Newz Forum: PFL:BOXING: James "Lights Out" Toney SportzNewz Boxing Profile

SportzNewz takes an in depth look at James "Lights Out" Toney as he gets ready to take on John Ruiz for the WBA World Heavyweight Title later this month.

BIO - Canadastar Boxing
James "Lights Out" Toney rocked both undefeated champion Vassiliy Jirov and most of the boxing world on April 26, 2000, when he won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) cruiserweight title. At the age of 34, he proved the lights were not out with an electrifying, domination 12-round decision over Jirov.

The victory gave Toney his first world title in almost nine years, and proved he could still win with style. Showing the technique that made him famous, he weathered the rushes and aggressiveness of Jirov, while making the former champ pay every time he came into range of Toney's stinging counterpunches. In the 12th round,he still had enough power in his shots to drop Jirov to the canvas, scoring the fight's only knockdown.

The win, which brought Toney his third world title, immediately made him a hot property. World champions from middleweight to heavyweight began to answer his challenges, knowing the Michigan native has a strong following and fills seats.

He turned pro at age 20 in 1988 with a second round stoppage of Stephen Lee.

He tore through the pro ranks, building up a record of 25-0-1 to earn a shot at unbeaten IBF middleweight champion Michael Nunn. In May 1991, Toney took his title away in front of Nunn's hometown crowd, scoring an 11th round knockout that announced "Lights Out" had arrived.

Over the next three and a half years, Toney owned the title as one of boxing's finest. Compiling an 18-0-1 record, he defended his middleweight crown six times (including wins over Mike McCallum and Reggie Johnson), adding the IBF super middleweight belt to his waist with a 10th round stoppage of Iran Barkley in February 1993.

He defended the super middleweight title three times prior to facing off against Roy Jones, Jr. on November 18, 1994.

He intended to move to light heavyweight as a result of his difficulty in making the super middleweight limit, but fought once more at 168 pounds when he took on Jones. Weakened by weight loss, Toney dropped a 12-round decision to Jones and made the leap to 175 pounds.

Toney jumped back into the ring three months after his loss to Jones, and with managerial problems clouding his camp, he lost a highly controversial decision to future world champion Montell Griffin in February 1995.

One month later, Toney rebounded by coming back in March 1995, with an eight-round TKO over Karl Willis. He followed that victory with eight more victories, capturing the United States Boxing Association (USBA) and World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight titles in the process.

Battling weight problems and personal disputes out of the ring, he lost focus and dropped decisions to Griffin and Drake Thadzi. Being written off by the boxing media, the decision was made for him to jump to the cruiserweight division and refocus his energy on a new set of opponents.

In March 1999 after two years off from the ring, in-shape, ready and focused, he returned to the ring to dispatch of Terry Porter in eight rounds. He dealt with the skeptics when top contenders Adolpho Washington, Ramon Garbey, Saul Montana and Sione Asipeli all fell at his hands. The critics were turned into believers and he became a favorite of both the old-timers and a new generation of boxing fans.

After signing on with Goossen Tutor Promotions in 2002, he became in high demand. After he impressively dismissed young gun Jason Robinson in August 2002, to earn the IBF's mandatory contender shot, not even champion Jirov could ignore him anymore.

Then in April 2003, against the odds, he thoroughly beat down Jirov, proving he is now and always will be one of boxing's all-time greats.

UPDATE: James Toney went on to defeat former World Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield by TKO on Round 9 - Oct. 4, 2003

UPDATE: After recovering from injury he came back to defeat Rydell Booker by UD in 12 - Sept. 23, 2004

James Toney Fight-by-Fight Career Record
68 Wins, 4 Losses, 2 Draws, 43 Knockouts - boxing.about.com

1988
10-26 -- Stephen Lee, Mt. Clemens, MI, TKO 2
12-06 -- Ronnie Yoe, Memphis, TN, KO 1

1989
01-10 -- Carl Penn, Memphis, TN, KO 1
01-17 -- Sammy Jenkins, Sterling Heights, MI, TKO 4
02-16 -- James Fernandez, Sterling Heights, MI, W 4
05-02 -- Arthur Willis, Memphis, TN, W 4
06-06 -- Steve Chaney, Memphis, TN, KO 1
07-20 -- Mark Stephens, Detroit, MI, TKO 2
09-07 -- Lemark Davis, Auburn Hills, MI, W 6
09-21 -- Joe Summers, Atlantic City, NJ, TKO 2
10-12 -- Ricardo Simpson, Auburn Hills, MI, KO 2
10-26 -- Robert Clinton, Atlantic City, NJ, KO 1
11-13 -- Ron Amundsen, Milwaukee, WI, W 10
11-29 -- Joe Johnson, Auburn Hills, MI, KO 4

1990
01-20 -- Danny Thomas, Auburn Hills, MI, W 8
03-01 -- Philip Morefield, Auburn Hills, MI, KO 1
04-05 -- Toby Tyler, Auburn Hills, MI, TKO 4
04-27 -- Jose Luis Esteven, Atlantic City, NJ, TKO 5
05-23 -- Horacio Rene Brandan, Auburn Hills, MI, KO 2
06-27 -- Ricardo Bryant, Dearborn, MI, TKO 4
07-26 -- Sanderline Williams, Dearborn, MI, D 10
08-24 -- Kevin Brazier, Dearborn, MI, TKO 2
10-16 -- Sanderline Williams, Tampa, FL, W 10
12-10 -- Jose Carlos Da Silva, Dearborn, MI, TKO 5

1991
01-13 -- Merqui Sosa, Atlantic City, NJ, W 12
03-31 -- Alberto Gonzalez, Las Vegas, NV, TKO 6
05-10 -- Michael Nunn, Davenport, IA, TKO 11
Wins IBF Middleweight Title
06-29 -- Reggie Johnson, Las Vegas, NV, W 12
(Retains IBF Middleweight Title)
10-12 -- Francesco Dell'Aquila, Monte Carlo, Monaco, TKO 4
(Retains IBF Middleweight Title)
12-13 -- Mike McCallum, Atlantic City, NJ, D 12
(Retains IBF Middleweight Title)

1992
02-08 -- Dave Tiberi, Atlantic City, NJ, W 12
(Retains IBF Middleweight Title)
04-11 -- Glenn Wolfe, Las Vegas, NV, W 12
(Retains IBF Middleweight Title)
05-26 -- Ricky Stackhouse, Auburn Hills, MI, TKO 3
08-29 -- Mike McCallum, Reno, NV, W 12
(Retains IBF Middleweight Title)
12-05 -- Doug DeWitt, Atlantic City, NJ, TKO 6

1993
02-13 -- Iran Barkley, Las Vegas, NV, TKO 10
(Wins IBF Super Middleweight Title)
03-23 -- Govoner Chavers, Auburn Hills, MI, TKO 9
04-17 -- Ricky Thomas, Bushkill, PA, TKO 10
06-06 -- Glenn Thomas, Las Vegas, NV, W 10
07-29 -- Danny Garcia, Bushkill, PA, TKO 6
08-24 -- Larry Prather, Auburn Hills, MI, W 10
10-29 -- Tony Thornton, Tulsa, OK, W 12
(Retains IBF Super Middleweight Title)

1994
01-16 -- Anthony Hembrick, Bushkill, PA, TKO 7
03-05 -- Tim Littles, Los Angeles, CA, TKO 4
(Retains IBF Super Middleweight Title)
05-18 -- Vinson Durham, Rosemont, IL, W 10
07-29 -- Prince Charles Williams, Las Vegas, NV, KO 12
(Retains IBF Super Middleweight Title)
11-18 -- Roy Jones, Las Vegas, NV, L 12
(Loses IBF Super Middleweight Title)

1995
02-18 -- Montell Griffin, Las Vegas, NV, L 12
03-20 -- Karl Willis, Auburn Hills, MI, TKO 8
04-30 -- Anthony Hembrick, Las Vegas, NV, TKO 5
06-18 -- Freddie Delgado, New Orleans, LA, TKO 5
09-09 -- Ernest Mateen, Las Vegas, NV, W DQ 5
12-08 -- Greg Everett, Ledyard, CT, KO 2

1996
03-01 -- Richard Mason, Indio, CA, W 10
05-14 -- Earl Butler, Ledyard, CT, TKO 4
07-02 -- Charles Oliver, St. Charles, MO, W 10
08-09 -- Duran Williams, Bay St. Louis, MS, TKO 9
12-06 -- Montell Griffin, Reno, NV, L 12

1997
02-22 -- Mike McCallum, Uncasville, CT, W 12
05-14 -- Drake Thadzi, Ledyard, CT, L 12
06-14 -- Steve Little, Biloxi, MS, W 12

1999
03-07 -- Terry Porter, Phoenix, AZ, TKO 8
07-30 -- Adolpho Washington, Ledyard, CT, TKO 10
10-08 -- Ramon Garbey, Taunton, MA, W 10

2000
01-21 -- Terry McGroom, Chicago, IL, W 10
11-03 -- Courtney Butler, Verona, NY, KO 3

2001
03-29 -- Saul Montana, Detroit, MI, TKO 2
07-20 -- Wesley Martin, Compton, CA, TKO 3

2002
03-22 -- Sione Asipeli, Phoenix, AZ, W 10
05-31 -- Michael Rush, Lincoln City, OR, TKO 10
08-18 -- Jason Robinson, Temecula, CA, KO 7

2003
04-26 -- Vassiliy Jirov, Ledyard, CT, W 12
(Wins IBF Cruiserweight Title)
10-04 -- Evander Holyfield, Las Vegas, NV, TKO 9

2004
09-23 -- Rydell Booker, Temecula, CA, W 12

PROFILE - boxrec.com
Sex: Male
Nationality: US American
Alias: Lights Out
Birth Name: James Nathaniel Toney
Global Id: US-CA-001437
License No.: CA020230
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Birthplace: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Division: Heavyweight
World Rank: 5
Date of Birth: 1968-08-24
Age: 36
Reach: 76"
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5' 11
Trainer: Freddie Roach
Manager: Self

Career Highlights and Titles:
Michigan State Middleweight Title
IBC Middleweight Title
IBC Junior World Middleweight Title
IBF World Middleweight Title
IBF World Super Middleweight Title
USBA Light Heavyweight Title
WBU Light Heavyweight Title
WBU Continental Cruiserweight Title
WBU Cruiserweight Title
IBO Cruiserweight Title
IBA Super Cruiserweight Title
IBF World Cruiserweight Title
WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title
IBA Heavyweight Title

Alot of people thought Toney was finished, but when he came back and beat the life out of Jirov it marked his comeback. Ruiz will be his toughest fight since then and it will be interesting to see how he does.