James Toney: Aiming to Make History Repeat Itself
It is almost hard to believe it was eight and one half years ago that James Toney last competed at cruiserweight. It was in April of 2003 that Toney, already written off more than once at that point in his career, put an undefeated left hander from Kazakhstan named Vassiliy Jirov on his back en route to a thrilling unanimous decision. Now years later, Toney finds himself in a similar position. Again written off by some, Toney will now venture to Moscow to take on a once- beaten Russian southpaw in Denis Lebedev at cruiserweight in November.
Toney’s win over Jirov earned him the IBF Cruiserweight title, his third major title in as many weight classes, and vaulted him into a fight with Evander Holyfield and eventual Fighter of the Year honors. Prior to the Jirov fight, Toney had been on the outside looking in at the money fights in and around his weight division. It is a parallel that can be drawn again today, which prompted Toney’s move back down in weight.
“My team was consistently trying to get big fights in the heavyweight division,” says Toney (73-6-3, 44 KOs). “But with the Klitschkos, it was never materializing. Everything was going so well [in the gym] and I was feeling so strong, I said if things don’t materialize like we want them to I’m going to jump down to cruiserweight. They came with a fight with this guy Lebedev and I said ‘Let’s make it happen.’”
Originally Toney’s autumn was to have included a mixed rules bout with legendary mixed martial arts figure Ken Shamrock. “The promoter was playing games,” reports Toney. “He didn’t have has much money as he said he did. So the fight is off for the time being. It’s going to happen, but we are not sure when right now.”
For Toney, who plans to continue competing in both boxing and MMA, changing gears back to the sweet science was no problem. “I’m always in the gym,” says Toney. “I’m always doing my boxing training regardless. So it wasn’t a tough situation.”
Lebedev (22-1, 17 KOs) of Chekhov, Russia came to prominence in the cruiserweight division with early round kayos over former titleholder Enzo Maccarinelli and title challenger Alexander Alexeev in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The win over Alexeev earned Lebedev a shot at WBO belt holder Marco Huck last December which resulted in a split decision loss that many felt should have gone his way.
In his one fight since his sole defeat, Lebedev brutally stopped a faded Roy Jones Jr. in the tenth round in Moscow in May. “I saw the last round,” says Toney of the Lebedev-Jones bout. “I wasn’t too impressed. He’s a physical fighter. He did a good job fighting Roy, but I am not Roy Jones. It is what it is.” Toney’s assessment of Lebedev comes solely from that tenth round, as the veteran does not watch tape of his opponents. “The reason I don’t, is because everybody fights me the same way,” says Toney. “Everybody has the same plan for James Toney, which means I need track shoes.”
Like Toney’s last cruiserweight opponent Jirov, Lebedev is a southpaw. Throughout his recent heavyweight run, Toney did not fight one lefthander. It is a fact that fails to worry the future hall of famer. “I love fighting southpaws,” says Toney, who returned from doing a round of press in Russia on Monday. “I’ve fought eleven of them. I’m a southpaw myself and I can switch up if I have to.” Just as was the case heading into his 2003 bout with Jirov, a win on November 4th at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia will open the whole world back up for Toney. The options could be plentiful at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. “I’m going to compete at both the heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions,” says Toney. “Nobody has done that, but James Toney is a different person. I’m a different species.”
Toney has designs on making a cruiserweight bout with reigning light heavyweight kingpin Bernard Hopkins. It was a superfight that died on the negotiating table back in 2003 prior to Toney’s fight with Holyfield and before Hopkins switched his focus to making a fight with Oscar De La Hoya. There also remains the possibility that a win over Lebedev could be enough to land Toney his long sought bout with one of the brothers Klitschko, Wladimir or Vitali.
In any event, Toney’s eyes are not on any prize beyond Lebedev yet. “The Klitschkos are garbage,” Toney proclaims. “But I’m not worried about them right now. I’m worried about Denis Lebedev. He’s the number one contender at cruiserweight, so we need to worry about him right now, not the Klitschkos and what they are going to do.”
Another thing that does not worry the former champion is fighting Lebedev on his home turf. “I’ve been overseas many times and I’m not concerned at all, because my hands will do the talking,” says Toney, who last left U.S. soil for a fight way back in October of 1991 for a defense of his middleweight title against Italian Francesco Dell’Aquila in Monte Carlo, Monaco. “They call me “Lights Out,” so it’s time for me to put his lights out. That’s what I plan on doing and I’m going to be successful so there won’t be no controversy.”
It feels like 2003 all over again. In more ways than one, can Toney turn the trick again? Not only can Toney reemerge as a major player in the sport by pulling out the victory, but could it possibly be another Toney-Jirov type classic? “It all depends on Lebedev,” says Toney. “If he comes out like Jirov did, it will be the same type of fight and he’s going to get knocked out too.”
Photo by Jan Sanders/Goossen Tutor Promotions
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].