By Vivek Wallace: When it comes to fighting sports, none on the radar come close to the rich history of boxing. From yester-years ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, and Muhammad Ali, to Leonard, Tyson, Mayweather, Pacquiao, and beyond; every step of the way, those who have a keen interest in the ‘art of war’ have identified strongly with boxing as their primary source. Recently, the evolution of fighting sports reached a crescendo when the UFC/MMA movement gained steam, taking basic fighting sports to another level. From the inception of the UFC/MMA circuit, fans of both arts have questioned which side is more substantive. One fan base arguing principles and methodology, the other placing their weight on the argument of highly skilled practices and an ‘ultimate warrior’ mentality.
This coming Saturday night, the two contrasting worlds will collide when master boxer James Toney (72-6-3, 44KO’s) squares off against Randy Couture (18-10, 7KO’s). Despite the vastly different worlds these two men hail from, a snapshot of their professional resumes give quite a bit to ponder, James Toney’s in particular. Some view Toney as a washed up older athlete with little left to offer, but in classic throwback fashion, he remains one of the few men in fighting sports today with more than 80 fights under his belt.. One could argue that “X” amount of fights in boxing does very little when coupled with zero in the octagon, but in reality, 80 live opponents is 80 live opponents. And in 80 plus nights, James Toney found a way to outwit, outsmart, and outlast 76 other men who were also armed and dangerous.
Fighters like James Toney keeps fundamental purist at odds over the mythical term Pound-for-Pound, as in this popularity driven era of the sport he rarely made the conversation; yet aside from Mayweather, one would be hard-pressed to name a better textbook talent to lace up a pair of gloves in in this era. The shoulder roll…..the combinations….the uncanny ability to slip punches while simultaneously landing them; In many ways, despite his age, boxing could not have found a better ambassador to answer this bridge-crossing call. Toney’s bravado, coupled with his skills, is an absolute representation of what made boxing famous. The mouth of Ali, the fundamental skills of Ray Robinson. UFC President Dana White recently took note of this, adding “[those] boxers sure as hell know how to promote a fight”.
The promotional aspect is probably an easy conversion to make from one platform to the next, but what will be interesting is seeing how Toney’s fundamentals carry over. Some may look at Couture’s age and think he’s nothing special as well, but in reality, he’s nearly as dangerous today as he was a few years ago, and to someone entering uncharted waters, he’s as dangerous as they come! Couture’s ability can never be questioned, but one stat line of his potentially opens a realm of endless possibilities. Of his 10 losses, 4 were submissions and one came via decision, but a whopping 5 came from TKO’s. With a 10oz glove, Toney had the ‘crack’ in his fist to buzz an iron-chinned Evander Holyfield. When considering what that might mean for a 4 or 5oz glove, the only word that comes to mind is “criminal”.
The key element of note here is that every fight starts standing straight up, so Couture will have to stand and throw his fist first. When a slippery Toney slips-and-pops like he has so often in the past, it’s any ones game! At the end of the day, although it’s an MMA format, both men are entering uncharted waters. Toney has never entered the octagon, but Couture has never entered it either facing a man skilled with this much fighting experience. Few have. Contrary to the thoughts of most, don’t expect to see a one-sided affair. As noted earlier, every fight starts with both men standing. From that position it’s the man who enters this bout as an underdog who presents the greatest danger. That fact tells us that like any other fight on any given night, any thing can happen. Stay tuned.
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Myspace, and Facebook).