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The rematch between James ‘Lights Out’ Toney and Samuel ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Peter takes place on January 6 and Toney, controversially defeated in the initial bout, has blanked it from his mind.
And ‘Blank’ with a capital ‘B’ is now a significant part of Toney’s daily routine since Billy Blanks, the renowned fitness guru, began employment as the 38 year old’s conditioning trainer.
Los Angeles resident Blanks, himself a Golden Gloves and seven time world Karate champion is renowned as both the creator of Tae Bo, the phenomenally successful exercise regime that combines martial arts and music; and for being a hard task master.
We do not do Tae Bo, we do war,” said Toney of his new trainer on a recent conference call. “He trains me everyday and before I was not training too hard because when I got home I would not be sleepy. But believe me now I am! Now I just try to get home and get to that bed.”
Blanks, who has previously worked with a string of top sportsman and celebrities such as basketball stars Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neill, was brought in after Toney (69-5-3, 43 KO’s) dropped a wafer-thin decision to the 27-1 (22 KO’s) Peter in their WBC final eliminator, which took place on September 2.
Toney looked to be in control as he landed a higher percentage of punches over twelve competitive rounds. Reporters were left stunned when Peter, who had been deducted a point in the ninth round and was thought to have won no more than four rounds, was awarded a split decision victory.
“I still do not have a loss on my record,” Toney responded to his first loss since 1997. “That is just a mistake of three blind judges – or at least two of them.”
Toney’s concerns appear well founded as the WBC quickly ordered an immediate rematch due to the controversial scoring. The winner on January 6 at Miami, Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Arena will meet Oleg Maskaev, the current WBC heavyweight champion, at a date to be confirmed.
The normally outspoken Toney was unusually quiet in this week’s pre-fight conference call and gave a fascinating insight into working with super conditioner Blanks.
He said: “I am being quiet because of training. I am too busy working with Billy killing me every day. I am not worried about Sam Peter. When it comes down to it, we will be ready. I have been quiet because I have been working. We have been at it seven hours a day, seven days a week.
“I have had my days when I have thrown up like crazy and I have never done that before in my life.
“I am back to my old middleweight self so I feel much stronger moving side to side and throwing combinations.”
Blanks takes up the story: “I have him on a diet where he is eating 1500 calories a day burning fat to get his body to look the way he wanted it to look and to perform the way he wants it to perform.
“I have somebody cooking for him and he eats five meals a day, drinking a lot of water, which he has never done as much as he is doing now.
“His body is going to look like it has never looked before and his performance is going to be even better. James can outbox the guys he was fighting. But now, he is going to be able to identify boxing with his body and be able to make them all combine together and become a total weapon. He is going to be the total package.
“Right now his workouts are making him eat the fat off his body,” he continued. “We run in the mornings, we are doing sprints and drills. We are doing what he should have done a long time ago. You are going to see the athlete as well as the boxer.”
Unsurprisingly, Samuel Peter is unimpressed by Toney’s memory blanks or his new regime.
“I feel good because I won the first fight,” said Peter. “I will not take anything away from him as Toney is a great boxer and a really great champion – but Billy Blanks will not be inside the ring with him. When I hit him he is going to forget everything Billy Blanks told him.”
This may be true, but Toney is adamant that all he is likely to forget is the pair’s previous bout.
“I do not have a loss. I have not lost in ten years,” said Toney. “I look forward to giving everybody a great show.”
Great artists are known to appreciate a blank canvas, where there is no past and the future is unknown. And on January 6, as these two boxing ‘artistes’ step into their very own blank canvas – a boxing ring – they will surely be sharing these thoughts.
courtesy www.frankmaloney.com
