How great was James Toney

[1SILVA]

I haven't made my top 100 ATG list yet, but I know Toney's definitely on it. I'd estimate at around 75. He however had the talent to be top 30. He should have been the Floyd Mayweather of his day, but training, conditioning, and motivation issues ruined it for him.

Excellent assessment. He took two years off during his prime (97-99) and I never understood why. His style was a definite throwback to the days of Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles. Could beat you inside and out with impeccable defense.

[mrboxer]

i give him credit as a fighter that does not back down,he is not even close to being great,but when he steps in the ring you know he is going to make it a fight win or lose,average fighter that shows up regardless of the beer gut he usually steps into the ring with

[Princemanspopa]

I truly do test James Toney's fights with Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield,it's these fights which lead to this great useluss lump becoming relevant once again.Nobody argued that Fat Toney was an ATG before these two wins and his no contest against John Ruiz,they simply viewed him as how I do,a great useless lump who sold his prime in exchange for a cheeseburger.It's very difficult to deny Fat Toney's skills and only a fool would do so,just as a fool would rate this git as an all time great fighter.His move up from a lean,trim middleweight to a mr blobby tribute act heavyweight may seem great on paper,but when you take a closer look and view his fights in his prime,where he was losing to some fairly mediocre opposition and receiving a countless number of gift decisions,it really isn't that impressive afterall.


Unlike dunce,we don't all have our top 100 lists and some have better things to do with out time than come up with such silly lists,but Fat Toney most certainly isn't a fighter that I would rate up there with the very best.

[Toney Loc]

I truly do test James Toney's fights with Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield,it's these fights which lead to this great useluss lump becoming relevant once again.Nobody argued that Fat Toney was an ATG before these two wins and his no contest against John Ruiz,they simply viewed him as how I do,a great useless lump who sold his prime in exchange for a cheeseburger.It's very difficult to deny Fat Toney's skills and only a fool would do so,just as a fool would rate this git as an all time great fighter.His move up from a lean,trim middleweight to a mr blobby tribute act heavyweight may seem great on paper,but when you take a closer look and view his fights in his prime,where he was losing to some fairly mediocre opposition and receiving a countless number of gift decisions,it really isn't that impressive afterall.


Unlike dunce,we don't all have our top 100 lists and some have better things to do with out time than come up with such silly lists,but Fat Toney most certainly isn't a fighter that I would rate up there with the very best.

Fat Toney boxes Bonavena silly.

[Princemanspopa]

Was that supposed to be an insult? Try again.

[Toney Loc]

No insult. Fat-ass, out-of-shape JT schools him.

[Obama]

I truly do test James Toney's fights with Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield,it's these fights which lead to this great useluss lump becoming relevant once again.Nobody argued that Fat Toney was an ATG before these two wins and his no contest against John Ruiz,they simply viewed him as how I do,a great useless lump who sold his prime in exchange for a cheeseburger.It's very difficult to deny Fat Toney's skills and only a fool would do so,just as a fool would rate this git as an all time great fighter.His move up from a lean,trim middleweight to a mr blobby tribute act heavyweight may seem great on paper,but when you take a closer look and view his fights in his prime,where he was losing to some fairly mediocre opposition and receiving a countless number of gift decisions,it really isn't that impressive afterall.


Unlike dunce,we don't all have our top 100 lists and some have better things to do with out time than come up with such silly lists,but Fat Toney most certainly isn't a fighter that I would rate up there with the very best.

Any man who beats a prime Body Snatcher, prime Sweet Reggie, and a prime Second 2 Nunn @ MW, then goes up and gets robbed of a HW title twice while well past his prime, is certainly an all time great. Deal with it.

[sensai]

Toney was a great fighter but I wouldn't consider him to be an all-time great.

[blacklodge]

Toney is so up in the air I have trouble rating him. I can say that I think his performances at heavyweight say more about the heavyweight division than they do about Toney. That Jirov fight was a big win, but he never capitolized on it. He was robbed in both Griffin fights, and totally lost his way at 175, which I think could have been a great weight for him in the aftermath of the RJJ fight. Regarding 160 and 168, I have to level the same criticism for Toney that I throw at RJJ (although I think Toney's opposition was far better), which is that Toney skipped all those 168 champions, Benn, Eubank, Nunn (I thought a rematch was in order, and I know Nunn wanted it), Collins, etc., as well as Julian Jackson and Gerald McClellan at 160. Not to mention iffy decisions with McCallum and the criminal (literally) Tiberi fight (Man, what's up, 3 pages of posts about James Toney and no one mentioned Dave Tiberi?).
Toney was one of the most skilled fighters I've ever seen, but only every now and then, and he is the epitome of unrealized potential.

[Obama]

Tiberi fight doesn't say much about his ability. That wasn't James Toney in the ring that night. We all acknowledged he had issues with commitment....that's one of the examples there.