![]() ![]() Toney would fight another non-title fight before facing his IBF number-one contender Tim Littles. After winning the IBF 168-pound title from Iran Barkley in February 1993, he would fight five non-title fights before making his first defense against Tony Thornton in October 1993. Toney's level of activity during this period can't be overstated. On the same card as a double co-main event to Oscar De La Hoya's first world title victory against Jimmi Bredahl for the WBO 130-pound title, James Toney made the second defense of his IBF super middleweight championship. Tim “The Doctor of Style” Littles (27-3, 18 KOs) on March 5, 1994, at the Olympic Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA IBF Super Middleweight Title on the line Here are some of his finest showings and accomplishments in a Hall-of-Fame career: Here is an excerpt from a RING piece, in which Toney shouts out the A grade teacherįor the length of his career, James Toney had a plethora of memorable performances ranging from middleweight to heavyweight. James Toney sure did have innate ability, but, yes, he did benefit from have some fine tutors. I would rather show them than talk about it.” I am on a different level than everybody else in the game of boxing. The shoulder-roll defense was used at great lengths by James Toney, a technique that very few have mastered which allowed him to stay defensively responsible while in the trenches with his opponents. Toney's inside game was second to none, using feints, parrying, upper-body movement, counter, and combination punching. Inside fighting in the current era frequently consists of holding, clinching, grabbing, tying up a foe. and Pernell Whitaker, arguably Toney had the most multifaceted skillset. In a decade with fighters like Roy Jones Jr. With the exception of possibly Floyd Mayweather Jr., over the last 30 years, no fighter has looked as relaxed and natural in the ring. The Michigan native's primary trainer throughout his prime was Bill Miller, who fed James Toney with film sessions of technical masters such as Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Henry Armstrong. A foundation of fundamentals paved Toney's old-school mentality. The state of Michigan is where some of the most legendary names in the history of the sport hail from, including Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Thomas Hearns. That's James Toney up at the top of the heap, next to Roy Jones, which gives you an idea of how he's viewed by those in the know. It wasn't until 1997 that James Toney slowed down to three fights in one year. Toney entered the squared circle six times in 1991, five times in 1992, seven in 1993, five in 1994, six in 1995, and five in 1996. Toney's level of activity in the 1990s was as old school as can be he stepped to the ring an average of six times from 1990 to 1996. One of the legitimate criticisms of boxing today is that fighters don't step in the ring often enough. Throughout his career, James Toney stepped in the ring with fighters such as Michael Nunn, Iran Barkley, Reggie Johnson, Montell Griffin, Vassiliy Jirov, Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz, and Samuel Peter. Toney won major world titles in three weight classes ranging from middleweight to cruiserweight, including fighting in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions facing a wide variety of opponents. ![]() With over 90 professional fights on his record, James Toney is the type of pugilist who quite possibly will never appear in the sport again. The master craftsman fought in four different decades. His career spanned almost 30 years, from 1988 through 2017. Among those inducted, you had some of the most notable names of the last 30-plus years, including Roy Jones Jr., Miguel Cotto, Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley. Within that vast array of great fighters, Michigan's James “Lights Out” Toney ( 77-10-3, 47 KOs) joined the pantheon. Last month the largest ever induction ceremony for the International Boxing Hall of Fame took place in Canastota, New York, with three classes being enshrined, from 2020, 2021, and 2022.
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