Tweet
Good News everybody. James Toney is staying active and hopefully weight will not be an issue in his next fight.
Toney in training for July defence
Toney back in the gym
By Ant Evans: Newly crowned WBA heavyweight champion James Toney is already in training for his first title defence. Light's Out, quite possibly the shortest world heavyweight title claimant in a century at 5ft 9inches, will make his inaugural defence of his fourth world title in as many divisions in July.
Toney outboxed, out-thought and ultimately out classed two-time champion John Ruiz at New York's Madison Square Garden Saturday night and has promised to usher in a new era of excitement for the relatively stale heavyweight division. Hitting the track running, he aims to fight at least twice more in 2005.
The shortlist for the mooted July outing includes: IBF champ and Michigan rival Chris Byrd, the winner of the May 21 WBO clash between Lamon Brewster and Andrew Golota, former opponent Vassiliy Jirov in a rematch of their 2003 battle and even Hasim Rahman, if 'the Rock' is not interested in waiting for WBC champ Vitali Klitschko to heal up for their twice postponed mandatory.
Of the lot, Byrd could well be the most realistic and intriguing match-up.There's talk of Byrd fighting at Madison Square Garden on July 23, and Toney's promoter Dan Goossen says he'd welcome the chance for his fighter to win two major heavyweight titles in three months.
"James wants to be considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight and he's willing to go right through the division," Goossen told SecondsOut. "We've got no problem fighting Byrd, Rahman, Brewster, Golota or anyone as long as it makes sense from all standpoints including the business sense of it."
Goossen and Toney have been keeping tape recorders whirling for two years now, saying what Lights Out is going to do in boxing's flagship division given half a chance. Now, they are positively delighting in being in a position to steal a match on WBC champ and supposed division leader Vitali Klitschko, who, according to Team Toney, wanted no part of Lights Out.
"People are looking away from Vitali Klitschko and to James Toney as their No.1 heavyweight champion," Goossen said. "It's happening right now. No one knows what's happening with Vitali and his career. He's got a pension not to fight again. He's had three cancellations not to fight Rahman, he's had surgery on his back. And even if he was active right now, the momentum has shifted to James Toney. James is 5ft 9inch but he fights like he's 6ft 9inches. He doesn't fight going backward like Vitali. Even Roy Jones said on HBO that James would knock out both those Frankenstein monsters (Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko) on the same night."
(Yeah, well, Jones - a 1994 victor over Toney - is on a real mission to make himself seem as good as possible retrospectively and is using his HBO colour commentator role as a forum to make love to his own legend. It is in RJJ's best interests to talk up Toney right now.)
Whomever Toney fights next, he's secured his place in boxing history: a four division world champ and only the third man to go from middleweight to heavyweight and win major titles.
"I'm just real happy," Goossen admitted. "I'm especially happy for James. I've been with him three, four years when everyone told me we were wasting our time and I had a relationship with him back in the 1990s and it is so gratifying to see him attain the goal we set out for ourselves years ago."
Goossen, as hard working a promoter as you'll find in the sport, can be credited for helping Toney getting back on track. In 2000 Goossen met with Toney, a former pound-for-pound No.1 but one who'd not had a world class fight in half a decade, and said simply: "You've got the tolls, get in shape and we can go places."
Four and a half years on, and Goossen, Toney and trainer Freddie Roach (who worked Toney's corner for chump change for a time) had annexed major cruiserweight and now heavyweight titles.
They're going places alright...
Toney in training for July defence
Toney back in the gym
By Ant Evans: Newly crowned WBA heavyweight champion James Toney is already in training for his first title defence. Light's Out, quite possibly the shortest world heavyweight title claimant in a century at 5ft 9inches, will make his inaugural defence of his fourth world title in as many divisions in July.
Toney outboxed, out-thought and ultimately out classed two-time champion John Ruiz at New York's Madison Square Garden Saturday night and has promised to usher in a new era of excitement for the relatively stale heavyweight division. Hitting the track running, he aims to fight at least twice more in 2005.
The shortlist for the mooted July outing includes: IBF champ and Michigan rival Chris Byrd, the winner of the May 21 WBO clash between Lamon Brewster and Andrew Golota, former opponent Vassiliy Jirov in a rematch of their 2003 battle and even Hasim Rahman, if 'the Rock' is not interested in waiting for WBC champ Vitali Klitschko to heal up for their twice postponed mandatory.
Of the lot, Byrd could well be the most realistic and intriguing match-up.There's talk of Byrd fighting at Madison Square Garden on July 23, and Toney's promoter Dan Goossen says he'd welcome the chance for his fighter to win two major heavyweight titles in three months.
"James wants to be considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight and he's willing to go right through the division," Goossen told SecondsOut. "We've got no problem fighting Byrd, Rahman, Brewster, Golota or anyone as long as it makes sense from all standpoints including the business sense of it."
Goossen and Toney have been keeping tape recorders whirling for two years now, saying what Lights Out is going to do in boxing's flagship division given half a chance. Now, they are positively delighting in being in a position to steal a match on WBC champ and supposed division leader Vitali Klitschko, who, according to Team Toney, wanted no part of Lights Out.
"People are looking away from Vitali Klitschko and to James Toney as their No.1 heavyweight champion," Goossen said. "It's happening right now. No one knows what's happening with Vitali and his career. He's got a pension not to fight again. He's had three cancellations not to fight Rahman, he's had surgery on his back. And even if he was active right now, the momentum has shifted to James Toney. James is 5ft 9inch but he fights like he's 6ft 9inches. He doesn't fight going backward like Vitali. Even Roy Jones said on HBO that James would knock out both those Frankenstein monsters (Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko) on the same night."
(Yeah, well, Jones - a 1994 victor over Toney - is on a real mission to make himself seem as good as possible retrospectively and is using his HBO colour commentator role as a forum to make love to his own legend. It is in RJJ's best interests to talk up Toney right now.)
Whomever Toney fights next, he's secured his place in boxing history: a four division world champ and only the third man to go from middleweight to heavyweight and win major titles.
"I'm just real happy," Goossen admitted. "I'm especially happy for James. I've been with him three, four years when everyone told me we were wasting our time and I had a relationship with him back in the 1990s and it is so gratifying to see him attain the goal we set out for ourselves years ago."
Goossen, as hard working a promoter as you'll find in the sport, can be credited for helping Toney getting back on track. In 2000 Goossen met with Toney, a former pound-for-pound No.1 but one who'd not had a world class fight in half a decade, and said simply: "You've got the tolls, get in shape and we can go places."
Four and a half years on, and Goossen, Toney and trainer Freddie Roach (who worked Toney's corner for chump change for a time) had annexed major cruiserweight and now heavyweight titles.
They're going places alright...
Comment