HOLLYWOOD, Fla.—The hottest young heavyweight in the world, Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, and one of the craftiest pugilists in history, James “Lights Out” Toney, will meet in a World Boxing Council-ordered re-match on Saturday, Jan. 6, in the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
The main event will be televised on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and is being promoted by Duva Boxing, Goossen Tutor Promotions, Warriors Boxing Promotions, and Don King Productions. Tickets priced at $500, $300, $150, $100 and $50* go on sale Friday at 5 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live Box Office (open daily from noon until 7 p.m. ET), all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309 and Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. *Additional fees and/or service charges may apply.
The first meeting between Peter and Toney on Sept. 2 was an action-packed affair that featured excellent exchanges and few clinches. The match aired live on SHOWTIME from Staples Center in Los Angeles and was an elimination bout to determine who would be the mandatory challenger to the WBC heavyweight champion. Toney-Peter I will be available for fans to relive on SHOWTIME On Demand beginning in mid-December.
While Peter won the contest by split decision, the WBC Board of Governors voted 21 to 10 on Sept. 26 in favor of an immediate re-match. In their ruling, the WBC cited divided opinions among the media and fans—not to mention the judges. Two scored the match for Peter 116-111, while the final judge had it 115-112 for Toney.
Peter vs. Toney II will also have the added intrigue of being an elimination bout with the winner becoming the WBC mandatory challenger to the winner of Oleg Maskaev vs. Peter Okhello without any intervening bouts.
“We are very excited about this highly anticipated rematch between Samuel Peter and James Toney being held at the beautiful Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Showtime with the Seminole Indians and our co-promoters, Don King, Goossen Tutor, and Warriors Boxing,” Duva Boxing President Dino Duva said. “This is going to be a historic event and the outcome of the Peter-Toney rematch will be extremely significant to the heavyweight division.”
Co-promoter Dan Goossen thinks Toney deserves the re-match.
“We are looking forward to starting 2007 with the Toney-Peter rematch, Goossen said. The media, fans and all of us were convinced that Toney was victorious in their first match. Come January 6, I promise James will be quicker and stronger, resulting in typical James Toney fashion “Light’s Out” for Peter.”
Co-promoter Don King is looking forward to promoting the event in sunny and warm South Florida.
“This is the biggest prizefight ever staged at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and I think the Seminole Indians and boxing fans in South Florida deserve it,” promoter Don King said. “It will be a spectacular inspired by the unconquered lifestyle of the Seminole Warrior.”
For everyone who has been waiting for the next Mike Tyson, Peter could be that heavyweight. His lone loss came by decision last year against Wladimir Klitschko after Peter had knocked him down three times. Every time he enters the ring, Peter exemplifies unsurpassed courage and delights fans with intoxicating excitement.
The 26-year-old from Akwaibom, Nigeria, now living in Las Vegas, felt he clearly won the first fight with Toney. Regardless, fighting the Old School boxer may have been the best thing that ever happened to the young puncher if it helps his boxing skills catch up with his proven punching power. If that were to occur, Peter could become the dominant heavyweight in the world.
“The first fight was not even close,” Peter (27-1, 22 KOs) said. “I won by five points on two of the scorecards—and that included me losing a point. Toney never hurt me.
“No boxer, including Toney, can deal with my power. Toney likes to talk but I am going to shut him up once and for all. I am solid like a rock and will do whatever it takes to become world champion. If that means beating Toney again, I will. Nothing has ever come easy for me, but I will beat Toney easier this time.
Toney (69-5-3, 43 KOs), of Los Angeles by way of Ann Arbor, Mich., said, “Justice has been served. No way he beat me last time and he knows it. The only times he hurt me was when he hit me on the back of the head.
“He did not do a thing. I took everything away from him. I showed I was not old or fat and out of shape. I beat him up. He did not leave a mark on me. I will whip Peter worse this time.”
At age 38, Toney has probably forgotten more about boxing than his young Nigerian nemesis has had time to learn. He is a living relic from the past, his ring skills learned over a lifetime. They have served him well from middleweight to heavyweight.
His boxing abilities as well as his accomplishments are unquestioned: The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1991; International Boxing Federation middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight world champion; USA TODAY and The Ring 2003 Fighter of the Year (for knocking out Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield and defeating Vassiliy Jirov); and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion after defeating John Ruiz by unanimous decision in 2005 (later ruled a no contest for banned substances, which Toney disputes).
One of the reasons this re-match is highly anticipated is because it appeared both fighters were wobbled by each other in their first meeting, most notably the notoriously durable Toney. Will Peter be able to finish him this time? Did Toney learn ways to deflect Peter’s sledgehammer right hand?
Those questions will be answered before an audience filled with celebrities Don King is inviting to South Florida’s most anticipated social event of 2007 and many more watching on SHOWTIME across the country.
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING’s Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter and Karyn Bryant as special correspondent. The executive producer of the SHOWTIME telecast will be David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.
For more information on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New Generation” including complete fighter bios and records, related stories and more, please visit www.SHO.com.
In March 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport including both Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson bouts.
Always at the forefront of boxing, SHOWTIME has set itself apart by televising “great fights, no rights” on the first Saturday of every month. SHOWTIME is the first network to regularly deliver live boxing in High Definition. In addition, SHOWTIME continues to be a pioneer in sports television with a number of interactive features across multiple platforms making SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts the most enjoyable, immersive viewing experience for the boxing audience.
Hard Rock Live has quickly emerged as the entertainment capital of South Florida, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility attracting music, comedy and sports fans to this 5,500 seat indoor arena further expanding the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The property is South Florida’s leading entertainment destination featuring 48 live action poker tables and 2,100 of the most popular gaming machines on the casino floor. For the second year in a row, the American Automobile Association (AAA) bestowed its prestigious Four Diamond rating to this 500-room hotel. The property also hosts 17 restaurants, 11 clubs and lounges, a 16,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom, a full-service, European-style spa and 22 retail shops. Hard Rock Live is Seminole Hard Rock’s newest addition boasting state-of-the-art acoustics showcasing the latest national music and comedic acts and boxing. Complimentary and valet parking is available. With the opening of the Lucky Street Parking garage, an additional 2,300 spaces are available. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) exit Stirling and travel west (1 Seminole Way) in Hollywood, Florida. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1-800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com
Don King Productions has promoted over 500 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted seven of the 10 largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including the top four: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.95 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995; and Bruno vs. Tyson, 1.4 million buys, March 1996.
DKP has promoted or co-promoted 16 of the top 25 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also highest live-gate gross for any event in the history of the world.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995; De La Hoya vs. Trinidad, paid attendance: 11,184, gross: $12,949,500 (Also garnered the most pay-per-view buys for a non-heavyweight fight at 1.4 million).