by David P. Greisman
Photo © Ed Mulholland/FightWireImages.com

As a master technician and an experienced champion, James Toney approached training like Allen Iverson once handled practice, believing he need only show up inside the ring on fight night and victory was his, criticism over his rising weight be damned.

And as a man who tended to back up whatever came out of his mouth, all the while disproving that which came from others, Toney would spew even more trash talk in the process, knowing he could show off and that nobody could shut him up.

Except himself.

There is a new tone to James Toney, a pacification of his former agitation. Frustration, amazingly, can do that to you, reducing brashness and putting a premium on action over words.

After all, the words – as sound bite worthy as usual – had been followed by mixed results since Toney migrated to the heavyweight division in late 2003. A knockout of Evander Holyfield and a decision over Rydell Booker seemed a good start, leading directly into a title victory over John Ruiz. But when Toney tested positive for a banned substance, immediately nullifying his ascension, he took a step down the ladder, and the rise back upward has been the story of a fast talker moving in slow motion.

An easy clinic against Dominick Guinn was followed by a second title shot, but Toney fought to a draw with Hasim Rahman and then lost a split decision to Samuel Peter while waiting for the winner of Rahman-Oleg Maskaev II.

Not every work of art is a masterpiece, but the brilliant minds tend to lay blame on everything and everybody but the only person holding the paintbrush.

To Toney, the Peter loss was the result of two blind judges, and in his mind nothing would need to change in terms of his in-ring approach for his rematch. “James is going to fight like James is going to fight,” Toney said on a December conference call. “I do not have any strategy. I walk in and decide to do what I do.”

For a moment, Toney sounded like the same old stubborn “Lights Out.” But then a light came on and shone through: “The only thing different is, like I said, I am in 150 percent better shape.”

Excuse me?

This assertion was stunning, coming from a man who asked rhetorically before the Rahman bout, “If I’m always being fat and out of shape, why [am I] beating all these top heavyweights? I’m fighting better. I’m feeling a lot better. I’m in my natural strength. … It doesn’t matter. I know how to fight.”

Somehow, the disappointment against Rahman didn’t convince Toney that a sea change was necessary, but the Peter loss led him to bring in famed trainer and Tae-Bo creator Billy Blanks.

So, what’s changed?

“Everything has changed,” Toney said on the conference call. “When I agreed to go with Billy, I told him he had my whole undivided attention, that whatever needed to be done, I would do it. No questions or arguments about anything. I would just do it.”

Not only are the workouts making Toney throw up – a sad regurgitation of the mere 1500 calories in lima beans, fish, chicken and vegetables Blanks has transformed Toney’s diet into – but Blanks is hoping they will make Toney figuratively hungrier, too, though surprisingly Toney may be becoming leaner without the co-requisite meaner.

“I am being quiet because of training,” Toney said. “I am too busy working with Billy killing me every day. I am not worried about Sam Peter. When it comes down to it, we will be ready. I have been quiet because I have been working. We have been at it seven hours a day, seven days a week. Why should I waste my time seeing what he is saying or doing?”

“Before, I guess, I was not training too hard because when I went home, I would not be sleepy,” Toney said. “But believe me, now I go home every night sleepy. Just try to get home, get to that couch and get to that bed. I am in great shape and I am ready to go home.”

No trash talking, no tantrums, just true words from a Toney who remains confident, sure that he went unrecognized as the winner of his first clash with Peter. He’s shown that he can tone down his mouth, and now it only remains to be seen if he has done the same with his body.

The 10 Count

1.  Boxers Behaving Badly: One man who has never seemed able to tone down his life is Mike Tyson, who leads off The 10 Count as this (column) year’s first pugilist in the penitentiary. According to the Associated Press, Tyson was arrested on early Friday in Scottsdale, Ariz., after his car nearly struck a sheriff’s vehicle. Tyson, who was leaving a nightclub, failed field sobriety tests, and has been charged with felony possession of cocaine. A driving under the influence charge is pending the results of toxicology tests. Tyson was released later that day without bond.

2.  Unfortunately, this entry must memorialize this year’s first deceased boxer, Kemal Kolenovic, who died early Sunday in New York, less than a day before the ball dropped on a brand new year. Kolenovic, a 10-6-2 junior middleweight, reportedly stepped outside a bar to break up a fight when one of the arguing parties got into an SUV and drove into a group of people on the sidewalk, according to The New York Times. Kolenovic was 28.

3.  Jose Luis Castillo gave himself an early Christmas present when he came in on weight at the 30-day interval weigh-in for his Jan. 20 bout with Herman Ngoudjo. Castillo checked in at 154 pounds, exactly 10 percent over the junior welterweight limit. Ngoudjo tipped the scales at 153.5 pounds. Of course, it remains to be seen if even 140 will be too low for Castillo to drain his body to.

4.  If Castillo migrated to junior welterweight due to his no longer being able to make the lightweight limit, then Ricky Hatton returned to 140 pounds because he found, in his close decision over Luis Collazo, that welterweights may be too big for him. Hatton, who is fighting Juan Urango on the same card as Castillo-Ngoudjo, revealed last week that he is at 148.5 pounds, leaving three weeks for him to lose the final 8.5.

5. So, Hasim Rahman’s first fight following his August kayo loss to Oleg Maskaev will be in February against Ray Mercer? I’m guessing Al Cole was unavailable.

6.  Then again, maybe Cole will play the role of TBA against Joe Mesi, the heavyweight co-feature to Rahman-Mercer. With Mesi’s 2006 opponents being the murderer’s row of Ronald Bellamy, Stephane Tessier, Dennis Matthews and Jason Weiss, Cole – 7-13-3 since officially stepping up to heavyweight in 1996 – seems about the right level of opponent for Mesi’s comeback. Then again, Mesi hasn’t had the best of luck against former cruiserweight titlists.

7.  After spending so many Saturday nights watching Fernando Vargas, it was almost bizarre seeing the former junior middleweight titlist on CBS Sunday Morning. But there he was, wearing a sombrero and getting married to bride Martha Lopez in a piece about expensive parties. Vargas’ wedding reportedly cost $500,000, including $20,000 for invitations, $14,000 for two cakes, $100,000 for lighting, $60,000 for place settings, $8,000 for a bar made of ice and $60,000 for flowers.

8.  But I guess Vargas will be able to make that money back later this year when he records his swan song. According to reporter Greg Leon, Vargas is in discussions to face Ricardo Mayorga on what could be a pay-per-view bout. If true, Vargas will be going against the trend set by Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, using an entertaining but immobile Mayorga to go out on a high note instead of letting a dominant victory misleadingly extend his career.

9.  Somehow I could even see Sugar Ray Leonard, motivated by his work on The Contender, coming back once more and choosing Mayorga as his fall guy.

10.  It’s 2007. Do you know where Zahir Raheem went?

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