#James lights out toney professional#

I was hoping that the “new” James Toney I had seen in the Russian video would still be in evidence. Not long after I had begun writing the column praising Toney, another video, again made by Elie Seckbach, crossed my desk, this one made AFTER he had returned from Russia. So if James can do it over in Russia, if he can think and behave in a rational manner over there, there should be no excuses for what he says and does when he’s back in the USA. In Russia, Toney obviously felt it was in his best interest to behave himself, probably a very astute and very “healthy” decision on his part. When Toney called the mother of the heavyweight champion Klitschko brothers a “fat German slut” in a recent interview with his omnipresent videographer Elie Seckbach, I was convinced by a boxing scribe colleague whose opinion I respect to let it go, to ignore the vile taunt on the basis of Toney being brain damaged and basically pitiful at this point in time-a beaten man and washed-up boxer who just couldn’t help his appalling behavior.īut now, with the undeniable evidence that Toney can indeed behave himself, and that he *does* know better, I have changed my mind. Maybe Toney is just giving the Americans what he thinks they expect from him. The garbled and slurred speech now seems more like part of the act that Toney often defensively lapses into, like a bad habit, when he is interviewed by US journalists. It now seems as if, when he leaves his “Dee-troit ghetto” persona behind (and it’s been awhile since Toney lived in either Detroit or the ghetto), Toney seems almost … normal. I have been critical of his recent boxing form, and have worried that his speech indicated some very serious concerns regarding pugilistic dementia, but this video gave me pause. I was very impressed with this version of Toney. He answered questions with good humor, and even a bit of grace. Shows, a slimmer, healthier looking James Toney was polite and gracious during this Russian presser, even saying that he was surprised by how “updated” Moscow is, “how futuristic” it seems, “like New York.” Toney smiled often, and his words, which so often seem garbled when he is talking trash back home, were for the most part very clear.

#James lights out toney professional#

I had started to write that perhaps Toney had turned over a new leaf, that maybe getting out of the USA, where he amazingly has fought all but one of his whopping 84 professional fights, was going to be a very good, even life-affirming choice for James Toney, something that would expand his personal horizons. One of his more memorable fights was a loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2012.Ironically, this column started out as a piece praising heavyweight veteran James “Lights Out” Toney for his classy behavior during his recent trip to Russia for the announcement of his upcoming fight with top cruiserweight contender Denis Lebedev on November 4. The 41-year-old Cotto (41-6, 33 knockouts) also was on the ballot for the second time.

Now 53, he won titles in three weight classes was on the ballot for the second time. Toney, who defeated a declining Evander Holyfield in 2003, went 77-10-3 with 47 knockouts. He won titles in four weight classes, earned induction on his first year on the ballot. Jones, now 52, was one of the biggest stars of his era and finished 66-9 with 47 knockouts.

The bout was billed as “The Uncivil War.”īut the fight was largely one-sided with Jones winning a unanimous 12-round decision. Jones and Toney were both unbeaten when they fought for the IBF super middleweight title on Nov. Among the 2020 inductees are Bernard Hopkins and “Sugar” Shane Mosley the 2021 inductees include Mayweather and Laila Ali. Regina Halmich and Holly Holm were chosen in the women’s modern category, publicist Bill Caplan was picked in the non-participant category and journalist Ron Borges and historian Bob Yalen in the observer category.īecause of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 20 classes will also be inducted at the same time. The duo will be inducted on June 12 in Canastota, N.Y., as part of the 2022 Hall of Fame class.Īlso chosen for induction in the men’s modern category was former four-weight-class champion Miguel Cotto. Some 27 years later, Jones and Toney were elected for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame yesterday.

and James “Lights Out” Toney once met in the ring to determine who was the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.