win as the second fight had a good case for Mike winning or being even. I had Toney winning narrowly but it was a lesser performance.

Barkley was basically, and pretty literally, there to lose against anyone A-level not named Hearns.

Agree with Jab...bringing Williams down to 75 leaves questions about effectiveness and Williams was certainly starting to slip then. One of Toney's more exciting wins but generally overrated.

Me?

I'd go:

D12 McCallum
Nunn
Jirov
McCallum II
Holyfield or Johnson (yeah, Holy was slipping, but only Bowe could stop him otherwise and Holy still had enough to compete with Ibragimov and, IMO, get robbed against Valuev later; Johnson was a a great off the floor, from behind battling of a skilled guy in his prime).

[crold1]

Originally Posted by SCtrojansbaby

Barkley was the whipping boy of every good middle-light heavyweight of the 90s except Hearns. After coming off a bad performance and you needed someone to look good against you always called Iran Barkley you were guranteed to get a spectacular KO.

Oh and Holyfield was waaaaaaaaaay shot how can you people honestly say that is a better win then a prime Prince Charles

Who got spectacular KO's of Barkley up to the Toney fight? Toney gave a prolonged beating; Benn hit him on the deck, twice, and got away with it. Outside that, and an EARLY career stumble with Simms, Barkley got outboxed and lost D's.