James Toney in Twilight After Winning Again in June
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
James ‘Lights Out’ Toney of Sherman Oaks, California, is now 44 years old, and his career is in twilight. With a career professional record of 75-8-3, with 45 knockouts, Toney’s last bout was an eight round unanimous decision win over Kenny Lemos at Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio, Colorado in June 2013. Toney will turn 45 years old on August 24, 2013.
As Toney comes to the end of the road, which began with a second round stoppage of Stephen Lee in Michigan in October 1988, his career has spanned a quarter century in the ring as a professional. BY his 13th professional bout, Toney was going ten rounds and winning ten rounders in the middleweight division. Toney’s record reached 25-0, with one draw, when he stopped 36-0 Michael Nunn in the 11th round to win the International Boxing Federation World Middleweight title in May 1991. Toney defended his middleweight championship belt six times, before moving up to super middleweight and defeating Iran Barkley for the second time to win the IBF World Super Middleweight title in February 1993. Toney defended his IBF World Super Middleweight belt three times before losing it by 12 round decision to 26-0 Roy Jones Jr. in November 1994.
Toney then lost a majority 12 round decision for the IBF Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight title to 14-0 Montell Griffin, who then beat Roy Jones Jr. Toney later lost to Griffin again. However, Toney won the USBA Light Heavyweight title by stopping Anthony Hembrick, and won six WBU Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight world title bouts. Toney failed to win the IBO World Light Heavyweight title, but then won the IBO and IBA World Cruiserweight titles.
With eleven consecutive wins, Toney then won the IBF World Cruiserweight title by decisioning 31-0 Vassily Jirov at Foxwoods on April 2003. After defeating for World Heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Toney defeated 22-0 Rydell Booker to win the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight title. Toney won the WBA and IBA World Heavyweight titles, but John Ruiz retained his world title as Toney tested positive for a banned substance. Toney subsequently decisioned Dominic Guinn to win the IBA World Heavyweight title, but drew with Samuel Peter for the WBC World Heavyweight title.
Toney failed in two 12 round attempts to defeat NABF Heavyweight champion Samuel Peter. Toney drew and had a no contest with WBC champion Hasim Rahman. Since 2008, Toney has won the WBO NABO, IBA and IBU versions of the heavyweight title. He lost a 12 round decision for the WBA interim World Cruiserweight title to Denis Lebedev in Russia, and failed by 12 round decision to win the WBF World Heavyweight title from 15-0 Lucas Browne in Australia in May 2013.
Now weighing 243 to 250 pounds, Toney is unlikely to ever reach cruiserweight again. In the heavyweight division, fights against Bryant Jennings, Deotay Wilder, Robert Helenius, Tyson Fury, Chris Arreola and others are available. At 5’10”, Toney seems too old and short to deal with today’s monster-sized tall and huge heavyweights. Toney did decision Fres Oquendo in 2008, and has beaten a faded version of Holyfield. There probably are a few more wins and one big fight left for James Toney, so it is not lights out yet. Toney’s sparkling star is fading on the edge of the horizon. Hopefully Toney will go out a winner.
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