When you talk about accomplishments in the sport of boxing, you are talking about James "Lights Out" Toney. When you talk about perseverance in the sport of boxing, you are talking about James "Lights Out" Toney. For the sake of the unlearned, some of the future Hall-of-Famer's achievements include winning the Middleweight, Super Middleweight, and Cruiserweight Championships of the World, as well as being named The Ring Fighter of the Year for 1991 and 2003, and The Ring Comeback of the Year fighter for 2003. Toney was also voted the Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year, for 1991 and 2003 respectively.
While nobody can deny the resume of Lights Out, some may feel inclined to believe that his best days are behind him. A short talk with Toney, however, quickly lays such thoughts to rest. It should be noted that he makes quite a convincing case for himself. Then again, during the course of his professional career, which spans 21 years, James Toney has never been accused of being at a loss for words.
Since shocking the boxing world by debuting at heavyweight in 2003 with a knockout victory over Evander Holyfield, Toney has only been bested at heavyweight by one man, the peaking future World Champion Sam Peter. Most feel that a poorly conditioned James Toney was robbed by Peter in their first contest, giving each of them one win in the "moral victory" column. Since they last met, Peter has won and lost a title and began to struggle with the very issue that has troubled Toney's heavyweight campaign...that of weight.
It is, however, a new day for Team Toney. Lights Out, of course, has gained control of his weight and was back to his heavyweight best of 217 lbs. for his recent victory over Matthew Greer in September. With conditioning no longer a factor, Toney's only remaining struggle is the one he shares with his promoter Dan Goossen of GoossenTutor Promotions...lining up a notable opponent.
While Goossen hasn't had much problem getting Chris Arreola and Eddie Chambers the fights they need, James Toney's recent fate has been more like that of his other stablemate, Paul "The Punisher" Williams. Unlike Williams though, Toney is already an established legend in the sport and one would think that fact alone would make him a candidate for a fight with a top heavyweight or cruiserweight. Not so. His ranking would certainly justify a champion or top contender adding the legend to their resume. After all, Toney holds top 12 rankings in the IBF and WBO, as well as a top 10 ranking in the WBC. Lights Out is also quick to remind us that he is the IBA Heavyweight Champion of the World and would love to put it on the line against any champion should they give him the opportunity.
SG: What up Lights Out? Great to talk to you as always. It still seems that despite your list of prestigious accomplishments and the fact that you have only lost at heavyweight to one fighter, you are being avoided like the plague James.
JT: I feel like a person who has A.I.D.S.; don't nobody want to be around me. They are afraid they are going to get infected or something.
SG: You haven't given up hope though?
JT: I'm not going away. I am still here. I am right here and I'm not going anywhere. Anybody wants to fight, we can do this. I'm ready right now.
SG: Word on the street is that you've got a hit list.
JT: I've got 5 mantle places.
SG: You mean for a fireplace?
JT: For heads. I got 5 mantle places for 5 heads
SG: Who are you gunnin' for?
JT: First on the list, since it's Christmas in the next couple of weeks, I'm gonna have to make a trip to Toys R Us and pick up a couple of Barbie Dolls. I'm going to get a couple of WWE Belts for them too. I'm going to make them hold hands and I'm going to take a picture of it. I'm puttin' it up on the internet where everybody can see it. That's the Klitschko Sisters. That's my rendition of the Klitschko Sisters.
SG: (Uncontrollable laughter from Klitschko hating Suge) Who else are you after Lights Out?
JT: Bernice Hopkins. It's not Bernard, it's Bernice. All you writers need to stop saying he's a great fighter. I'm the only legend in boxing right now.
SG: Bernard is an accomplished fighter as well though.
JT: Go aheadÂ…what'd he do?
SG: To be fair JT, he had a lot of title defenses.
JT: I give credit where it's due. Bernard has accomplishments. What he have, like 8 or 10 title defenses or something?
SG: I believe he holds the middleweight record with 20.
JT: So what? He didn't fight nobody. Bernard came after me. I was the Middleweight Champion and then he came later. He didn't even fight my leftovers. He didn't fight anybody at middleweight. I fought everybody. Bernard fought Tijuana trash can fighters. Bernard is not a great fighter.
SG: You've been critical of Hopkins for a while though James. In his defense, against Ornelas, he wasn't running in with his head down to hold, like you enjoy riding him about.
JT: He just went 12 rounds with a bum. He's a middleweight. Ornelas is a bum. Have you seen him fight? Do you know how bad that is? That's like Roy Jones getting knocked out by Danny Green. Do you know who Danny Green is? Look on YouTube, he's a bum. Roy Jones got knocked out in 1 round by a bum. I always said he ran like a chicken. When he beat me, all he did was run, and I was sick too.
SG: Well, I haven't heard any writers, or even Roy himself, point it out, but if you review the footage James, you can see that Roy completely blocked the side of his head and the blow that knocked him down and caused the damage landed entirely on the back of the head. Some idiot that writes results for BoxRec even said it's was a right to the temple. Either the guy who wrote that is lying or he didn't watch the fight. It's up on the radio show's website for fans to make up their own minds. Maybe it's not that important because Roy sort of turned the back of his head toward the punch while it was in motion as he blocked.
JT: I believe you. I always said he ran like a chicken; he tried turning and running like a chicken, and got hit on the back of the head.
SG: Immediately after Bernard's win over Ornelas, he was saying that a match with Jones is still viable and that he intends to become Heavyweight Champion in 2010Â…
JT: (Cutting in) All you media keep talking about Bernard like he's some kind of legend, because nobody wants to piss off Golden Boy Promotions. Before Bernard was with Golden Boy, didn't nobody want to talk to him. He's a puppet.
SG: Wait up Lights Out! I don't really give a shit what Golden Boy Promotions thinks. They don't do me any favors and to be fair to Bernard, he made it clear that he's not a puppet. He describes himself as a share holder.
JT: He's a front man. Everybody knows Oscar de la Hoya and Richard Schaefer run Golden Boy Promotions. He's just a front man and everybody knows it. If he says he's an owner, let's see him do some paper work. He don't do any of that. Oscar and Richard Schaefer run Golden Boy.
SG: On the subject of the Golden Boy Partners, I also find it interesting that Sugar Shane Mosley has to hire a publicist to stir up support for a bout with a fighter who returned from retirement to fight as part of Golden Boy Promotions. One would think that he could just walk across the hall and say, "I'm part owner of this company. I want the Mayweather fight."
JT: That's right. That's it right there. Shane Mosley is a puppet. Look, I love Shane Mosley. Shane Mosley is a great person, but Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley don't own Golden Boy; they just front men. I got nothing against Golden Boy. I'm proud of what Oscar has done.
SG: Well, I'm not a big fan of their undercards.
JT: And people wonder why boxing is losing ground to MMA. They put on the fights people want to see. Boxing don't do that.
SG: Back to the possibility of fighting Bernard. I don't want to discourage you, but when we had Bernard Hopkins on OnThEGRiND recently, I asked him what he thought about stepping in the ring with you for the fans in a fight about legendary status, between two of the most accomplished fighters of our era. He said he wasn't interested and said he intends to close out his career at light heavyweight.
JT: That don't matter. I already said I'd go down. We can fight at a catch-weight.
SG: I don't know if you need to do that. Remember he said after he beat Ornelas that he's going to go for the title at heavyweight.
JT: That won't happen. He won't fight at heavyweight. Bernard's not a great fighter. He ain't fighting no heavyweight. If he wants to fight a heavyweight, he can fight me. He won't though. He scared to death. He knows the real deal. I'd beat Bernard Hopkins real bad and he knows it.
SG: Well, Golden Boy Promotions has promotional interest in David Haye.
JT: He's on my list too. David Haye is the light-skinned Billy Ocean. I will fight Bernard Hopkins anytime. I will fight Haye; we can do it right now. They are both scared.
SG: Who else is on the list James? There's talk of Tarver.
JT: I like the job he's doing with Showtime. He got himself a nice job over there, but if he wants to get in the ring, we can do it too. I'll fight all of 'em. He can get it too.
SG: It's always a pleasure to speak with you James, thanks. Best of luck in getting one of these guys in the ring. Anything else for your fans?
JT: I love all my fans. Thanks to all my fans out there. To all my fans, I got you. I'll fight anybody. I want the Klitschko Sisters, Bernice Hopkins, the light-skinned Billy Ocean [David Haye], Tarver; it don't matter. I'm the IBA Heavyweight Champion and I'll defend my title against anybody...the belt don't make the champion, the champion makes the belt. Before, I needed the belts, but I don't need the belts anymore. I make the belts. I'm a legend. There's only one legend in boxing, James "Lights Out" Toney.