Oh my God!
I don’t mean to insult James Toney but as soon as I got the
message, I fired at a multitude of cell phones with the news and “Oh my
God” was the most compelling answer I got in response.
It sure sums up the entirety of what many people feel about
this.
James Toney leaving boxing and going into the Ultimate
Fighting Championship?
Dana White and Company would obviously disagree if it be
said this is a circus alright.
What else do they have in mind with Toney other than to
utilize his name as a means to net in a pot-load of cash?
Being one of the Top 5 Best Heavyweight Boxers in the past,
James Toney is a curiosity in MMA and a beckoning commodity. It’s not
hard to figure that every James Toney fight from here will be on
Pay-Per-View.
The UFC wants him to shell the excess fat and be a light
heavyweight. But Toney insists he is a heavyweight and should be fighting
as a heavyweight.
I can almost smell the conspiracy here – the UFC reeks of
it. I see an angle where the UFC will try to lead on – somewhere down the
road, if not later then sooner, James Toney will be made to lock fists
with the street fighter and fan favorite Kimbo Slice.
Who else would they make him fight that has Slice’s
enormous appeal that he can win against?
It’s a good storyline capable of reaping huge profits
before and after. It’s 50-50 for both guys. Either man will benefit from
it, especially the victor. The UFC can’t lose. There’s a popular question
floating around right now that asks:
“What if James Toney does slay a good MMA fighter at this
point in his career or at this point in time in MMA?”
Word is, it will seriously impugn the caliber and quality
of every MMA athlete out there not just in the UFC but in every corner of
the world that touts MMA.
This is laughable.
The only plausible outcome I could see arising from a James
Toney win is the win actually inspiring Evander Holyfield to finally hang
his boxing shorts and don a speedo to pursue his life’s dream of becoming
the oldest heavyweight champion – not in boxing but in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship.
If Toney wins, it should be clear to Holyfield that Mixed
Martial Arts is so far easier than boxing. Of course if he still would
harbor doubt after the Toney win, all the former Undisputed Heavyweight
Champion needs to do is examine former WBO Heavyweight Boxing Champion Ray
Mercer’s one-punch 9-second KO win over a UFC former champion.
But enough about Holyfield – boy… does he get old quick.
What are James Toney’s chances in the UFC?
Let’s face it, Toney was never known for his punching power
but MMA’s thinner fighting gloves might make a difference. It did with Ray
Mercer. No one should be counting James Toney out, though. He is a true
warrior.
James Toney is an agile player.
He can move with a very dynamic offensive and defensive
prowess. He is infinitely skilled in the boxing department compared to all
the MMA Strikers. But his old school boxing is vulnerable to a very good
kicker.
Every kick in the leg would disrupt his pace and frustrate
his mindset. When that happens what will he do?
What happens when he is taken to the ground by the likes of
Cain Velasquez or Brock Lesnar or Cheick Kongo – or even Quinton Jackson
and Randy Couture in the light heavyweight division?
The only way James Toney can excel here and win is in
training. Obviously, he will have to learn quick and come in to fight with
an apt strategy. He must acclimate to the many facets of the game in a
very short time.
It’s a long shot but I think he can pull it off.
