Quote Originally Posted by The_Mac10
Quote Originally Posted by bilbo
I reckon Calzaghe would outpoint him.

Toneys 'prime' at supermiddleweight wasn't that great, losses to Roy Jones and Montell Griffin, a draw with an ancient McCallum.

Toney never had the heart or dedication at middleweight.

Calzaghe UD.
The draw against McCallum was at middleweight, and the losses to Griffin were at Light Heavy.

I think this fight would wind up looking like Jirov-Toney. Calzaghe throws high volume, works hard throughout, but James' defense and counter-punching ability is such that he is bound to land at a brilliant connect-percentage, and tire the other guy out with his slipping and blocking.

Plus of course, at super-middle Toney was dazzling - his best performance ever was there (vs. Iran Barkley) and if that Toney fights Joe, he would be just as fast, and quite a bit more technically proficient.

Lights Out wins this one, folks.
Iran Barkely was never that hot truth be told. Knocked out in 1 round by a Nigel Benn who had been up all night snorting cocaine the night before and being outpointed and dropped by ancient lightweight Roberto Duran are black spots on his record that suggest to me at least that Calzaghe would have destroyed Barkely more emphatically than Toney.

Toney just was not active enough at middleweight, he struggled to make the weight and had little discipline. Calzaghe's workrate would be too much for him.

Minchael Nunn was kicking Toney's a** until he slowed down and got caught, and Calzaghe has a better chin, and more stamina than Nunn.

Calzaghe UD


Oh and Toney was not the skilful masterful defensive boxer he is today whilst at middleweight. I remember watching the Nunn fight, and the consensu before hand was that Toney would be too one dimensional to beat Nunn, and that is the way it looked for about 7 or 8 rounds.

Still, tough as nails, seemingly infatiguable and a great finisher in the final rounds Toney would be a handful for anybody, but I think the cream at middleweight back then could beat him over the distance, Hopkins, Eubank, and Calzaghe (although I mean Calzaghe now not 15 years ago)