No Joke: Boxers James Toney And Bobby Gunn...
Glax0r
06 Apr 2012
No joke: Boxers James Toney and Bobby Gunn have bad blood
When Gunn faces Toney, there's no love lost
By Bryan Brasher, commercialappeal.com
Posted April 6, 2012
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once joked that boxing might be more entertaining if the fighters actually had some sort of genuine problem with one another before the first punches were thrown.
He even suggested that they drive around the ring in tiny cars and stage an accident to make their tempers flare.
James "Lights Out" Toney and Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn won't need that kind of drama to create bad blood between them when they enter the ring Saturday night at the Landers Center in Southaven. They already dislike one another plenty.
"James Toney is just not a nice guy," said Gunn, who will meet Toney in Saturday's 12-round heavyweight main event after an eight-bout undercard. "He's a racist, and I just don't have any respect for him. I don't like him, and I know he feels the same way about me."
After spending much of his career on the brutal bareknuckle boxing circuit, Gunn, a native of Ontario, Canada, who now lives in New Jersey, is making a huge step up when it comes to opponent's name recognition. He's never fought anyone with a career record like Toney's.
Since beginning his career in the middleweight division in 1988, Toney has fought a star-studded list of opponents that has included Michael Nunn, Iran Barkley, Roy Jones Jr. and Evander Holyfield. He was Ring Magazine's Fighter of the Year in 1991.
Toney has amassed a career record of 73-7-3 with 44 knockouts, including a nine-round dismantling of an aging Holyfield in 2003. He's often been recognized as a brawler and has been ducked at times during his career by the likes of Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.
Gunn (21-4-1) is also no stranger to the street-fighting method. He's scored 18 of his 21 pro victories by knockout -- and during an 11-year hiatus from mainstream boxing, he fought more than 60 bareknuckle bouts.
Fans should expect to see plenty of power shots and little dancing, if any.
"I'm not going into the ring to try and feel him out," Gunn said. "He knows every trick in the book and he's probably created a few tricks, so I'm not going to try to fool him with anything. I'm confident I can win this fight, and I'm going to take it to him."
Toney, who once traded blows with NFL great Deion Sanders when they were both attending a University of Michigan football camp as college prospects, said he'll be just fine with a straight-up fight from Gunn.
"I have watched a lot of tape on Bobby Gunn, and I'm ready," Toney said. "I am going to dominate him and knock him out. There is nothing Bobby Gunn can do to stop what is going to happen to him Saturday night."
If Toney can make good on that pledge, he'll earn the IBA World Heavyweight Championship -- and at age 43, he'll be setting his sights on bigger crowns.
"Right now this is the biggest fight of my career," Toney said. "I need to win this world title in order to define this chapter of my career. There is not a heavyweight in the world that can beat me right now.
"After I destroy Gunn, I want the so-called best heavyweights in world."
-- Bryan Brasher: (901) 529-2343
Southaven boxing
What: A nine-bout card of professional boxing crafted by Memphis-based Prize Fight Boxing.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Landers Center, Southaven
Details: The nine-bout card will feature eight undercard events with fights in divisions ranging from lightweight to cruiserweight. The main event will be a 12-round heavyweight match between James "Lights Out" Toney and Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn.
Tickets: Can be purchased at the Landers Center box office, by calling ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by visiting ticketmaster online at ticketmaster.com. Prices start at $20.
When Gunn faces Toney, there's no love lost
By Bryan Brasher, commercialappeal.com
Posted April 6, 2012
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once joked that boxing might be more entertaining if the fighters actually had some sort of genuine problem with one another before the first punches were thrown.
He even suggested that they drive around the ring in tiny cars and stage an accident to make their tempers flare.
James "Lights Out" Toney and Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn won't need that kind of drama to create bad blood between them when they enter the ring Saturday night at the Landers Center in Southaven. They already dislike one another plenty.
"James Toney is just not a nice guy," said Gunn, who will meet Toney in Saturday's 12-round heavyweight main event after an eight-bout undercard. "He's a racist, and I just don't have any respect for him. I don't like him, and I know he feels the same way about me."
After spending much of his career on the brutal bareknuckle boxing circuit, Gunn, a native of Ontario, Canada, who now lives in New Jersey, is making a huge step up when it comes to opponent's name recognition. He's never fought anyone with a career record like Toney's.
Since beginning his career in the middleweight division in 1988, Toney has fought a star-studded list of opponents that has included Michael Nunn, Iran Barkley, Roy Jones Jr. and Evander Holyfield. He was Ring Magazine's Fighter of the Year in 1991.
Toney has amassed a career record of 73-7-3 with 44 knockouts, including a nine-round dismantling of an aging Holyfield in 2003. He's often been recognized as a brawler and has been ducked at times during his career by the likes of Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.
Gunn (21-4-1) is also no stranger to the street-fighting method. He's scored 18 of his 21 pro victories by knockout -- and during an 11-year hiatus from mainstream boxing, he fought more than 60 bareknuckle bouts.
Fans should expect to see plenty of power shots and little dancing, if any.
"I'm not going into the ring to try and feel him out," Gunn said. "He knows every trick in the book and he's probably created a few tricks, so I'm not going to try to fool him with anything. I'm confident I can win this fight, and I'm going to take it to him."
Toney, who once traded blows with NFL great Deion Sanders when they were both attending a University of Michigan football camp as college prospects, said he'll be just fine with a straight-up fight from Gunn.
"I have watched a lot of tape on Bobby Gunn, and I'm ready," Toney said. "I am going to dominate him and knock him out. There is nothing Bobby Gunn can do to stop what is going to happen to him Saturday night."
If Toney can make good on that pledge, he'll earn the IBA World Heavyweight Championship -- and at age 43, he'll be setting his sights on bigger crowns.
"Right now this is the biggest fight of my career," Toney said. "I need to win this world title in order to define this chapter of my career. There is not a heavyweight in the world that can beat me right now.
"After I destroy Gunn, I want the so-called best heavyweights in world."
-- Bryan Brasher: (901) 529-2343
Southaven boxing
What: A nine-bout card of professional boxing crafted by Memphis-based Prize Fight Boxing.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Landers Center, Southaven
Details: The nine-bout card will feature eight undercard events with fights in divisions ranging from lightweight to cruiserweight. The main event will be a 12-round heavyweight match between James "Lights Out" Toney and Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn.
Tickets: Can be purchased at the Landers Center box office, by calling ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by visiting ticketmaster online at ticketmaster.com. Prices start at $20.
tigerthelion
06 Apr 2012
"He's often been recognized as a brawler and has been ducked at times during his career by the likes of Roy Jones Jr."
Ten oz
06 Apr 2012
Spike
07 Apr 2012
Spike
07 Apr 2012
Spike
07 Apr 2012
well i guess its official with these kind of opponents toney has entered holyfiled territory as far as it being time for him to just go away.
The_Ikon
07 Apr 2012
Danko
07 Apr 2012
Anyone know the story behind Toney's fight with Deion Sanders? I always wanted to see somebody punch him in his big mouth.
Spike
07 Apr 2012
Danko, on 07 April 2012 - 09:31 AM, said:
Anyone know the story behind Toney's fight with Deion Sanders? I always wanted to see somebody punch him in his big mouth.
http://blogs.mercury...football-dream/
Danko
07 Apr 2012
Ten oz
07 Apr 2012
Johnny Hopper
09 Apr 2012
....And NEW IBU Heavyweight champion of the Worrrrrrrrrld.......
Undisputed
09 Apr 2012
When I read bad blood, I immediately thought high blood pressure or something along those lines.
