James Toney - would he be a champion in the 80s

[sonnyboyx2]

James "Lights-Out" Toney - Multi division World Champion. who defeated some of the greatest fighters in the world during the 90-2005 era. Fighters like Michael Nunn, Mike McCallum, Iran Barkley, Vassiliy Jirov, Prince`Charles Williams, Doug DeWitt, Merqui Sosa, Reggie Johnson, Hasim Rahman, John Ruiz & Evander Holyfield.... How would James Toney fare if fighting during the 1980s against fighters like: Larry Holmes, Marvin Hagler, Michael Spinks, Dwight Braxton, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Eddie Gregory, Marvin Camel, Vito Antuofermo, Pinklon Thomas, Marvin Johnson, Carlos DeLeon, Bobby Czyz, Virgil Hill, Dennis Andries...?

[rightsideup]

Cerebral fellow he doesn't have many weak areas but this era's are better. He may not have been anywhere near his level.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

He would get his fair share of wins and titles...

depends on when he fights guys..

if toney is at middleweight in mid 80s, i think he loses to hagler pre-hearns, and carves up hagler post hearns..
I think toney could beat hearns at middleweight.. probably look a lot like the nunn fight, with toney getting outboxed but eventually landing a huge bomb...
The mid to late 80s light heavy scene was fairly weak, especially compared to the late 70s early 80s.. I think toney could become a kingpin there..

Toney would beat most cruisers, except for evander..

at heavy, he probably would have so wild fights with dokes, green, bruno, etc..
I think toney could beat the heavys that were drug addicts, but any of the name guys that were in legit top form would beat toney..

No one stops toney- win or lose.....

[Elroy1]

Yeah he probably would have KOed the awesome 4some, all of them. And the other great 80's fighters.

At HW he would have bashed up all HW's not named Tyson most likely.

At CW he probably would have struggled with Evander too but would have fuking wasted Spinks no doubt.

[rightsideup]

Yeah he probably would have KOed the awesome 4some, all of them. And the other great 80's fighters.

At HW he would have bashed up all HW's not named Tyson most likely.

At CW he probably would have struggled with Evander too but would have fuking wasted Spinks no doubt.

you are delusional. He beat evander when he was far from his best. I think knocking out Marvin would have been extremely hard . As far as leonard, Duran and Hearns he was the larger man and he could very well have bested them. Men at lightheavy such as spinks and braxton would have been hard for james to hold back because of there overall strength and ability. At heavy most of the heavyweights even with substance abuse issues were too talented for even toneys boxing ability to hold off. People forget how talented spinks, qwai and the lightheavys of that era were.

[billeau2]

James "Lights-Out" Toney - Multi division World Champion. who defeated some of the greatest fighters in the world during the 90-2005 era. Fighters like Michael Nunn, Mike McCallum, Iran Barkley, Vassiliy Jirov, Prince`Charles Williams, Doug DeWitt, Merqui Sosa, Reggie Johnson, Hasim Rahman, John Ruiz & Evander Holyfield.... How would James Toney fare if fighting during the 1980s against fighters like: Larry Holmes, Marvin Hagler, Michael Spinks, Dwight Braxton, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Eddie Gregory, Marvin Camel, Vito Antuofermo, Pinklon Thomas, Marvin Johnson, Carlos DeLeon, Bobby Czyz, Virgil Hill, Dennis Andries...?

Toney fits right into either group. I don't think he was a heavyweight at any time, and not really, at his best a light heavy either. Tunney is a good analogy. He was a better light heavy who also happened to be a great heavyweight...but if we really had a top five for each division I agree with Joseph and would put Tunney as light heavy and in the same vein I am putting Toney in below light heavy as a premier boxer puncher. And it isn't that Toney couldn't fight light heavy but, his best divisions were under light heavy imo. So I don't need to see him against naturally bigger boxer punchers like the jinx.

With that said one can see how Toney was able to rely on his power against Nunn when he was losing rounds. I think he wins some and loses some. hagler would be a great fight because Toney always had his power when he was occasionally being outboxed, but Hagler had such a great chin and it would be something watching Toney being pressured because Toney is a premier counter puncher.

I think other than this both eras had comparable fighters and against guys like Saad, it would be a battle. If we talk going up to light heavy we can't compare Jirov to Spinks...and that is why I want to keep Toney below light heavy...perhaps in a fight with Evander at cruiser would be the bomb...I think its a toss up. Evander as a light heavy or heavy at his best wins though...Toney got to a faded Holyfield.

[Ray Corso]

When James was at his best he was beyond 160, he couldn't make that throughout his career, to thick and heavy bodied. I like him best from 168 to 175 and he would do well at light heavy. He doesn't bring power but he has good methodology because he is a multidimensional fighter. When he finds a weakness he can exploit it and his defense can keep him up right and out of trouble. His down fall could be mixing it up with good punchers or getting out boxed by size and reach.
He's tough to stop but at the cruiser and open weights he gets tko'd by punchers. He doesn't bring power with him so he can't keep Evander honest. Even an older Larry Holmes maintained a good enough work rate to breeze by him.
A great fight would be Spinks vs James at 175lbs. I'll take Spinks in a good fight. I don't see him getting out scored by James.
James could hang in there with the ATG's at 175lbs.
Some would be to much for him but he was a very resourceful young man.
Ray

[Elroy1]

you are delusional. He beat evander when he was far from his best. I think knocking out Marvin would have been extremely hard . As far as leonard, Duran and Hearns he was the larger man and he could very well have bested them. Men at lightheavy such as spinks and braxton would have been hard for james to hold back because of there overall strength and ability. At heavy most of the heavyweights even with substance abuse issues were too talented for even toneys boxing ability to hold off. People forget how talented spinks, qwai and the lightheavys of that era were.

Dude.. Um, Toney fought an admirable fight against Peter.. I repeat Samuel Peter.

There are no guarantees even Mike Tyson could have beaten Peter but if we take a 2 fast Tyson victory over Peter as given then that's really about it...

Could you imagine Spinks, any version against Peter?

Toney at HW simply has too much chin and power for guys like Witherspoon and Holmes I am sorry.

Yeah yeah I know Holmes shocked old Mercer and all that but really, Mercer did not apply half the pressure or pack quite the punch that PEter did.

Toney would crunch Spinks who was quite frankly a chinless, powerless, spineless weakling by comparison to Toney.

Those are simply the facts mate.

[NChristo]

Spinks is a horrendous match up for Toney, can't see Toney winning that at all.

[Elroy1]

Spinks is a horrendous match up for Toney, can't see Toney winning that at all.

I've never seen you EVER write a non-nut bag post ever. You are a certifiable nut bag.

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Do you feel pathetic enough already?

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Stand down nut bag!