This past Saturday night was a humbling one for James ?Light Out? Toney. Fighting in front of a rabid crowd at the TD Garden in Boston, the 42-year old ventured out of the realm of boxing and into the field of Mixed Martial Arts for the first time as he locked horns with living legend Randy Couture in the co-main event of UFC 118. While Toney?s bravado was noticeable heading in he would go out in less than glorious fashion, tapping out just three minutes and nineteen seconds into the contest and suffering a horribly one-sided loss.
In the wake of Toney?s lackluster effort has come a storm of Boxing vs. MMA discussions as well as many people poking fun at Toney. What has been lost in the shuffle is just how remarkable of a career Toney had as a prizefighter, as it has obviously been overshadowed by his recent endeavors outside of the sport.
Born on August 24th, 1968 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Toney would turn professional at the age of 21 with a six-round decision over Lemark Davis in Auburn Hills. Less than two years later he would capture his first world title with a come-from-behind 11th round TKO over Michael Nunn in Davenport, Iowa. From that point forward Toney began establishing himself as one of the rising forces in the sport.
Combining uncanny ring presence, a tight-knit defense and a tremendous ability to pick his opponents apart on the inside with piercing blows, Toney was quite the puzzle to solve and would end up having ten successful defenses of his belt. His trash talking ability and crude nature attracted him to many and made others despise him but either way Toney was making his presence felt and was one of the most active champions in the sport.
His February 1993 battering of Iran Barkley was one of the most efficient and brutal clinics that you will ever see. Barkley had been in the spotlight after starching Thomas Hearns and battling the likes of Roberto Duran and Nigel Benn but he was completely outclassed by Toney, who worked magic on the inside as he punished his onrushing foe with pinpoint blow while staying out of danger.
One year later Toney found himself in a tight spot against Tim Littles at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California as he suffered a nasty cut from a punch and was in danger of a TKO loss due to the severity of the gash. Knowing fully well that he needed to do something dramatic, Toney would storm out of the gates in the 4th round and destroy an unsuspecting Littles with a barrage of punishing blows. The scorecards became a moot point in what can be described as a bloody and brilliant victory for Toney.
Four months later Toney found himself against very capable Charles Williams at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. While Williams gave Toney some awkward moments it was the picturesque right hand from James that stood out most as it crushed his foe on the jaw and ended his night in highlight-reel fashion.
Toney?s next bout was far from one of his more memorable showcases as he surrendered a wide decision to a rising Roy Jones Jr. The verbal warfare from each man was heavy coming in but Jones controlled the contest with his speed and fluidity in a breakout performance. That would mark the beginning of a memorable run for Jones while Toney?s career could be described as more of a roller coaster ride afterwards. He would lose his next bout to then-undefeated Montell Griffin and would dip under the radar shortly thereafter.
The next seven years Toney fought between light heavy and cruiserweight while defeating an interesting cast of characters and even losing a few bouts that he likely should have won. His April 2003 victory over Vassily Jirov was one of the year?s most thrilling battles as a late-round knockdown from Toney sealed the deal and gave him the win over the rugged Kazakhstan fighter while also netting him the IBF cruiserweight championship.
Toney would later make the move to the heavyweight division and has had some notable bouts in that weight class as well including victories over the likes of Evander Holyfield, Dominick Guinn, John Ruiz, and Fres Oquendo while drawing with Hasim Rahman and losing two fast-paced battles with Samuel Peter. The Ruiz bout was for the WBA heavyweight championship of the world but the fight was later changed to a no-contest after Toney tested positive for a banned substance following the bout.
For a fighter who made his debut at 157 pounds it was truly remarkable to see Toney have success above 200 pounds. It was a testament to his iron chin, fearless nature and ring guile that he was able to last as long as he did while remaining competitive well into his thirties.
At the moment the future seems to be uncertain for Toney as the aftertaste from the Couture fight won?t be going away anytime soon. There have been whispers of a possible showdown with former street fighter and UFC transplant Kimbo Slice, who has been adamant about his desire to give boxing a try, and that would likely be looked at as another circus act from many.
Whatever happens it is obvious that Toney isn?t going to be going out with as much glory as he had during his peak years. But despite his recent failure last weekend it is still easy to remember just how cruel and talented of a fighter he was in the world of boxing. A visit to the Hall of Fame will surely be on Toney?s calendar when he calls it a day.
For images of Toney?s loss to Randy Couture at UFC 118 please check out the slideshow below?
