Boxing Preview Analysis: James Toney – Samuel Peter

In a fight of high enough stature to be for a version of the World Heavyweight Championship, veteran James Toney takes a risk this weekend when he fights Nigerian powerhouse Samuel Peter in Los Angeles tonight. Peter, from Akwaibom, Nigeria, has only 1 defeat in 27 bouts with 22 knockouts. At only 25, he is also 12 years younger than his foe on Saturday Night.

Now based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Peter had his first professional fight back in 2001 and racked up a run of 24 wins against mainly journeymen fighters before being handed his first real test as a professional against Wladimir Klitschko, 12 months ago.

Although this was an astronomical step up in class, Peter acquitted himself admirably against the giant Ukrainian, having Wlad in desperate trouble on many occasions before dropping a 12 round decision.

Now two comeback wins later, he now faces the second big pro test in his career in another title elimination bout.

In Toney, Peter meets a man who has seen it all. A pro since 1988, Toney has won world championships going back as far as 1991 and as low in weight as middle, when as a rank outsider he flattened dominant champion Michael Nunn in 11.

Toney would enjoy a two year run as a middleweight champion in which “Lights Out” accommodated the likes of Reggie Johnson and Mike McCallum. Since then, Toney has fought in an amazing four weight divisions, winning titles in all of them.

After a super middleweight reign that lasted from 1993 to 1994, Toney seemed to lose his way in the 175 pound division, fighting a string of journeyman and also losing decisions against men he shouldn’t have.

After this frustrating period of his career, Toney popped up in the Cruiserweight division and eventually worked his way up to a fight against IBF Champion Vassily Jirov in April 2003.
In a masterful performance, Toney turned back the clock, flooring the champion on the way to a decision win.

James Toney was back.

After winning a title in a third division, Toney turned his attention the heavies. Many wondered how a man of 5 foot 9 could cope in the blue ribbon division? In the last three years, he seems to have coped very well. In five starts as a heavy, he is yet to experience defeat and has beaten the likes of Evander Holyfield and Dominick Guinn.

Come Saturday night what can we expect? Well for a start, I think Toney has answered the question of whether he can cope with a really big heavy. Look at the Dominick Guinn bout for that example.

No doubt, Peter will be dangerous on Saturday night, but I think Toney’s height disadvantage will work to his advantage. Peter, although powerful, I think will find his wild swings nullified by Toney’s defensive mastery.

I see this being a fight going the distance and unless “Lights Out” suddenly gets old overnight or careless, I see Toney boxing his way to a unanimous decision win.