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The James Toney of Prizefighter was a far cry from the genius I remember
The over-the-hill boxer who appeared in the popular tournament this week was a shadow of the legend I saw train in the 1990s, says John Wight

No disrespect to Prizefighter, but the sight of an out-of-shape James “Lights Out” Toney sharing the ring with a line-up of journeymen in the heavyweight version of the tournament at London’s York Hall was a sad reminder that time waits for no athlete — even a legitmate ring legend such as Toney.

When it comes to the fighter who stood out as the most skilled, outrageous, and memorable character I ever saw train at Freddie Roach’s Wildcard Boxing Gym in LA back in the early noughties there’s no contest.

Toney wasn’t so much a fighter as a force of nature. Whenever he arrived at the gym with his entourage of true believers the atmosphere underwent an instant and palpable change.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
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