Lights Out!

James “Lights Out” Toney is a name of which most boxing fans are fond. With a record of 68-4 (43 KOs), Toney knows his way around the ring as well as the business of boxing. Beginning his professional boxing career as a middleweight, where he earned the IBF middleweight title, Toney’s dominance of the middleweight division and weight issues pushed him into the light heavyweight division, where he suffered his first loss by decision to Roy Jones Jr. The factors of maintaining his weight and regaining his focus from the loss to Jones became evident with Toney’s second decision loss to Montell Griffin. Some people in boxing had the idea that Toney was just a fat, out of shape and focus light heavyweight. Indeed, it was shocking to see a talented middleweight climb to light heavyweight and barely fight with the same intensity, eagerness and ring generalship as he once did. Toney’s light heavyweight days were not impressive; he did win some fights there, but they were against lackluster opponents.

Another fight with Griffin at cruiserweight ended in another decision loss for Toney. The cruiserweight days of Toney were as tough as the light heavyweight days, as Toney lost another decision to Drake Thadzi and made boxing fans and writers wonder. Even though the scorecards and fight in total had evidence to create a debate, Toney was clearly expected to defeat Thadzi. Weight gain problems and personal problems were all hanging over the former middleweight king. After the Thadzi loss, Toney either had a deep conversation with his boxing ability or came to his senses and made boxing his main agenda. Whatever the case and answer; Toney experienced a re-birth.

He still has the smart mouth and the no nonsense attitude. The attitude he held as a middleweight in the late eighties and early nineties has returned. Some have called him a blown up heavyweight, but, to Toney, he is in the weight division he believes to fit him the best. The light heavyweight and cruiserweight days could have been a test of strength for Toney and even though he did not dominate those divisions as in his middleweight days, they were the reason for him to finally declare himself a heavyweight and no opinions matter but that of the man entering the ring.

My first thought on Toney moving up, was that I was surprised, but he gained my acceptance by winning a great fight against Vassiliy Jirov; they both displayed heart and courage, as they went blow-for-blow. Toney’s beating of Evander Holyfield was sad and depressing for the legacy of Holyfield and another level of growth for Toney. The Rydell Booker fight was only extra sparring for Toney. You could argue that Toney’s heavyweight wins were against illegitimate heavyweights: an over-the-hill former heavyweight king or opponents with no real threat of defeating him.

Toney next title fight with John Ruiz will be very interesting, because Toney will be the one responsible for making it a fight. No disrespect to Ruiz, as his non-entertaining fighting style has less to do with the decline of the heavyweight division and more to do with the quality of heavyweights. Could Ruiz, come out of that quiet man role and bomb Toney with great shots, teaching him this division is for big heavyweights? No matter the outcome, this fight will only serve as another test for Toney. Even if Toney does win convincingly, negativity will still surround his win. I have a feeling that James “Lights Out” Toney will take that negativity and keep on fighting. Nothing has stopped him as of yet, so get used to the idea of his heavyweight reign.

Shaun Rico LaWhorn can be reached at filmmaking_mentality@msn.com