30 years ago, James “Lights Out” Toney was truly one of the fiercest and most skilled fighters around. Proof of this – further evidence – is the difficult job that Tony in The Blade, Iran Barkley, takes on.
It was three decades ago today when the undefeated Tony, having decided to go from the grueling 160-pound gain he has ruled the world since his stunning 1991 win over Michael Nunn, decided to move on to Barkley in Las Vegas.
Tony, perfect (two draws aside) at 34-0-2, was at the peak of his great power at the age of 24. Barkley, one of the toughest players in the world, and also a true competitor as much as the meanest and fiercest dog in the junkyard, wore a notebook afraid of The fight is 30-7, while the three-weight champion is 32.
Barkley had a repeat win over living legend Tommy Hearns, and it was a hard-fought 12-round victory for “The Blade,” one that saw him win the WBA light heavyweight belt (Iran, having previously reigned as middleweight, the IBF belt at 168). pounds at that time).
Barkley decided to drop down to super middleweight to face Tony in a fight that gave the Bronx warrior his biggest day of his career. But the fight made Tony hand the biggest defeat of Barkley’s career. It was, in short, brutal.
Tony, always a guy who took the heat before a fight, let Barkley get under his skin. “It was so painful, waiting to get my hands on him,” Tony told this writer years after the fight. But inner anger helped Tony. And to act against Barkley in a harsh manner. On this night, Tony was a fully busy, focused and 100 percent conditioned boxing master. It wasn’t a contest. Only Barkley’s fierce heart kept him there throughout the nine bloody, sometimes sickening rounds that “battle” dragged on.
Finally, his nose running bloody, his eyes closed, Barkley was pulled in by coach and former champion Eddie Mustafa Mohamed. Until the bitter end, Barkley would beg his coach to let him take more punishment. Barclay was never the same again, though he fought, primarily in need of money, for six years. Barkley even tries his hand at the heavyweight division. Tony? He was the best lb in the world, or top 3 at least, and was to be involved in many big fights, many of which he won.
But for Tony, the biggest problem was discipline. At his best, Tony was elusive. At his worst, James was fat, lazy, and beatable by a guy like Drake Thadze. But for now, in 1993, Tony was riding high — and in a super fight with his P-4-P rival, Roy Jones Jr. We all know what happened there, but that’s a different story/article.
Barkley’s win means a lot to Tony, all these years later.
“I want to include my excitement for Iran Barkley as one of my best nights,” Tony told the writer at one point. “I was so excited about that fight. He talked a lot about having that fight. That was his downfall. He started talking but I ended it up with the fight. The idiot really thought he was going to beat me! He got lucky when he beat my guy, Tommy Hearns, and I had to make sure Bring it back for Tommy, my idol. You know what they say: “Payback is a son of a bitch!”
“I hit him with something horrible. I wasn’t playing at all. Not after he brought his big-ass machete to the pre-fight press.” [conference]. I knew it was mine. I watched my usual pre-fight tapes, of greats like Jersey Joe [Walcott], Ezzard Charles, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Archie Moore. And Barkley didn’t get a damn chance. I wanted his blood and made sure I got it.”
Tony did it. It was, to paraphrase, bloody cool tonight. Was it really 30 freaking years ago!
