7/04/2013 21:00 PDT (Los Angeles, USA)
Multiple World Boxing Champion and movie star of the 2001 film Ali, James “Lights Out” Toney is coming to Australia to fight in the main event against Australia’s undefeated Heavyweight boxing champion Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne in Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday 28th April from 2pm for a host of heavyweight bouts co-promoted by former heavyweight boxer Mick Gatto, world champion boxer Barry Michael and Brian Amatruda.
Toney (74 – 45 by KO – 7 losses, 3 draws) has been a World Boxing Champion in the heavyweight, cruiserweight, middleweight, super cruiserweight, light heavyweight, and super middleweight divisions and is still a force to be reckoned with at 44 years of age. He will be fighting his next battle in the heavyweight division on his first ever fight in Australia. Perth’s Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne, 33, has never been beaten, having won 15 fights including 14 KO’s.
A multiple division champion and future Hall of Famer, James Toney is known for his legendary “old-school” style, consisting of his shoulder roll (used to avoid punches), his ability to fight off the ropes, his slick body movements, and his infighting. Toney won a controversial decision over Dave Tiberi in a 1992 middleweight title defense. Many people watching this fight thought Tiberi was robbed. This led to an investigation by the United States Senate into corruption in boxing.
On April 30, 2005, Toney defeated John Ruiz and, at that moment, was just the third World Middleweight Champion to capture a version of the World Heavyweight Championship, along with Roy Jones Jr. and Bob Fitzsimmons. However, on May 11, 2005, Toney tested positive for a banned substance, and his victory over Ruiz was changed to a no-contest. He was also suspended for 90 days and fined $10,000. On May 17, 2005, Toney was stripped of the WBA title for his positive test, and the title was restored to Ruiz.
Toney was named The Ring Fighter of the Year for 1991 and 2003. He was also The Ring Comeback of the Year fighter for 2003 as well as The Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year for 1991 and 2003. He has won 4 of his last 5 fights and during his career has fought some of boxing’s biggest names including Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Junior.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
