Toney: A confident underdog

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 9:24 a.m.

James Toney may be absolutely fearless going into his fight with Evander Holyfield, but at least his trainer expresses a note of caution.

Freddie Roach, who is training Toney at his Los Angeles gym, acknowledges that Holyfield can be a handful even as he approaches 41. Yet he expects Toney to wear down the former four-time heavyweight champion and possibly win their Oct. 4 fight at Mandalay Bay within its scheduled 12 rounds.

"Holyfield is going to go down as one of the greatest fighters of all time," Roach said. "Look at what he has done in the history of boxing. He is still a dangerous guy.

"He sucks it up a lot of times. We've counted him out many times before (but) he keeps coming back. He's a crafty guy and he knows the game."

None of which seems to impress the unfailingly brash Toney.

"We're less than 10 days away from Holyfield's demise," he said this week on a conference call. "I'm going to give him his wish: I'm going to retire him.

"I'm definitely going to knock him out. I'm the hardest puncher in boxing and I'm going to hit him on that big-a--chin."

Nonetheless, Toney has been bet up to a plus 130 (at Green Valley Ranch) while Holyfield is now a minus 160 favorite.

Toney, 35, is 66-4-2 with 42 knockouts.

Holyfield, who will turn 41 next month, is 38-6-2 with 25 KOs but only 2-3-2 since 1999.

"He's met his match," Toney said of a fight that will be his first against a major-league heavyweight. "He's never fought anybody like me."

Toney, the International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion, said he will weigh between 205 and 210 pounds for the fight. He also said he would drop back to 190 and defend his IBF belt in an ensuing fight next spring.

In a busy career that began in 1988, Toney has also won world titles at 160 and 168 pounds.

"I've got skills, I've got great skills," he said. "I'm on a different level than anybody else in boxing."

But Holyfield will test Toney, Roach believes.

"He's a physical guy," Roach said of Holyfield. "He's a durable guy, but he is getting a little older. Wear and tear is going to take its toll.

"Toney assures me that he's going to knock Holyfield out (and) the way he has been punching and breaking people down in the gym, I wouldn't be surprised if he does it late in the fight. That would definitely be a bonus because you cannot expect that when fighting Holyfield."

Holyfield, 220, has been stopped only once in his career, that by Riddick Bowe in eight rounds in 1995.

But Toney says he's coming to fight and will take whatever Holyfield has to give, head butts, forearms and all.

"I'm going to do what I said (I'd do)," Toney reiterated. "I'm going to be there for him. I want him to come in with his head down -- it's not going to bother me."

Roach said Toney may be able to back up his braggadocio because he has not only looked good in training but because he's at a natural, comfortable weight.

"He's always been a bigger guy (and) he has become a better puncher," Roach said. "He wasn't a big puncher at middleweight, but he is a much better puncher at cruiserweight and as a small heavyweight.

"He still has a middleweight's speed and his punching power is getting better at the higher weight."

Roach looks for a good fight between the veteran combatants.

"There's a lot of interest in the fight," he said. "A lot of people want to see what these guys have to bring. They're two of the toughest guys in the world.

"Usually, once Holyfield gets hit, the fight is on. I expect that to happen."