Temecula, CA - Three-Time World Heavyweight Champion, James “Lights Out” Toney (71-6-3, 43 KOs) will once again step into the ring at Pechanga to do battle with Matthew Greer (12-5, 11KOs) in a special 10-round heavyweight attraction on a special Saturday primetime edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, on SHOWTIME. Having scored some of his most legendary bouts at Pechanga, fight fans are looking for another classic match-up from Toney, one of the sport’s most colorful characters and talented fighters.
Undefeated super middleweight Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) will tangle with Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1, 9 KOs) of McGlauglin, S.D., in a 10-round super middleweight main event.
On May 16, 2009, in Oakland, California, Ward defeated Edison Miranda by unanimous decision in what was called the first difficult test of his career. Miranda couldn't stay up with Ward's versatility around the ring.
In his last fight on Dec. 6, 2008, Pudwill, 34, beat Anthony Osbourne in Mandan, N.D., with an eighth-round knockout. While he was inactive in all of 2007, Pudwill suffered a loss in his fight before Osbourne to John Duddy at Madison Square Garden in 2006. Pudwill took eight straight wins into the Duddy fight and didn’t lose for almost five years in a time-span that dated from June 2001 to March 2006.
40-year old, two-time Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and multi-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’, either in the ring or out of it. He remains steadfast in his belief that he can become heavyweight champion of the world.
Toney, who won a hard-fought decision against rugged veteran Fres Oquendo in his last ring appearance back in December, is no stranger to Pechanga. He has turned in three impressive performances there, including a knockout victory over Jason Robinson (2002) in an IBF Cruiserweight Eliminator; a 12-round unanimous-decision verdict over Rydell Booker (2004) for the Vacant IBA Heavyweight Title and a WBC Heavyweight Elimination bout; and had former WBC Heavyweight Champion Hasim Rahman (2007) out-boxed and in big trouble when “Rock” informed the ringside physician that he could no longer see out of one eye and a TKO win for Toney was eventually overturned and ruled a “No Decision.”
“I love fighting and I especially love it at Pechanga,” Toney offered. “None of the Russian chumps who are posing as champions want to fight me. I am the best heavyweight boxer in the world and I will do whatever it takes to get one of those titles. But first I am going to kick some a** on September 12.”
Goossen, who also promotes Toney, said: “James believes he will not let another opportunity slip through his fingers again -- even at the age of 40 -- and has recommitted himself to getting into great shape. If in fact he can go into his bag of tricks and pull out a few good performances, there is no doubt that he will place himself back into the Heavyweight World Championship picture in 2010. We shall see."