James Toney was arguably one of the greatest defensive/offensive fighters of all time. For example - very few would fight Mike McCullum, James did within a 12-month period. James's early 90's fighting record is littered with fantastic fighters. Up to his fight with Roy Jones JNR, the fact he was unbeaten with so many competitive fights, may not be seen again. However, James's current brain trauma may not be attributable to his fights, but his regular Kronk gym sparring/wars. Hats off to you Rich! You never fail to broadcast top quality (accurate) true boxing documentaries, not of the big names either - but of true boxing scholars, (and yes - they where). Keep em coming!
What an incredible tribute to James Toney! His ability to take on tough opponents like Mike McCallum and remain unbeaten in such a competitive era is truly legendary. It's fascinating how his sparring at the Kronk gym contributed to his unique fighting style, combining both defensive and offensive skills that few could match. What do you all think? Could Toney's sparring habits have been as impactful as his actual fights? And how do you feel about the current state of boxing documentaries focusing on these unsung heroes?
It is a joy listening to Emmanuel Steward call the 12th round of Toney-Jirov. His genuine passion, intelligence, and excitability made him a fantastic analyst. When fights truly reached an epic level, you heard all of that in his voice. Wow.
@@reubenrodriguez5581 my old coach used to have me come in on sundays just me and him (rip djata) to the gym and hed have me do light workouts then hes have me toney vs jirov and de la hoya vs vargas. Lol hed always throw on toney vs jirov though. Toney had probably the best Philly shell of all time. Floyd had a beautiful philly shell as well.
@@MikMiyazak That's quite nice, Toney vs Jirov was one of those fights I'd rewatch sometimes due to how sublime the action and styles of fighting the two men presented. Vassiliy Jirov kept coming forward while James Toney just chose to fight defensively and near the ropes most of the time, but Lights Out just got the better of the champ at the end and a great victory for Toney. Toney's type of Shell was used in a kind of an aggressive type of approach in some ways and it was quite different than the usual, which made him elusive to hit and dangerous when he popped the opponent. He's honestly one of my personal favorite fighters, it just seemed like he didn't get himself in shape and just maybe...he might have been a lot greater had he remained in top shape like in his prime
@reubenrodriguez5581 from purely a technical and fundamental pov there wasnt a better practitioner of the Philly shell ive ever seen. As a cruiserweight and heavyweight he fought exclusively out of the Philly shell. I was extremely fortunate to have been trained by a former national standout amateur heavyweight who was also a decent pro during the early 70s. He came from a literal family tree of Philadelphia prize fighters. His great great grandfather was a boxer all the way down to his son kwame bumpus who retired undefeated as a pro after a short career. He fought and won on Friday night fights on espn. Anyways everything i know about boxing he taught me and the Philly shell was one of many systems of boxing i learned from him. Its rooted in the same system of boxing with the same principles and fundamentals etc as the standard system but definitely specific and different. For example the philly shell is the one type of system were you do reverse slips lol. Exactly the same as a standard slip but youre going back and to an angle rather than to an angle forward and to the side. Ya toney was something else for sure.
@@RichtheFightHistorian I love this video! In the near future can you please make a video like this about "The G Man" Gerald McClellan. Thanks, and have a great day.
Toney had such mad-skills. I think he actually preferred being backed into the ropes, because it seems like every time that happened was when his skillset really shone through! Thanks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rich! From the moment I first caught sight of James Toney against Merqui Sosa on ESPN, I was a fan. Got to say, he, inadvertently, was also responsible for me becoming a Roy Jones Jr. fan, because I felt that anybody who could school "my guy" like that, deserved my respect. Toney was one of the last "old school" fighters, in that he kept that knowledge and tradition of activity (at least in his younger days) alive. I was so happy when he reemerged from "the dark years" against Jirov and then busted up John Ruiz, who never would have held a belt in a single belt era. Still, I can't help but wonder how much more he could have accomplished, if he had just remained focused; but....we all have our crosses to bear....and he did come back, after all. So, there's that. Great fighter, great champion. Would have done well in ANY era, IMO. Thank you again for covering him. You did him proud.
Amazing how long Toney remained at Middleweight given that he was 220lbs walk around. You can tell he is dead at the weight in the Tiberi fight. Not a lick of sweat on him. An All Time Great is Toney, make no mistake. Great Doco RTFH 👊👊💥💥👊👊
and his movement ,even after he started to put on a lot of weight, was smooth. I will never forget the nite he beat Holyfield w/ such movement. he threw Jim Grey's mic to the ring floor. and this was a happy JT! but the 3 bouts w/ McCallum were wars that should never be forgotten.
I remember watching both fights live. I was so surprised because by doing that, he took on a very tough fighter for LESS MONEY. It was still very rare for those days. Normally after a big win, a fighter would try to wait out for a big payday, normally at least 4 months, most of the time 6-8 months. It did not pay very good money to be on ABC, but it got him alot of exposure to have just beat Nunn (considered the Ali of middleweights at the time) then be a champ coming off a huge win and fighting a really tough #1 ranked challenger. It was done to boost his name. But it was so risky, and its something guys even in those days would be scared to do.
Great doco thanks Rich. Thought Jackie Kallen was some intriguing side character, looked her up and saw she'd been inducted into the Int boxing Hall of Fame last year.
3-weight division IBF world champion James "Lights-Out" Toney was indeed one of the absolute greatest defensive/offensive boxers of all time during his days as a middleweight and super middleweight days! Toney was a natural fighter who had in those weight divisions all the tools to be a dominant world champion. How he could slip-and-move his upper-body so smothly, how he with shoulder-rolls could avoid a series of punches combined with his sharp counter-boxing skills clipped his opponents when least expected was nothing but pure art of boxing skills displayed. Or how Toney was a gutsy- and sturdy boxer who seemingly could absorb any punishment with-out going down (below CW). While being below the general height avarage as a PRO middleweight boxer, Toney struggled to remain at his natural weight class and jumped up- and down to much and to fast so even at super middleweight it remained a problem, a problem that would take a lot away from his greatness. We never saw Toney go for becomong a unified, undisputed champion in ANY weight class. Again while remaining a real-deal as a light heavyweight, Toney never made it to win a recognized world championship title above his WBU minor title belt. Between December 1995 till about 1997, Toney was inconsistent making weight and while mainly campaigning as a LH, went up-and down between LH weight all up to 200+ lbs and fought as a hevyweight against journeymen level of opposition. 4 cruiserweight bouts mixed with 1 heavyweight bout. Even in 1999 when Toney was campaigning as a cruiserweight cintender, he still fought 3 HW class fights against meeningless opposition and when Toney in 2003 made it official to be a full-time heavyweught, he just could not maintain his condition and weight as his recommended HW weight was to not exceed 217-220 lbs to remain more smooth- and flexible, but he balooned up to 233-237 lbs = 73+ lbs what he started his champion career at. This extra weight never served Toney's style and type against naturally much bigger and heavuer boxers, making Toney absorb tremendous much more punishment as he could no longer slip-and-move his upper-body so smothly combined with his shoulder-rolls to avoid series of punches. Against Hasim Rahman (1st), Samuel Peter (both), Lucas Browne the small Toney was at times shashed great and while Toney was inhuman sturdy, the effects is clearly seen today. The HW division was at weakest ever (arguably) between 2003-2007 with few great HW material so while guys like John Ruiz, Fres Oquendo, Dominick Guinn etc. was the weaker end of the top HW's, they are still much bigger men then Toney, a natural middleweight should fought. The late-great Emanuel Steward (RIP) often commented on HBO and when he was expert-commentator, he often pointed these things out, inclyding that Toney was ill-fitted as a HW due to his naturally smaller frame- and hands! Steward often expressed the opinion Toney should been at most a LH where he could better displayed his natural skills.
I was at two of theses Tony fights at Foxwoods Casino. I really remember him fighting the Russian with Tiger written other rear of his gold zebra stripped trunks. I was ringside I remember Freddy Roche as his trainer. So exciting! I was glad Tony pulled off the win! I am going to pull my old boxing pics to reminiss. Thanks for the memories Champ!!🏆 🥊 🥊 Ray Boston Massachusetts
You guys probably won't know this, but Toney is Shaquille O'Neal's cousin from both their father's sides. To put it simply, James' father and Shaq's biological father are siblings.
Toney had certain instincts and adaptability that are truly rare. Discipline was his Achilles heel. His physical build as a middleweight and super-middleweight was his peak. He was strong and always kept his chin tucked. Toney was also amazingly relaxed in the ring. So many qualities that make a great fighter. A shame that he was not the most likable individual. But then again, he was a fighter. It takes all sorts.
A great fighter that lacked the discipline it took to stay great. Took too many hard shots that his speech is now punch drunk. He had a lot of heart and was very skilled especially in his younger days. I have nothing but respect for him. He was hard to beat...
Reggie through that punch from the depths of hell. Toney went down, but the expression on his face never changed. Then this guy goes up to heavyweight and wins the title is just unheard of outside of Roy Jones.
Thank you for this video, James Toney is one of my favourite boxers and one of the best fighters of the modern age. The only thing that let him down was himself, he was often reckless when he was younger and undisciplined as he got older, however he was highly entertaining to watch and so skilled that he got away with his defects of character.
Toney is the best boxer i have seen in my 20 years of watching boxing. Among all boxers whom i have seen active in the last 20 years, he is the most skilled. Great video. Thanks for this.
Another outstanding video Rich 👌🏻👊🏻. Would love to see you do one on Nigel Benn (who is huge here in England, but not so much in the states). And Rocky Marciano too, would be a brilliant watch.
I remember watching the fight against Tiberi as a teenager, Tiberi was a force of determination that day and he seemed to outwork a punched out Toney, I remember in the post fight interview how crestfallen Tiberi was after he was robbed.
Great stuff Rich! Very enjoyable watch. I’m very familiar with Toney’s career but this was so thorough it brought back a lot of fights I’d forgotten about. Thank you!
Fantastic fighter to watch. Every move in the book. Great chin. Advanced ring intelligence. Seemingly 100% fearless. He truly had it all. That said, despite his mammoth accomplishments, he could've accomplished more. His achilles heel wasn't wine, women, and song, but knife, spoon, and fork. At any rate, he was awesome. Thanks again, Rich!
I only saw him fight in person once, against Jones. I saw it as a pick 'em fight, somewhat like Chavez - Rosario in 1987. Both ended up being surprise blowouts via different methods. Chavez smothered Rosario, and Jones made the natural born counterpuncher come to him. Late in the fight, I thought Jones had a slight chance to stop Toney, but Toney was too smart and too tough for that. Despite the loss, in retrospect, we should not have been surprised that Toney performed at a much higher level as both aged. Toney had the right stuff to flourish, whereas Jones' skill set was largely based on preternatural reflexes.
Thank you for the reply. I'm at a retirement dinner and I am telling everyone about yourself. Im 45 and am trying to get as many younger friends involved as possible 😁
James was such a funny ass dude when it came to his interviews. Juxtaposed to his aggressive defensive style always made him one of the my favorite fighters to watch. Thanks for making this documentary Rich 🙏🏾
Toney was a great fighter but for some reason, I couldn’t really get down with him. Great doc as usual Rich. Looking forward to the next one. Keep doing what you do brother we appreciate it.
Hello again Rich. It’s Stuart Manuel Johnson from Liverpool England 🏴. I must say mate, you have outdone yourself this time on this documentary on James “Lights Out” Toney….!!! Seriously Rich, this was absolutely superb - Straight up mate, it’s definitely up there with some of your best work too date. Sorry I’m late getting back to you. But like I said earlier - Absolutely superb. Happy New Year and hopefully there is gonna be more to come. Carmen Basillio is quite a shocking but brutal way to advertise your channel after he had gone 15 hard rounds with in my case the best boxer who ever lived The Original SugarMan Ray Robinson. Wishing you all the best and take care - ADIOS AMIGO 🙏🥊🥊🥊👍
Thank you for this! Toney is one of the best of all time when he was on point. Unfortunately, James was always his own worst enemy. I used to watch him coming up, very Tyson-esque in the way he fought once or twice a month at the beginning of his career. I did not like Michael Nunn -- he was a good fighter, just rubbed me the wrong way. I became a real fan of Toney after that KO. Reggie Johnson should have won that fight, it happens. The Iran Barkley fight was hard to watch, then and now. The Doug DeWitt fight was tough to watch as well because DeWitt was an ESPN fighter from that great 80's era and it was hard to see him take that beating. Roy took James' soul in a masterful performance. I could not help but recognize Roy for the talent he was after that, and became a huge fan of Jones at that point. Unfortunately for James the loss to Roy put him on a downward spiral for years. I think he finally came out of it with the Jirov fight which was a great showing by Toney, and then carried that momentum through the fantastic performance against Holyfield. Both are great fights by James. The win against Ruiz was diminshed by Roy doing it first, and tarnished by being caught with steroids in his system in the post fight exam. James' last great showing was against Sam Peter, and the win could have gone to him. The rematch was another story.... You can't tell a grown man when to retire but Sam Peter II was that time. Once again, awesome documentary and such a great subject for it. Great job.🥊
One of your finest projects! Bravo. I loved the Jose Torres documentary also, it was much better with the singing, but I understand the copy right infringement claim. Please don't stop and consider putting a Larry Holmes one together with plenty of throwback interviews!!
@@RichtheFightHistorian I look forward to it, brother. The documentary on Ray Robinson's trainer was also well done. The Ken Norton one was also inspirational. I appreciate your work!
Outside of Usyk's run, the winner of Dubios-Parker is on the best Heavyweight streak. If Usyk beats that winner and once again becomes undisputed, his legacy somehow grows larger.
Great video coverage Rich 💯 Tony is definitely a legend truthfully I wish you would have stayed at Cruiserweight enroll that wave into the Boxing Hall of Fame
Thanks Rich! One of your best recent docs! Toney was truly a throwback fighter. Great skill and defense. I was thrilled when he ko'd Nunn (could stand his pitty patter bs punches AND he beat Donald Curry!} I remember the Barkley fight being a complete blow out. I FORGOT how dramatic the Littles fight was. I forgot or didnt even know he fought McCallum a third time. I felt he squandered his talents with laziness. I was shocked how completely dominated he was against Jones, granted this is possibly absolute peak Roy, but flu or weight problems aside they looked worlds apart in talent. I didnt remember how much he toiled in somewhat obscurity. Felt he was unjustly punished for the Jirov win, he should have been a three time champ. Great fighter whom I admired very much, in hindsight I wish he would have listened to the people around him. Absolutely HOFer, could have possibly been even greater than that!
Alot of people don't give Toney credit for his defense. He slips so many punches and not many clean shots get in. But when he got hit with a big shot he had to chin to take it.He It was a bad a** dude and a good boxer, very technical. And he doesn't get the credit he deserves.. Not to mention he's a throwback type fighter and he had a lot of ❤
I watched Toney get outclassed by Dave Tiberi, and be given a gift decision that convinced Tiberi to quit boxing. I thought Reggie Johnson beat him too.
agreed. then he bitched about being beaten TWICE by montell griffin- which i felt were clear cut losses by toney and his fault entirely [ he amazingly learnt nothing from the first fight !!]
I think Tony's chin and defense gets him threw the first few rounds which will be the toughest and Nigel's best when he comes out throwing bombs.then when Tony makes it through and settles in ,he will start picking Nigel apart imo.
James Toney was arguably one of the greatest defensive/offensive fighters of all time. For example - very few would fight Mike McCullum, James did within a 12-month period. James's early 90's fighting record is littered with fantastic fighters. Up to his fight with Roy Jones JNR, the fact he was unbeaten with so many competitive fights, may not be seen again. However, James's current brain trauma may not be attributable to his fights, but his regular Kronk gym sparring/wars. Hats off to you Rich! You never fail to broadcast top quality (accurate) true boxing documentaries, not of the big names either - but of true boxing scholars, (and yes - they where). Keep em coming!
Thanks so much, Trax. Will do.
James would fight anyone at any time. Not like the prima Donna phonies of today.
Biggest balls in boxing, without a doubt.
What an incredible tribute to James Toney! His ability to take on tough opponents like Mike McCallum and remain unbeaten in such a competitive era is truly legendary. It's fascinating how his sparring at the Kronk gym contributed to his unique fighting style, combining both defensive and offensive skills that few could match.
What do you all think? Could Toney's sparring habits have been as impactful as his actual fights? And how do you feel about the current state of boxing documentaries focusing on these unsung heroes?
It is a joy listening to Emmanuel Steward call the 12th round of Toney-Jirov. His genuine passion, intelligence, and excitability made him a fantastic analyst. When fights truly reached an epic level, you heard all of that in his voice. Wow.
I miss him, a legendary trainer and commentator.
Man James Toney was one of the best in Boxing, genuinely surprised with this entry Rich. Bravo Documentary 🙏
Thank you, Reuben.
@@reubenrodriguez5581 my old coach used to have me come in on sundays just me and him (rip djata) to the gym and hed have me do light workouts then hes have me toney vs jirov and de la hoya vs vargas. Lol hed always throw on toney vs jirov though. Toney had probably the best Philly shell of all time. Floyd had a beautiful philly shell as well.
@@MikMiyazak That's quite nice, Toney vs Jirov was one of those fights I'd rewatch sometimes due to how sublime the action and styles of fighting the two men presented. Vassiliy Jirov kept coming forward while James Toney just chose to fight defensively and near the ropes most of the time, but Lights Out just got the better of the champ at the end and a great victory for Toney.
Toney's type of Shell was used in a kind of an aggressive type of approach in some ways and it was quite different than the usual, which made him elusive to hit and dangerous when he popped the opponent. He's honestly one of my personal favorite fighters, it just seemed like he didn't get himself in shape and just maybe...he might have been a lot greater had he remained in top shape like in his prime
@reubenrodriguez5581 from purely a technical and fundamental pov there wasnt a better practitioner of the Philly shell ive ever seen. As a cruiserweight and heavyweight he fought exclusively out of the Philly shell. I was extremely fortunate to have been trained by a former national standout amateur heavyweight who was also a decent pro during the early 70s. He came from a literal family tree of Philadelphia prize fighters. His great great grandfather was a boxer all the way down to his son kwame bumpus who retired undefeated as a pro after a short career. He fought and won on Friday night fights on espn. Anyways everything i know about boxing he taught me and the Philly shell was one of many systems of boxing i learned from him. Its rooted in the same system of boxing with the same principles and fundamentals etc as the standard system but definitely specific and different. For example the philly shell is the one type of system were you do reverse slips lol. Exactly the same as a standard slip but youre going back and to an angle rather than to an angle forward and to the side. Ya toney was something else for sure.
@@RichtheFightHistorian I love this video! In the near future can you please make a video like this about "The G Man" Gerald McClellan. Thanks, and have a great day.
I sent this to James Toney and I hope he likes it
Thanks, Christopher.
🫡😎
Toney fought a who’s who of boxing throughout his career, true genius of the sport. Another gem from Richie, thank you again Sir.
My pleasure, BB.
Toney had such mad-skills. I think he actually preferred being backed into the ropes, because it seems like every time that happened was when his skillset really shone through! Thanks.
James was so great, huge fan of his especially his early days
👍🇬🇧
Loved to watch James Toney throw hands .. Great Fighter. 👊🏽👊🏽🔥
_ CYBORG BOXING 🥊
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rich! From the moment I first caught sight of James Toney against Merqui Sosa on ESPN, I was a fan. Got to say, he, inadvertently, was also responsible for me becoming a Roy Jones Jr. fan, because I felt that anybody who could school "my guy" like that, deserved my respect. Toney was one of the last "old school" fighters, in that he kept that knowledge and tradition of activity (at least in his younger days) alive. I was so happy when he reemerged from "the dark years" against Jirov and then busted up John Ruiz, who never would have held a belt in a single belt era. Still, I can't help but wonder how much more he could have accomplished, if he had just remained focused; but....we all have our crosses to bear....and he did come back, after all. So, there's that. Great fighter, great champion. Would have done well in ANY era, IMO. Thank you again for covering him. You did him proud.
Thanks very much, WolfmanJoe. Agreed on your labeling of those "dark years". He was counted out by many before the fight with Jirov.
The Sosa fight was the first time I saw him as well.
James one of my favorite fighters of all time.
Me too
Mate he’s everyone’s
Favourite fighter
@edonis2787 very good fighter hope you're having a great day
Fat James Toney is my favorite boxer
Amazing how long Toney remained at Middleweight given that he was 220lbs walk around. You can tell he is dead at the weight in the Tiberi fight. Not a lick of sweat on him. An All Time Great is Toney, make no mistake.
Great Doco RTFH 👊👊💥💥👊👊
Thank you, CTO.
and his movement ,even after he started to put on a lot of weight, was smooth. I will never forget the nite he beat Holyfield w/ such movement. he threw Jim Grey's mic to the ring floor. and this was a happy JT! but the 3 bouts w/ McCallum were wars that should never be forgotten.
Wow! Toney's Mom...what a human being! Thanks for this documentary, Rich. What a gift to start the new year. All the best!
Thank you, bareknuckles2u.
who he then sued !
James Toney documentary!!!! There we go!
"Lights Out" was a true throwback to the old school fighters.
He fought Johnson SIX WEEKS after fighting Nunn! These bums nowadays wouldn't dare!
Exactly
I remember watching both fights live. I was so surprised because by doing that, he took on a very tough fighter for LESS MONEY.
It was still very rare for those days. Normally after a big win, a fighter would try to wait out for a big payday, normally at least 4 months, most of the time 6-8 months.
It did not pay very good money to be on ABC, but it got him alot of exposure to have just beat Nunn (considered the Ali of middleweights at the time) then be a champ coming off a huge win and fighting a really tough #1 ranked challenger.
It was done to boost his name. But it was so risky, and its something guys even in those days would be scared to do.
Great doco thanks Rich. Thought Jackie Kallen was some intriguing side character, looked her up and saw she'd been inducted into the Int boxing Hall of Fame last year.
Sure thing, Nick. I thought Kallen was a nice person.
@@RichtheFightHistorian me too. Genuine- she put up with some epic sh*t from a vulgar ungrateful toney !
3-weight division IBF world champion James "Lights-Out" Toney was indeed one of the absolute greatest defensive/offensive boxers of all time during his days as a middleweight and super middleweight days! Toney was a natural fighter who had in those weight divisions all the tools to be a dominant world champion.
How he could slip-and-move his upper-body so smothly, how he with shoulder-rolls could avoid a series of punches combined with his sharp counter-boxing skills clipped his opponents when least expected was nothing but pure art of boxing skills displayed. Or how Toney was a gutsy- and sturdy boxer who seemingly could absorb any punishment with-out going down (below CW).
While being below the general height avarage as a PRO middleweight boxer, Toney struggled to remain at his natural weight class and jumped up- and down to much and to fast so even at super middleweight it remained a problem, a problem that would take a lot away from his greatness. We never saw Toney go for becomong a unified, undisputed champion in ANY weight class.
Again while remaining a real-deal as a light heavyweight, Toney never made it to win a recognized world championship title above his WBU minor title belt.
Between December 1995 till about 1997, Toney was inconsistent making weight and while mainly campaigning as a LH, went up-and down between LH weight all up to 200+ lbs and fought as a hevyweight against journeymen level of opposition. 4 cruiserweight bouts mixed with 1 heavyweight bout. Even in 1999 when Toney was campaigning as a cruiserweight cintender, he still fought 3 HW class fights against meeningless opposition and when Toney in 2003 made it official to be a full-time heavyweught, he just could not maintain his condition and weight as his recommended HW weight was to not exceed 217-220 lbs to remain more smooth- and flexible, but he balooned up to 233-237 lbs = 73+ lbs what he started his champion career at.
This extra weight never served Toney's style and type against naturally much bigger and heavuer boxers, making Toney absorb tremendous much more punishment as he could no longer
slip-and-move his upper-body so smothly combined with his shoulder-rolls to avoid series of punches. Against Hasim Rahman (1st), Samuel Peter (both), Lucas Browne the small Toney was at times shashed great and while Toney was inhuman sturdy, the effects is clearly seen today. The HW division was at weakest ever (arguably) between 2003-2007 with few great HW material
so while guys like John Ruiz, Fres Oquendo, Dominick Guinn etc. was the weaker end of the top HW's, they are still much bigger men then Toney, a natural middleweight should fought.
The late-great Emanuel Steward (RIP) often commented on HBO and when he was expert-commentator, he often pointed these things out, inclyding that Toney was ill-fitted as a HW due to his naturally smaller frame- and hands! Steward often expressed the opinion Toney should been at most a LH where he could better displayed his natural skills.
one hour and forty minutes of sheer entertainment ! Cheers Rich Class documentary. thanks Bud
My pleasure, Kim.
I was at two of theses Tony fights at Foxwoods Casino. I really remember him fighting the Russian with Tiger written other rear of his gold zebra stripped trunks. I was ringside I remember Freddy Roche as his trainer. So exciting! I was glad Tony pulled off the win! I am going to pull my old boxing pics to reminiss. Thanks for the memories Champ!!🏆 🥊 🥊
Ray Boston Massachusetts
You guys probably won't know this, but Toney is Shaquille O'Neal's cousin from both their father's sides.
To put it simply, James' father and Shaq's biological father are siblings.
I didn't know that, no. Talk about some athletic DNA there.
They both look alike too.
James Toney
Greatest Fighter of All time
I am now content.
Thank you for all you've done rich.
My pleasure, ХУСЕЙН¹³⁸.
No he wasn’t and Roy Jones Jr. made that abundantly clear.
@@MaximusWolfe Roy Jones kissed arse all the way to 5 K.O losses.
Thank you for this. James Toney deserves a documentary. Michigan is proud of James!
My pleasure, timomomomo
His punching technique is perhaps some of the best in history, the way he gets full leverage with his body with everything he throws is so impressive.
I met Mr. Toney; real cool brother. I’m going to order this book; much respect to the ATG one of the best to do it, James Lights Out Toney.
This doc was just all action highlights, thoroughly enjoyed it,what a legend
Toney was the last throw back fighter to ever exist .He had easily one the top ten best chins of all time .
Toney had certain instincts and adaptability that are truly rare. Discipline was his Achilles heel. His physical build as a middleweight and super-middleweight was his peak. He was strong and always kept his chin tucked. Toney was also amazingly relaxed in the ring. So many qualities that make a great fighter. A shame that he was not the most likable individual. But then again, he was a fighter. It takes all sorts.
A great fighter that lacked the discipline it took to stay great. Took too many hard shots that his speech is now punch drunk. He had a lot of heart and was very skilled especially in his younger days. I have nothing but respect for him. He was hard to beat...
I wonder if all that work, especially when he was young, then going up to cruiserweight just took a toll on him.
I always smile when watching these older fights and hear "Harold how do you have after X" "O.K. Jim..." RIP H. Lederman.
Im super early 🥊 this is a long documentary that im looking forward to!! Lights out!!! Thank you Rich sincerely 🙏
Thank you, Bone.
My favorite fighter of all time. And we share a birthday.
Reggie through that punch from the depths of hell. Toney went down, but the expression on his face never changed. Then this guy goes up to heavyweight and wins the title is just unheard of outside of Roy Jones.
Thank you for this video, James Toney is one of my favourite boxers and one of the best fighters of the modern age. The only thing that let him down was himself, he was often reckless when he was younger and undisciplined as he got older, however he was highly entertaining to watch and so skilled that he got away with his defects of character.
Toney's switch hitting was fantastic - just effortless. The only other fighters I've seen do that without effort was Mike Tyson and Conchita Gonzales
Toney is the best boxer i have seen in my 20 years of watching boxing. Among all boxers whom i have seen active in the last 20 years, he is the most skilled. Great video. Thanks for this.
My pleasure, modernguitarist.
Another outstanding video Rich 👌🏻👊🏻. Would love to see you do one on Nigel Benn (who is huge here in England, but not so much in the states). And Rocky Marciano too, would be a brilliant watch.
Thanks, TFB. Ah, both on the docket but it'll take awhile, particularly Marciano.
Thanks for droppong a whole movie damn
That was amazing Rich! 😊
Thank you, Patrick.
The 90’s. Last great era of the middleweight division. Has been lukewarm last 25 yrs, even during B-Hops prime reign.
Thank you Mr. Rich! It's always great to see that you've uploaded a long one. Great editing and narration.
Thanks very much, Holy_Braille
Lights out baby!! My favorite boxer could watch him fight all day long just raw talent.
Thanks for the video, RICH THE FIGHT HISTORIAN
I remember watching the fight against Tiberi as a teenager, Tiberi was a force of determination that day and he seemed to outwork a punched out Toney, I remember in the post fight interview how crestfallen Tiberi was after he was robbed.
Great stuff Rich! Very enjoyable watch. I’m very familiar with Toney’s career but this was so thorough it brought back a lot of fights I’d forgotten about. Thank you!
My pleasure, Mark.
Absolute throwback
Mane I been waiting for this
Great song at the beginning!
Your videos and production are always top notch. Always had great respect for Toney. Amazing what he accomplished being he was so often out of shape.
Thanks very much, SagansWar
My all-time favourite. I can't wait to sit down and watch this. Thank you, Rich.
Sure thing, Lou.
Fantastic fighter to watch. Every move in the book. Great chin. Advanced ring intelligence. Seemingly 100% fearless. He truly had it all.
That said, despite his mammoth accomplishments, he could've accomplished more. His achilles heel wasn't wine, women, and song, but knife, spoon, and fork.
At any rate, he was awesome.
Thanks again, Rich!
Sure thing, Greg.
I only saw him fight in person once, against Jones. I saw it as a pick 'em fight, somewhat like Chavez - Rosario in 1987. Both ended up being surprise blowouts via different methods. Chavez smothered Rosario, and Jones made the natural born counterpuncher come to him.
Late in the fight, I thought Jones had a slight chance to stop Toney, but Toney was too smart and too tough for that.
Despite the loss, in retrospect, we should not have been surprised that Toney performed at a much higher level as both aged. Toney had the right stuff to flourish, whereas Jones' skill set was largely based on preternatural reflexes.
Another good 1 Rich. James Toney is one of my favorites of all time.
Thank you, ImeanwhatIsay79
James Toney! My Man, Great documentary Rich
Thank you, Open1
Thanks Rich this was awesome
Sure thing, Mike.
Thank you for the reply. I'm at a retirement dinner and I am telling everyone about yourself. Im 45 and am trying to get as many younger friends involved as possible 😁
James Toney is my all time favorite boxer
Love his style!
Bravisimo Rich. Always a masterpiece! Tysvm for your work! Keep it up!
Always a pleasure, Jose.
Maybe the most aggressive defensive fighter ever
Thank you Rich I was waiting on this one 🙏
My pleasure, frenchgoldenboyfan.
Good to see you back Rich. Hope you're well 🙏.
Another great post. Top fighter 👊
All healed up, Mr T. Thank you.
James Toney is my all time no1.
Lights out!
Sweet Pea and Lights Out are my two favorite boxers ever
I love Tony’s post fight interview after fighting Dave Tiberi.. also that Italian dude is one tough cookie
James was such a funny ass dude when it came to his interviews. Juxtaposed to his aggressive defensive style always made him one of the my favorite fighters to watch. Thanks for making this documentary Rich 🙏🏾
My pleasure, Darien.
Personally, I love abrasive counterpunchers... Toney, Tyson, Hopkins, Hagler, Frazier
Always entertaining fighters.
Excellent documentary Rich and I also wish you a happy new year my friend
Thanks, Alan. Happy New Year to you.
Another Great Documentary Rich 🥊🥊🥊 Brilliant stuff
Thank you, Andy.
I love to watch a master like Toney. Calm and methodical. Imagine: there was a time when you could have Toney and Roy Jones Jr. in the same ring.
Man james is my favourite fighter ever. Love his style thanks for the vid rich
Thanks, Leo.
LOve it Rich! Great work as usual and am a big fan of Toney.
Thanks very much, Joe.
So excited for this! Thanks Rich!!
Sure thing, James.
Toney was a great fighter but for some reason, I couldn’t really get down with him. Great doc as usual Rich. Looking forward to the next one. Keep doing what you do brother we appreciate it.
As I remember most of the champs were always stating: " .. if he's a champ you gotta take it away from him " .
Hello again Rich. It’s Stuart Manuel Johnson from Liverpool England 🏴. I must say mate, you have outdone yourself this time on this documentary on James “Lights Out” Toney….!!! Seriously Rich, this was absolutely superb - Straight up mate, it’s definitely up there with some of your best work too date. Sorry I’m late getting back to you. But like I said earlier - Absolutely superb. Happy New Year and hopefully there is gonna be more to come. Carmen Basillio is quite a shocking but brutal way to advertise your channel after he had gone 15 hard rounds with in my case the best boxer who ever lived The Original SugarMan Ray Robinson. Wishing you all the best and take care - ADIOS AMIGO 🙏🥊🥊🥊👍
Thanks so much for the kind words, Stuart. Yes, that pic really sums up boxing from that era. Wishing you all the best for the coming year.
@ Stay Safe Rich. 🙏🥊👍
Let’s gooooo this was my recommendation
Boxing history is fascinating. Thanks for making this.
Sure thing, FunProductReviews.
Thank you for this! Toney is one of the best of all time when he was on point. Unfortunately, James was always his own worst enemy. I used to watch him coming up, very Tyson-esque in the way he fought once or twice a month at the beginning of his career. I did not like Michael Nunn -- he was a good fighter, just rubbed me the wrong way. I became a real fan of Toney after that KO. Reggie Johnson should have won that fight, it happens. The Iran Barkley fight was hard to watch, then and now. The Doug DeWitt fight was tough to watch as well because DeWitt was an ESPN fighter from that great 80's era and it was hard to see him take that beating. Roy took James' soul in a masterful performance. I could not help but recognize Roy for the talent he was after that, and became a huge fan of Jones at that point.
Unfortunately for James the loss to Roy put him on a downward spiral for years. I think he finally came out of it with the Jirov fight which was a great showing by Toney, and then carried that momentum through the fantastic performance against Holyfield. Both are great fights by James. The win against Ruiz was diminshed by Roy doing it first, and tarnished by being caught with steroids in his system in the post fight exam. James' last great showing was against Sam Peter, and the win could have gone to him. The rematch was another story.... You can't tell a grown man when to retire but Sam Peter II was that time. Once again, awesome documentary and such a great subject for it. Great job.🥊
Hey thanks, Ron.
Thanks Rich for making anther great documentary
Hey thanks, Shane.
His mother looked so beautiful.
Really enjoyed this , Toney was a throwback, excellent fighter.
Thanks, Andy.
Michael Nunn looks like a skinny Lennox Lewis 😂
He was an a-hole with a huge chip on his shoulder. It's always best to know as little as possible about these guys outside the fighting itself.
I had no idea Dan Dierdoff commentated Boxing, that's wild. Thanks for posting
My pleasure, titans2881
One of your finest projects! Bravo.
I loved the Jose Torres documentary also, it was much better with the singing, but I understand the copy right infringement claim. Please don't stop and consider putting a Larry Holmes one together with plenty of throwback interviews!!
Thanks, Dhop. Will do.
@@RichtheFightHistorian I look forward to it, brother. The documentary on Ray Robinson's trainer was also well done.
The Ken Norton one was also inspirational. I appreciate your work!
Great work!! This is one of my favorite fighters of all time!!
Thank you, Clay.
Outside of Usyk's run, the winner of Dubios-Parker is on the best Heavyweight streak. If Usyk beats that winner and once again becomes undisputed, his legacy somehow grows larger.
Toneys combination's were like poetry in motion and gave me some memorable moments fr Rich, thanks 🥊🥊l
Sure thing, boundsgreenboy. Agreed on Toney's combinations.
James Tony a turn of technician Wow James Tony GOAT ❤😮
I wanted this. That shoulder roll!! Idk how long its gonna take me to watch this though
Great video coverage Rich 💯 Tony is definitely a legend truthfully I wish you would have stayed at Cruiserweight enroll that wave into the Boxing Hall of Fame
Thanks, Samuel.
Thanks Rich! One of your best recent docs! Toney was truly a throwback fighter. Great skill and defense. I was thrilled when he ko'd Nunn (could stand his pitty patter bs punches AND he beat Donald Curry!} I remember the Barkley fight being a complete blow out. I FORGOT how dramatic the Littles fight was. I forgot or didnt even know he fought McCallum a third time. I felt he squandered his talents with laziness. I was shocked how completely dominated he was against Jones, granted this is possibly absolute peak Roy, but flu or weight problems aside they looked worlds apart in talent. I didnt remember how much he toiled in somewhat obscurity. Felt he was unjustly punished for the Jirov win, he should have been a three time champ. Great fighter whom I admired very much, in hindsight I wish he would have listened to the people around him. Absolutely HOFer, could have possibly been even greater than that!
Thanks, Brian. I agree on the Littles fight. Littles was skilled and had the braintrust to go along with it.
The intro alone got a thumbs up.
Most beautiful boxing channel 💞 Thanks
Thank you, Rob.
Alot of people don't give Toney credit for his defense. He slips so many punches and not many clean shots get in. But when he got hit with a big shot he had to chin to take it.He It was a bad a** dude and a good boxer, very technical.
And he doesn't get the credit he deserves.. Not to mention he's a throwback type fighter and he had a lot of ❤
Not to mention sometimes Toney would play possum.Or at least it seemed that way to me sometimes
I watched Toney get outclassed by Dave Tiberi, and be given a gift decision that convinced Tiberi to quit boxing. I thought Reggie Johnson beat him too.
agreed. then he bitched about being beaten TWICE by montell griffin- which i felt were clear cut losses by toney and his fault entirely [ he amazingly learnt nothing from the first fight !!]
every unbeaten rocord has some robberies cf. Joe Calzaghe
@@karelvanderwalt3625 fair e;nough, Chavez v Whittaker is another horrible one.
Good video, thank you!
My pleasure, Nervosa.
That 1st min was 🔥
Detroit and Philly have some of the most storied boxing trainers and fighters.
Lights out was one of my favorite boxers of ALL TIME!!!
Love me a bit of rich waking up to another fantastic doc 👌
Thank you, Martin.
One of the best you have done toney fought everyone what a career 👏
Must watch! Thanks Rich.
My pleasure, Drink.
Woulda loved to see him fight Nigel benn
It would have been one hell of a fight for the 3 rounds it lasted
Toney beats the shit out of benn benn was good but not a great @@FreddyHurst1988
I think Tony's chin and defense gets him threw the first few rounds which will be the toughest and Nigel's best when he comes out throwing bombs.then when Tony makes it through and settles in ,he will start picking Nigel apart imo.
James Toney actually called out Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, but they didn't want the smoke from james
I saw him fight at Foxwoods both fights were shown here in the documentary. Great to be ringside!
Thanks for the memories Champ! 🥊🥊👍
Saw Toney McCallum II in Reno and his fight with M16 Mateen in Vegas. He was one mean dude in the ring….