TalkingBoxing Articles
Simply put, James Toney won the fight
WED September 6, BUSTER PARIS - James Toney won the fight. I know what the scorecards said – both Judge Dick Flaherty and Judge Alejandro Rochin had it 116-111 for Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter and Judge Gale Van Hoy had it 115-112 for James “Lights Out” Toney --- yes, I know that, it's in the record books now, but it's wrong.
I had the bout scored 116 to 111 for James "Lights Out" Toney:
-Toney winning rounds 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 (a 10-8 round), 10 and 11
-Peter winning rounds 3, 5, 8 and 12
Honestly – I’m pissed – I think James got robbed. I went to bed completely irritated and woke up to this annoying headline/press release from Showtime (posted on DogHouse Boxing.com):
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 2, 2006) – Samuel Peter proved to be James Toney’s worst nightmare Saturday on SHOWTIME. In a hard-fought heavyweight brawl that featured excellent exchanges and few clinches, Peter registered a hotly disputed, 12-round split decision over Toney in a World Boxing Council (WBC) elimination bout at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Samuel Peter (W 27 -22 ko's & L 1) was NOT James Toney’s (W 69 - 43 ko's, L 5 & D 3) worst nightmare – Judges Dick Flaherty and Alejandro Rochin were James Toney’s worst nightmare.
As for the fight itself - all the rounds were fairly close and competitive – this was actually the best that I’ve seen Sam Peter. He was patient, poised and seemed to keep up at a good clip – he didn’t tucker or ‘peter’ out often.
A lot of Peter fights has seen him struggle and labor to throw the left hook and he didn’t in this bout – he fought with more of a polish.
There was his right hand too – normally Samuel throws it somewhat amateurishly – like it isn’t fully under his control and he’d throw it with the hopes that due to it’s enormous size and power it would do what it’s supposed to do - and knock the other guy out, but on this night he used it well – he used it like a professional and was able to harness it’s power and it’s weaponry.
I know it’s not the prettiest punch, but it’s a fun one – and Peter was able to use a fantastic clubbing right hand for a good deal of the fight that would mostly slide off or roll with Toney – not doing much damage, but nonetheless looked good – you could actually hear Moe Howard’s approval from the grave.
Considering all of Samuel Peter’s impressive improvements and the tally of his night’s work I still emphatically have to say that he did not win this fight -- James Toney did.
James did more, did it better and won the fight.
Toney was brilliantly elusive for most of the night and popped out his amazing jab over and over and over again – it was shot out from the hip as if he were a gun slinger – and came at Peter from all sorts of angles – THAT jab is the Nigerian’s nightmare – he’ll wake up in a cold sweat remembering it.
Toney’s upper body movement and defense rivaled that of The Matrix’s Agent Smith with James’ lower body solidly planted and his torso swiveling, twisting, bending and rotating – all the while moving and avoiding punches or rolling with a punch and seeing to it that what would have been a severely damaging bone crushing and meat pulverizing pounding - were merely glancing blows or the whipping off of sweat.
He was the far busier and more effective fighter. The jab was truly amazing and constantly being popped, poked and fired into Peter’s face and stomach almost every moment of every round -- and never had I seen Toney’s right hand more alive, more brutal and used with such knockout intentions.
All in all James Toney won this fight – I hate the _expression “…I don’t know what fight they were watching…” – but I can’t understand how Judges Dick Flaherty and Alejandro Rochin had this bout at such a wrong score for Samuel Peter – it makes no sense to me.
James himself even said:
“…I won the fight ---- that’s ok – I’ll be back – I ain’t no quitter ---- Everybody in the world – in this room saw I won the fight ---- I made him miss a lot, I countered---- hey this is boxing ---- I didn’t lose this fuckin’ fight ---- you know I didn’t lose this here fight ---- I landed all the clean shots – I was more effective ---- everybody talkin’ that he a big puncher - he an alright puncher – I been in with better….”
Pardon the colorful quote, but he’s absolutely right – James Toney didn’t lose this fuckin’ fight.
Buster Paris can be reached at: bparis@talkingboxing.com - and always enjoys receiving your thoughts, comments and questions
Forum
