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On January 6th, 2007, a great career ended. James Toney has been one of boxing’s greats over the past two decades. When he began his career, he was beating up Middleweights and ended his career as a legitimate Heavyweight contender. Very few fighters accomplished what James Toney did in his career.
James Toney suffered the same fate that every great fighter has suffered, facing that one young lion with everything on the line, while he plays the role of the fighter that no longer has the skills of his past. Toney survived twenty-four rounds with Peter by using guile and defensive skills, but the hand speed and quickness that marked his career had vanished in his second match with the Nigerian fighter.
Peter nailed Toney with shots that even two-years-ago Toney would have avoided. When Toney hit Peter, nothing happened but when Peter hit Toney with a solid shot, Toney’s entire body was moved backed. As Al Bernstein noted, Toney was fighting a fighter who weighed nearly 100 pounds heavier than the fighters he fought at the start of his career.
The first round showed the improvement in Peter’s boxing skills and Toney’s vulnerability. Peter nailed Toney with a solid right and sent Toney’s reeling back to the ropes. It looked as if the fight could have ended right there and then but a clubbing right hand behind Toney’s head gave the old veteran reprieve as the referee stopped the action and gave Peter a warning.
In the second round, Peter’s left jab sent Toney down for the first time in a decade. Then a solid punch caught Toney while was off-balance and while Toney jumped up, the fight pretty much over from that point on. Toney began to see hismelf get dominated in a way that many have not seen since he faced Roy Jones in 1994. When Toney tried to lure Peter to the rope for counter-attacks, he often was the one that got beat to the punch. Peter learned from his first fight with the master and this time the student began to batter the teacher.
Peter’s punches appeared shorter and sharper. When Toney moved to ropes, Peter stood back far enough to force Toney to reach. When Toney used his quick left hook, Peter countered with his right. He even added an uppercut that would catch Toney sleeping, and stun him.
Peter's biggest improvement came with the accuracy of his jab. His jab kept Toney off balance and his power forced Toney back on the heel of his foot. Throughout the fight, Peter did not just out-slug Toney. but he outboxed him as well. There were times in the fight that Peter even had better hand speed and looked quicker on his feet.
Peter made some serious progress since the last fight. He did not just depend upon power. but used a variety of punches to confuse and surprise Toney. In their first fight, Peter threw wild and wide punches that allowed Toney to counter. In this fight, he used a jab to control the fight behind punches that were shorter and more accurate. This is bad news for the rest of the division that had Peter labeled as a one-dimensional fighter.
As for Toney, his career is over as a leading contender for the Heavyweight crown. While his first fight with Peter was close and a case could easily be made for him to have actually won, there was no doubt who won this time. Peter was simply the better fighter in the second going. [details]
James Toney suffered the same fate that every great fighter has suffered, facing that one young lion with everything on the line, while he plays the role of the fighter that no longer has the skills of his past. Toney survived twenty-four rounds with Peter by using guile and defensive skills, but the hand speed and quickness that marked his career had vanished in his second match with the Nigerian fighter.
Peter nailed Toney with shots that even two-years-ago Toney would have avoided. When Toney hit Peter, nothing happened but when Peter hit Toney with a solid shot, Toney’s entire body was moved backed. As Al Bernstein noted, Toney was fighting a fighter who weighed nearly 100 pounds heavier than the fighters he fought at the start of his career.
The first round showed the improvement in Peter’s boxing skills and Toney’s vulnerability. Peter nailed Toney with a solid right and sent Toney’s reeling back to the ropes. It looked as if the fight could have ended right there and then but a clubbing right hand behind Toney’s head gave the old veteran reprieve as the referee stopped the action and gave Peter a warning.
In the second round, Peter’s left jab sent Toney down for the first time in a decade. Then a solid punch caught Toney while was off-balance and while Toney jumped up, the fight pretty much over from that point on. Toney began to see hismelf get dominated in a way that many have not seen since he faced Roy Jones in 1994. When Toney tried to lure Peter to the rope for counter-attacks, he often was the one that got beat to the punch. Peter learned from his first fight with the master and this time the student began to batter the teacher.
Peter’s punches appeared shorter and sharper. When Toney moved to ropes, Peter stood back far enough to force Toney to reach. When Toney used his quick left hook, Peter countered with his right. He even added an uppercut that would catch Toney sleeping, and stun him.
Peter's biggest improvement came with the accuracy of his jab. His jab kept Toney off balance and his power forced Toney back on the heel of his foot. Throughout the fight, Peter did not just out-slug Toney. but he outboxed him as well. There were times in the fight that Peter even had better hand speed and looked quicker on his feet.
Peter made some serious progress since the last fight. He did not just depend upon power. but used a variety of punches to confuse and surprise Toney. In their first fight, Peter threw wild and wide punches that allowed Toney to counter. In this fight, he used a jab to control the fight behind punches that were shorter and more accurate. This is bad news for the rest of the division that had Peter labeled as a one-dimensional fighter.
As for Toney, his career is over as a leading contender for the Heavyweight crown. While his first fight with Peter was close and a case could easily be made for him to have actually won, there was no doubt who won this time. Peter was simply the better fighter in the second going. [details]
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