James Toney: Deserving of One More?

While Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins gear up for their rematch 17 years in the making, one active legend from their era sits without a meaningful fight anywhere on the horizon.

Former middleweight champion, former super middleweight champion, former cruiserweight champion, and 2003 fighter of the year, 41-year-old James Toney is currently calling out every name that is near his weight...and sport.

Putting aside all of the UFC nonsense, there should be a lot of options for a name like James "Lights Out" Toney.

It has always been the way of the sport that the younger up and coming talent should make a name for themselves off of the over the hill former champion. If Toney should really hang em up, shouldn't that mean that someone should be taking advantage?

Heavyweights trying to climb up the ladder like Alexander Povetkin, Tomasz Adamek, Eddie Chambers, David Haye, or Cris Arreola would all benefit from a win over a future hall of famer.

Tony Thompson shares promoter with James. One would think that would be a fight Thompson could build on, so why do none of these fighters have any interest in a fight with him?

It is also slightly unusual how many top fighters from Toney's generation are still active, and would make entertaining match ups. It is interesting to me that Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Glen Johnson, and Antonio Tarver have all fought each other at least once, yet only one person from that group has ever fought James Toney, and it was 16 years ago.

Granted, Toney has been fighting at heavyweight, but he has stated he would drop in weight for a meaningful fight. In his last fight he only weighed 212 pounds. Not to mention, Jones Jr. did hold a heavyweight title himself, and that would be the dream rematch for James.

Then there is the two-headed heavyweight champion; surely James could put up a better fight than most of the opponents Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko have been running through.

I'd have to be inclined to think Toney would land more than the five power punches Kevin Johnson landed on Vitali over 12 rounds in their recent fight; there is no comparison between Kevin Johnson and James Toney when it comes to name value.

I've heard rumors of Vitali possibly fighting the very green Odlanier Solis. While i do think Solis is an extremely talented heavyweight, he is far from deserving of a shot at the title. Let Solis match up with Toney in an elimination bout.

Whether it be as a stepping stone for less accomplished talent, or a classic battle of veterans that should have happened years ago, or the name value of a future hall of famer on the resume of the heavyweight champion, I do believe James "Lights Out" Toney is deserving of one more.