INTERVIEW IBF CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION JAMES "Lights-Out" TONEY

By Micah Yonkoski

18.07 - On Oct 4th, James Toney will again put his skills to test against what he considers the biggest test to date in former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. Is James biting off more that he can chew? Well, that is yet to be determined, but he believes 100% that we will see his greatest performance to date and I certainly won't dispute that with him. I had the distinct pleasure to speak with this future Hall of Famer and not only was it the funniest interview of my life, but it was a terrific memory that I will look fondly upon as I progress in this business and I anxiously await the next chance to speak with this colorful champion. I would like to send a special thanks to Debbie Caplan and Dan Goosen for their help in setting up this interview.

Well, it's a done deal and on October 4th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas you and Evander Holyfield will do battle. Where do you feel this fight rates as far as being the toughest challenge of your career?

JT: The toughest! Evander is a warrior and everybody knows that Evander always comes to fight and we are gonna have to put everything in one basket and go to work on him. The whole team is excited about the whole situation that we got going on and I think it's going to be the biggest fight of the year including De La Hoya-Mosley.

One thing that I've noticed in your attitude and comments regarding this fight is that you really seem to respect Evander as a fighter. Being a long time fan of yours this is something I can't remember seeing from you in regards to your assessment on future opposition. Is that accurate?

JT: Yeah Micah no doubt, I mean Evander is a great warrior and while I don't know him personally I give him all the respect in the world because number one is that he didn't come out disrespecting me like others fighters do. If he is going to say something bad about me then I'm going to retaliate twice as bad. I aint got no bad words for Holyfield, but come fight time ya know all respect is gone. I mean when that bell rings his ass belongs to me.

What is the target weight for you against Holyfield?

JT: Well, we are shooting between 208 and 212.

If you emerge victorious...

JT: (Interrupts) I will emerge victorious!

(Laughing) I had a feeling that was coming, Okay WHEN you emerge victorious, what do you see on the horizon for you? Will you compete solely as a heavyweight or will you keep both options open and perhaps unify the cruiserweight division?

JT: I am going to keep both options open because you know obviously I aint chasing Roy as he's chasing his own shadow. I will probably unify the cruiserweight division or stay at heavyweight if I can get a fight with Tyson or Lennox Lewis or whoever, but my main focus right now is Evander "Real Deal" Holyfield. I'm just excited about the whole situation because this always where I wanted to fight at is as a heavyweight and I'm excited about this. Before I turned pro I was 205 ya know and I've always struggled to make weight, but now everyone if going to see me at my best and at my full strength.

Since winning the IBF cruiserweight title in April with the war with Jirov, you've been rumored to be heading for several big fights, but a rematch with Jirov wasn't amongst them. Is a rematch with Jirov necessary in your opinion and do you have any future interest in this fight?

JT: I have no interest in that fight at all because I beat the brakes of his ass the first time and he'll have to do a lot for me to even fight him again. He'd have to win another title because I look at it like this; he made me wait for two years and now I'm gonna make him wait.

So, you don't have a huge interest in unifying the cruiserweight division?

JT: If the money is there then we'll do it. We just gotta keep our eyes on big money and big victories.

Being the sports biggest fan, I can't begin to tell you how excited I was when you and Bernard signed a fight. However, I was equally disappointed when the fight fell through. Can you elaborate on why this fight was cancelled and is fighting Hopkins still of interest to you in the future?

JT: Well, yeah I mean Bernard has run off at the mouth with "his hood and that hood", but I could walk straight through his hood and still get respect because of who I am regardless. He comes into my hood, then he is going to get the rest of his teeth knocked out. I mean Bernard is Bernard and according to him he is the smartest man in boxing with his negotiating paydays and now he is going to get his ass knocked out by William Joppy for like $150, 000 (Chuckles). Now, that's a smart man! I am not worried about Bernard, Bernard is the one chasing me because I'm hot and he's not.

I kind of got a sense that Bernard offered the fight with you thinking that you wouldn't accept the offer on the table, I know as a fan I've become frustrated with Hopkins so-called career moves since beating Trinidad. He has talked of these big fights with you and Roy and now even Joe Calzaghe, but he always finds his way to weasel out. What do you think about that?

JT: What it came down to is he (Bernard) wrote a check that his ass can't cash and that's the bottom line. If he is going to do all the talking that he did the he'd better be prepared to back it up because that's what I do. If I issue a challenge then I'll be prepared to back it up. I could have easily fought one of the other cruiserweight champions, I could have fought Mormeck on the Roy Jones card, but that was too easy. I want the best fighter in the division and that was supposed to be Jirov. If you think you're better than me then let's do it!

Another fighter that began clamoring for a fight with you after the Jirov fight was IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd. What are the chances of a Byrd fight taking place in the near future and what is your opinion of Byrd as a fighter?

JT: Chris Byrd is a good fighter, good boxer, but he's been running his mouth to anyone that'll listen. He's been talking about how I'm not on his level, but bottom line is that he's not on my level. He was still shittin in his diapers when I won my first title. Chris is.. Chris is gonna get his... I am gonna get him and the bad thing about it is that after I fought Jirov he wasn't the one talking junk, it was his wife. What kind of man would have his wife talk shit for him? If a fighter wants to talk shit about me, be prepared to get what's coming to you. It don't matter if it's your wife, your momma or your sister, he's gonna get it and I'll get to him as soon as possible.

You take no pains in showing your lack of respect for many of today's fighters, but what fighters do you like to watch and do you respect in the ring?

JT: I like Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, and Oscar De La Hoya. I like all these guys, but it's the guys in my division that talk trash about me and I get 'em. I got respect for a lot of fighters in the game and I admire their work.

Do you think anyone in boxing is as tough as you?

JT: Nope! The guys you call tough are like Mike Tyson who is supposed to be tough, but when they getting beat or get a cut then they wanna quit. (Makes crying noise) They wanna put their thumb in their mouth.

Speaking of cuts, what was your take on the Lewis-Klitschko fight?

JT: It shouldn't have been stopped. I mean I had a cut worse than that when I fought Tim Littles. They gave me one more round and we know what happened. (James was referring to his 1994 fight with unbeaten Tim Littles where a clash of heads opened a brutal gash above Toney's right eye at the end of the 3rd round. Between rounds the ring doctor examined the cut and informed James that the cut was too severe to continue, but Toney convinced him to allow one more round and James went to work immediately with blood pouring down his face and stopped Littles in that 4th round in dramatic fashion) - I think Klitschko could have continued to fight. He was doing well for himself, he shocked me, as I was surprised that he was in there that long without quittin.

Do you think a rematch will be any different?

JT: HMMMM… I think Lennox will come in shape this time and get him (Klitschko) outta there.

Does it bother a fighter like yourself when great fights such as Gatti-Ward or your fight with Jirov receive such little exposure by the so-called sports media like ESPN Sportscenter, yet those type of shows are the first to criticize the sport of boxing whenever opportunity presents itself? How do you feel about that?

JT: It doesn't bother me because the real fight fans know what's going on and the mainstream boxing media knows what's going on. They know who the stars are and they see the fights and appreciate what we do. I leave it all in Gods hands and I think boxing is the most important sport in the world because it's the only sport where you really test your will and your power against one on one competition. It's not like other sports like football and baseball. I mean baseball players get a sprained pinky and they wanna quit. They can't play again for three or four weeks. Boxing ya know, some fighters in the game like me get cut or a broken hand in the 3rd round like Arturo Gatti we are going to continue to fight, we aren't gonna quit. Arturo Gatti is a helluva fighter. I like his style because he's action packed and he always comes to fight.

How much longer do you see yourself fighting for James?

JT: Two years maybe. Until I get to the heavyweight championship. Once I get the heavyweight title then I'll quit.

Well James I thank you very much for your time and in closing is there anything that you'd like to say to your fans that continue to follow and support you throughout your career?

JT: I love all my fans. If it weren't for my fans I wouldn't be where I am today and I appreciate them greatly. The IBF and my promoter Dan Goosen & Tutor, my staff and my wife, I'm just loving everybody and I can't wait to get back in the ring and show who the best fighter in the world is and that is myself.