Roy Jones Jr, a boxing legend with 76 fights across five decades, has picked James Toney as the best fighter he ever faced. Jones shared his thoughts in a recent interview with Ring Magazine, praising Toney's defensive skills and overall boxing ability.
Jones' career spanned an impressive 502 rounds in four weight classes. He's widely regarded as one of the best fighters in history, known for his quick reflexes, incredible athleticism, and confident defense. Throughout his career, Jones racked up wins against top-tier opponents like John Ruiz, Antonio Tarver, and Bernard Hopkins.
When asked about his toughest opponent, Jones didn't hesitate to name James "Lights Out" Toney. He explained:
"James Toney probably had the best defense of all of them. You couldn't hit him flush; he was so elusive, the hip movement and the shoulder roll made it very difficult to hit him with a clean shot. He had all the tools, he was hard to hit, he could knock you out at any time. He would be right there in your face and you still couldn't hit him flush."
Toney's Hall of Fame career backs up Jones' assessment. With 77 wins and only 10 losses, Toney never got stopped inside the distance. His defensive skills, including his hip movement and shoulder roll, made him a tough target for even the best fighters.
Jones and Toney faced off in 1994 when both moved up from middleweight to super-middleweight. Toney came into the fight undefeated, but Jones dominated the match. The judges scored it 119-108, 118-109, and 117-110 in Jones' favor.
During the fight, Jones managed to do something rare - he knocked Toney back into the ropes for a count. It was one of only two times in Toney's entire career that he faced a count. Jones controlled the pace and took Toney's IBF World Title in the process.
After beating Toney, Jones defended his new title five times before moving up to light-heavyweight. This victory over Toney stands out as one of the most significant in Jones' storied career, which included wins over several other boxing greats.
Jones' choice of Toney as his toughest opponent speaks volumes about Toney's skills, considering the caliber of fighters Jones faced throughout his career. It's a testament to Toney's defensive prowess and overall boxing ability that he left such a lasting impression on one of the sport's all-time greats.
