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"We're not worthy!
By Ace Freeman
FightFan.com’s Ace Freeman talks about James Toney’s showcase of pugilism in a disputed decision “loss” to Samuel Peter last Saturday night, where it leaves him now, and the future of boxing’s premiere division.
September 3, 2006
Just three weeks removed from being asked to shell out $50 American to watch Oleg Maskaev and Hasim Rahman in a championship bout of have nots, James “Lights out” Toney put on a rarely seen clinic under the big bright lights at the Staples Center in Los Angeles California at no charge to television subscribers. Over 70lbs from where he began his Hall of Fame career, a 38 year old 5’9 James Toney climbed into the ring (amidst a great deal of doubt) to stand toe to toe with one of the biggest and strongest punchers in the Heavyweight division in Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter.
After 3 years being accused of not fighting a real Heavyweight puncher, Toney began the fight aggressively working behind a steady and effective jab. Showing zero signs of intimidation James stood in the center of the ring and bent carefree at the waist to avoid several telegraphed dive bomb shots from the hulking Samuel Peter. With his trade mark slipping of punches that is rarely seen at Heavyweight, Toney smiled and won the first two rounds looking like he was merely warming up.
Samuel Peter looked tense as he winged hard looping punches at an elusive target. The crisp sound of Toney’s well placed counter shots rung out like someone hitting a suitcase with rubber mallet. Peter had his moments in the third round as the blunt force behind some of his shots would move Toney back. But back was also where Toney elected to be on occasion as it negated the distance Peter relies on for power when he’s up close to his opponent.
Peter would look to tag a possum Toney laying against the ropes, but was largely met with well placed counter hooks. Over and over Toney would negate a big shot and counter with a cleanly placed hook tucked in like a magic piece of a fistic puzzle.
There were two instances in the 5th and 10th rounds where Samuel Peter caught James Toney at the end of a shot he’s loaded up on, and to his credit he genuinely seemed to stun him. But in each case a savvy Toney covered up and maneuvered out of harms way. The 38 year old former middleweight stood in with one of the most feared punchers in the Heavyweight division and took his powerful punches in stride. The same shots that had IBF titleist Wladimir Klitschko stepping in potholes and hitting the deck several times only momentarily deterred James Toney from standing toe to toe with the younger larger Peter in the center of the ring.
The championship rounds seemed eerily similar to the rounds that preceded them. Toney opened the rounds jabbing and landing at will, and Peter lumbered forward in the middle of the round missing or grazing Toney with the majority of his shots. James would mix in crisp counter shots to the body and head, and most rounds concluded with Toney having landed more punches to Peter’s smaller punch output being overshadowed by his even lower connect percentage.
In the end that was the story of the fight. Toney seemed to clearly land at a much higher rate, while Peter could boast of landing a few hard shots in between a much higher number of missed or glancing blows.
“But Peter landed the much Heavier shots” some might say to me. Yes, he did in rounds 3, 5, and 10 which is the main reason I scored those rounds for him. But outside of that he was largely ineffective, and was swinging and missing at a smaller target that was out landing him in the midst of a pugilistic showcase.
The sport is called boxing, and James Toney is one of the few remaining active fighters worthy of wearing an Ezzard Charles T-Shirt to a weigh in. On one September long weekend that will soon subside into a sea of mediocrity that has been the Heavyweight division this decade, a 38 year old former Middleweight climbed into the ring at heavyweight and outfoxed one of it’s biggest brutes.
He didn’t get the decision, but perhaps it’s best that James Toney leaves us on this note. It seems abundantly clear most of the present era is more concerned with the roundness of his physique than the window he offers of a look into the past where fighters like Archie Moore once showed a troupe of bigger men that true pugilism negates physical gifts and sheer size.
In a division where fighters who have no business being ranked in the top ten can unjustly move into a title fight and upset a champion more times than not, perhaps it’s best a 38 year old James Toney doesn’t linger around anymore. He can comfortably retire and walk around at these events where the current top heavyweights would be privileged just to shake the hand of a five division three time Champion.
Let Boxing’s premiere division stand on it’s own legs as promoters jockey for positioning to make you pay $49.95 to watch the likes Nikolay Valuev taking on Monte “Two gunz” Barrett. James “Lights Out” Toney is in better company standing on the laurels of his historic 78 fight career where his renowned boxing ability won’t look so out of place among the lumbering giants. Apparently he’s too robust anyway."
By Ace Freeman
FightFan.com’s Ace Freeman talks about James Toney’s showcase of pugilism in a disputed decision “loss” to Samuel Peter last Saturday night, where it leaves him now, and the future of boxing’s premiere division.
September 3, 2006
Just three weeks removed from being asked to shell out $50 American to watch Oleg Maskaev and Hasim Rahman in a championship bout of have nots, James “Lights out” Toney put on a rarely seen clinic under the big bright lights at the Staples Center in Los Angeles California at no charge to television subscribers. Over 70lbs from where he began his Hall of Fame career, a 38 year old 5’9 James Toney climbed into the ring (amidst a great deal of doubt) to stand toe to toe with one of the biggest and strongest punchers in the Heavyweight division in Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter.
After 3 years being accused of not fighting a real Heavyweight puncher, Toney began the fight aggressively working behind a steady and effective jab. Showing zero signs of intimidation James stood in the center of the ring and bent carefree at the waist to avoid several telegraphed dive bomb shots from the hulking Samuel Peter. With his trade mark slipping of punches that is rarely seen at Heavyweight, Toney smiled and won the first two rounds looking like he was merely warming up.
Samuel Peter looked tense as he winged hard looping punches at an elusive target. The crisp sound of Toney’s well placed counter shots rung out like someone hitting a suitcase with rubber mallet. Peter had his moments in the third round as the blunt force behind some of his shots would move Toney back. But back was also where Toney elected to be on occasion as it negated the distance Peter relies on for power when he’s up close to his opponent.
Peter would look to tag a possum Toney laying against the ropes, but was largely met with well placed counter hooks. Over and over Toney would negate a big shot and counter with a cleanly placed hook tucked in like a magic piece of a fistic puzzle.
There were two instances in the 5th and 10th rounds where Samuel Peter caught James Toney at the end of a shot he’s loaded up on, and to his credit he genuinely seemed to stun him. But in each case a savvy Toney covered up and maneuvered out of harms way. The 38 year old former middleweight stood in with one of the most feared punchers in the Heavyweight division and took his powerful punches in stride. The same shots that had IBF titleist Wladimir Klitschko stepping in potholes and hitting the deck several times only momentarily deterred James Toney from standing toe to toe with the younger larger Peter in the center of the ring.
The championship rounds seemed eerily similar to the rounds that preceded them. Toney opened the rounds jabbing and landing at will, and Peter lumbered forward in the middle of the round missing or grazing Toney with the majority of his shots. James would mix in crisp counter shots to the body and head, and most rounds concluded with Toney having landed more punches to Peter’s smaller punch output being overshadowed by his even lower connect percentage.
In the end that was the story of the fight. Toney seemed to clearly land at a much higher rate, while Peter could boast of landing a few hard shots in between a much higher number of missed or glancing blows.
“But Peter landed the much Heavier shots” some might say to me. Yes, he did in rounds 3, 5, and 10 which is the main reason I scored those rounds for him. But outside of that he was largely ineffective, and was swinging and missing at a smaller target that was out landing him in the midst of a pugilistic showcase.
The sport is called boxing, and James Toney is one of the few remaining active fighters worthy of wearing an Ezzard Charles T-Shirt to a weigh in. On one September long weekend that will soon subside into a sea of mediocrity that has been the Heavyweight division this decade, a 38 year old former Middleweight climbed into the ring at heavyweight and outfoxed one of it’s biggest brutes.
He didn’t get the decision, but perhaps it’s best that James Toney leaves us on this note. It seems abundantly clear most of the present era is more concerned with the roundness of his physique than the window he offers of a look into the past where fighters like Archie Moore once showed a troupe of bigger men that true pugilism negates physical gifts and sheer size.
In a division where fighters who have no business being ranked in the top ten can unjustly move into a title fight and upset a champion more times than not, perhaps it’s best a 38 year old James Toney doesn’t linger around anymore. He can comfortably retire and walk around at these events where the current top heavyweights would be privileged just to shake the hand of a five division three time Champion.
Let Boxing’s premiere division stand on it’s own legs as promoters jockey for positioning to make you pay $49.95 to watch the likes Nikolay Valuev taking on Monte “Two gunz” Barrett. James “Lights Out” Toney is in better company standing on the laurels of his historic 78 fight career where his renowned boxing ability won’t look so out of place among the lumbering giants. Apparently he’s too robust anyway."
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