James Toney

James Toney is a former American professional boxer who has been in the game for over 28 years. Throughout his illustrious career, Toney fought a total of 92 times and was able to amass an impressive record of 77 wins, 10 losses, 3 draws, and 2 no-contests. Out of his 77 wins, 47 of them came via knockout, making him one of boxing's most destructive KO artists.

Toney was an exceptional counterpuncher and inside fighter, known for his defensive skills, fast hand speed, respectable punching power, and remarkable toughness. He was never stopped in any of his 92 professional bouts, with all his losses coming via decision. One of his most notable fights was against Michael Nunn for the middleweight IBF title, where he won his first-ever world title via 11th round TKO at the age of 22.

In 1991 and 2003, Toney was voted Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2011, The Ring magazine ranked him as one of the "10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years." He has also made a one-time appearance in mixed martial arts, losing to Randy Couture at UFC 118.

Stylistically a defensive boxer, Toney utilized the shoulder roll technique taught to him by veteran trainer Bill Miller, who had once trained heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles. Toney was an exceptional counterpuncher and inside fighter, who often preferred to fight off the ropes.

Early Life and Career

James Nathaniel Toney was born on August 24, 1968, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. Toney made his professional boxing debut against Stephen Lee at the age of 20 on October 26, 1988, defeating Lee via 2nd round TKO. He went on to win 19 more consecutive fights after the debut, which included 14 wins via stoppage.

At the age of 22, on May 10, 1991 after 26 professional fights, Toney had his first world title fight against Michael Nunn for the middleweight IBF title. He defeated Nunn via 11th round TKO to become the middleweight champion of the world, a title he successfully defended multiple times.

After dominating the middleweight division, Toney moved up to super middleweight on February 13, 1993, where he challenged Iran Barkley for the IBF title. After a dominating performance from Toney, the bout was stopped after 9 rounds by Barkley's trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, due to Barkley suffering severe swelling around both eyes.

Vassiliy Jirov and Cruiserweight

After taking some time off from the ring in 1999, Toney came back, searching for his status as an elite fighter. He defeated former title holders and contenders Adolpho Washington, Steve Little, Ramon Garbey, and Sione Asipeli, Courtney Butler, and Michael Rush.

In August 2002, Toney beat Jason Robinson in an IBF Cruiserweight title elimination fight. This set up a fight between Toney and the champion, Vassiliy Jirov. After a postponement, the fight happened on April 26, 2003. With the scores fairly even and the fight in the balance, Toney knocked the undefeated Jirov down in the 12th to win the fight, a victory that earned him the third world title he had craved out of his career.

Toney's performance against Jirov was outstanding, leading him to win "Comeback of the Year" and "Fighter of the Year" awards. The fight itself was named "Fight Of The Year" by The Ring magazine, securing Toney's status as an elite fighter.

Heavyweight

James Toney was known throughout his career as a fighter who never turned down an opponent or a challenge, so it wasn't a surprise when he moved up to the heavyweight division. His first heavyweight bout was against aging former champion, Evander Holyfield. After a shaky first round, Toney picked apart Holyfield with shots to the body and head before stopping him in the 9th round, cementing his heavyweight status.

He then went on to defeat John Ruiz by a unanimous decision in a 12-round match for the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight Championship on April 30, 2005. However, Toney failed his post-fight drug test, testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. This led to the New York Athletic Commission changing the bout's official result to a "no contest."

Retirement

James Toney's last professional fight was a non-title bout against Mike Sheppard on May 13, 2017. Toney won the fight via 6th round TKO. It's been five years, ten months, and eighteen days since this fight.

He retired from professional boxing with a record of 77-10-3, which included 47 knockout wins, and three title wins. In 2022, Toney was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), a fitting end to a remarkable career.

Career Highlights

James Toney fought a total of 92 times during his professional career. He put on some great performances in these

James Toney Fight Record