James Toney is back on track winning a 10-round split decision over Danny Batchelder at Fight Night at The Tank at HP Pavilion in San Jose on 05/24/07. Toney weighed in at 229 LB, the lightest he has weighted since 2004 for a fight. It was Toney's first fight since losing two WBC elimination bouts to Samuel Peter. Toney was hoping to fight Wladimir Klitschko later this year for the IBF heavyweight title but he and Danny Batchelder tested positive for steroids and so Toney will be suspended until November 24, 2007.
| Fight | Location | Date | Boxing Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toney vs TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
James "Lights Out" Toney
James "Lights Out" Toney, the master of ring generalship scored a unanimous decision victory over Dominick Guinn in an IBA heavyweight title bout in Reno, Nevada on October 1, 2005. It was the first fight for James Toney since he beat John Ruiz on April 30, 2005 to win the WBA heavyweight title only to have it stripped after testing positive for steroids. Toney had won the WBA heavyweight title by an unanimous decision in that fight becoming the fourth-oldest heavyweight champ and only the third one-time middleweight champion to take boxing's top crown. (Following the fight James Toney tested positive for a banned substance and the decision was changed to a No Contest by the New York State Athletic Commission.)
James Toney was selected by the WBC as the first official challenger to interim heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, who was given the title after Vitali Klitschko retired because of injuries. On March 18, 2006 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey James Toney drew with Hasim Rahman by PTS in a 12 round heavyweight title fight.
Ringside Los Angeles: Toney had lost his first fight in nine years by way of a controversial split decision to Samuel Peter on September 2, 2006 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Most of the crowd and 25 out of 27 ringside media polled immediately after the fight thought Toney did enough to win but two of the judges saw it different. They seemed more impressed by Peters heavy hits (which weren't particularly flush) than Toneys better defensive boxing skills and ring generalship. Peter illegally rabbit punched the back of Toneys head throughout the fight but referee Raul Caiz did nothing about it and only deducted 1 point for Peters double earmuff punch during a break in the 9th round.
Toney fought and lost to Samuel Peter by a 12-round unanimous decision in the rematch ordered by the WBC. Toney was knocked down in the 2nd round for the first time since his fight against Roy Jones Jr. Although Toney appeared much more muscular in this bout the few solid combinations he was able to land flush on Peter's jaw didn't seem to phase Peter. Toney gave it his all but came up short against the more powerful imposing Peter.