In one of the sadder sights boxing fans will see, an aging, no longer as great as he once was boxer took a beating Saturday night in a fight he should never have been in.
Much like Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr. and countless other fighters before him, James Toney continues to fight, long after his best days are behind him. Hopefully, this fight will convince him to retire rather than continue to take a beating at the hands of fighters who at one time were not nearly qualified to fight, much less, beat him.
James Toney, at 44, looking totally flabby and out of shape, took a beating at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre at the hands of Australian slugger Lucas Browne. Spitting blood, and sweating profusely, he looked like a fighter who was completely shot and looking for a place to hide.
Photo: Colleen Petch
While it is clear to everyone outside of the Toney camp that the former great should call it a career, it is not clear whether the man himself is in agreement. It can be difficult for a man who once held world championships at middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight that the end has arrived.
Most in the boxing media are quite certain that Toney is shot, both physically and mentally. In fact, when fighters like Toney reach such depths, it forces them to travel to places like Australia to fight. There, they may still find an audience who is hoping to see a once great champion instead of fighting at home where most just look on in pity.
In Browne, Toney was meeting a fighter 11 years his junior, bigger, and who enjoyed a nice reach advantage. He was never in any legitimate trouble in the fight. The judges scored it 120-108, 117-111, and 119-108 all in favor of the Aussie, who won the lightly regarded International Boxing Foundation title for his trouble.
With the win, Lucas Browne improved his record to a perfect 16-0, with 14 knockouts. James Toney is far and away the biggest name on his resume.
