Thread: James Toney vs. THomas Hearns at middleweight.

I've been thinking about this fight all day, and I still come to the same conclusion, and thats either Hearns boxing on the outside to win, but more likely TOney eventually catching him, and KO'ing Hearns. Hearns was as fast as anyone has been at the weight(at least of hand), and his chin, and legs were a little better than at welterweight. Toney was a hard hitter, amazing chin, good defense. I see this being a slower version of Hagler-Hearns. With Toney persuing, and Hearns hitting him, but with nothing cleanly for the first 3 rounds, but able to keep away using the jab and combinations. The next few rounds Hearns is still winning, but Toney is starting to get in, and counter, but lands nothing cleanly because Hearns is still fast enough to get out of the way. By round 7 or 8 Hearns is getting tired from punching so much and though he is landing around 50% only a handful of his right hands have connected solidly, and Toney has gobbled them up. By the 10th Hearns is tired, and starts backing up throwing wild hooks like against Hagler, except Toney being faster, than Hagler was is able to slip most of them, and starts landing hard crosses of his own. 11 round a little slower as both men are getting little tired, and Hearns is able to use his jab on the outside while Toney slips it a few times and counters, but he can't get in, and Hearns is ahead 6-7 rounds. Round 12: Toney comes out after relaxing for round 11, and pressures Hearns hard again. Hearns tries to hook him, but is so tired he falls over as their feet get caught up. The excersion and break in focus for Hearns sets in, and Toney walks across the ring, and Hearns throws a right which Toney rolls with, and returns a counter right which buckles Hearns' knees, and then follows up with a sharp left hook. Hearns is then counted out as much from exaustion as from the blows, and Toney raises his hands in victory. This is all very much like Toney-Nunn except than Hearns' power, and skill made it harder for Toney to counter.

This is how I see the fight in my head at least, how do you see it?

Originally Posted by Taeth

I've been thinking about this fight all day, and I still come to the same conclusion, and thats either Hearns boxing on the outside to win, but more likely TOney eventually catching him, and KO'ing Hearns. Hearns was as fast as anyone has been at the weight(at least of hand), and his chin, and legs were a little better than at welterweight. Toney was a hard hitter, amazing chin, good defense. I see this being a slower version of Hagler-Hearns. With Toney persuing, and Hearns hitting him, but with nothing cleanly for the first 3 rounds, but able to keep away using the jab and combinations. The next few rounds Hearns is still winning, but Toney is starting to get in, and counter, but lands nothing cleanly because Hearns is still fast enough to get out of the way. By round 7 or 8 Hearns is getting tired from punching so much and though he is landing around 50% only a handful of his right hands have connected solidly, and Toney has gobbled them up. By the 10th Hearns is tired, and starts backing up throwing wild hooks like against Hagler, except Toney being faster, than Hagler was is able to slip most of them, and starts landing hard crosses of his own. 11 round a little slower as both men are getting little tired, and Hearns is able to use his jab on the outside while Toney slips it a few times and counters, but he can't get in, and Hearns is ahead 6-7 rounds. Round 12: Toney comes out after relaxing for round 11, and pressures Hearns hard again. Hearns tries to hook him, but is so tired he falls over as their feet get caught up. The excersion and break in focus for Hearns sets in, and Toney walks across the ring, and Hearns throws a right which Toney rolls with, and returns a counter right which buckles Hearns' knees, and then follows up with a sharp left hook. Hearns is then counted out as much from exaustion as from the blows, and Toney raises his hands in victory. This is all very much like Toney-Nunn except than Hearns' power, and skill made it harder for Toney to counter.

This is how I see the fight in my head at least, how do you see it?

cc not a bad way of seeing it i pretty much agree but i dunno my hearts telling me hearns could survive after getting dropped in last round you gotta look at it this way no one has ever outboxed hearns koed him ?? yes because of his weak chin and not very strong legs but if you look back at all his fights in boxing match he has never been outboxed i can see hearns outboxing toney over 12 about 6 or 7 times out of 10 but but i can also see toney knocking out hearns in later rounds but if they fought 10 times id say hearns wins 6 or 7 times out of 10

Hearns would getting KTFO by Toney IMO. Toney is just too slick and Hearns would be wide open after he tired a bit.

Originally Posted by ICE COLD BOXING

Originally Posted by Taeth

I've been thinking about this fight all day, and I still come to the same conclusion, and thats either Hearns boxing on the outside to win, but more likely TOney eventually catching him, and KO'ing Hearns. Hearns was as fast as anyone has been at the weight(at least of hand), and his chin, and legs were a little better than at welterweight. Toney was a hard hitter, amazing chin, good defense. I see this being a slower version of Hagler-Hearns. With Toney persuing, and Hearns hitting him, but with nothing cleanly for the first 3 rounds, but able to keep away using the jab and combinations. The next few rounds Hearns is still winning, but Toney is starting to get in, and counter, but lands nothing cleanly because Hearns is still fast enough to get out of the way. By round 7 or 8 Hearns is getting tired from punching so much and though he is landing around 50% only a handful of his right hands have connected solidly, and Toney has gobbled them up. By the 10th Hearns is tired, and starts backing up throwing wild hooks like against Hagler, except Toney being faster, than Hagler was is able to slip most of them, and starts landing hard crosses of his own. 11 round a little slower as both men are getting little tired, and Hearns is able to use his jab on the outside while Toney slips it a few times and counters, but he can't get in, and Hearns is ahead 6-7 rounds. Round 12: Toney comes out after relaxing for round 11, and pressures Hearns hard again. Hearns tries to hook him, but is so tired he falls over as their feet get caught up. The excersion and break in focus for Hearns sets in, and Toney walks across the ring, and Hearns throws a right which Toney rolls with, and returns a counter right which buckles Hearns' knees, and then follows up with a sharp left hook. Hearns is then counted out as much from exaustion as from the blows, and Toney raises his hands in victory. This is all very much like Toney-Nunn except than Hearns' power, and skill made it harder for Toney to counter.

This is how I see the fight in my head at least, how do you see it?

cc not a bad way of seeing it i pretty much agree but i dunno my hearts telling me hearns could survive after getting dropped in last round you gotta look at it this way no one has ever outboxed hearns koed him ?? yes because of his weak chin and not very strong legs but if you look back at all his fights in boxing match he has never been outboxed i can see hearns outboxing toney over 12 about 6 or 7 times out of 10 but but i can also see toney knocking out hearns in later rounds but if they fought 10 times id say hearns wins 6 or 7 times out of 10

The problem with Hearns is that he doesn't move fluidly, and isn't the best fighter off the back foot. I think he realize on setting his feet, and using his power. You can see in his fight against Leonard(first fight) that he was far better comming foreward than he was on the back foot because despite his power, he doesn't have alot of strength, especially in his legs, and that is why he got so tired because he worked out hard, but he didn't allow his body to be the size it should have been or he would have looked more like Roy Jones Jr.

Hearns was a superstar and fought the legends and I think he wins a decision. I am not sure his right hand would have landed on Toney much, but he would have landed it to keep Toney respectful.

I think a middleweight Toney had the ability to possibly stop Herans. Definately had the ability to outpoint him.
Although with that being said, i think Hearns would of exposed a few flaws of Toneys.#

Would of made for a great fight.

Next I will do Hopkins-Hagler, then Tyson-Clay.

difference between Hearns and Toney is that Hearns fought the better competition. Ok you guys think that Toney fought good competition and he did, but Hearns fought Cueves,Leonard,Benitez,Duran,Hagler,Hill,Barkley and others., The first five guys which Hearns fought are at the level one guy Toney fought and that is Jones. And Jones beat him easily. Toney beat guys who were a tier below him and beat them well and made him looks slippery and good, but this isThomas Hearns we are talking about. If you take a welterweight Tommy Hearns vs a same weight middleweight Toney you have Hearns winning easily in my opinion. He was a notch better than Toney. Toney might beat slow heavyweights now and then lose also, but he never really beat a solidified legend.. Nunn was having all sorts of problems when he beat him and Nunn is not great.