Columnist Jeff Haney: Fragmented at the top, heavyweight division comes off as a lightweight

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005 | 9:05 a.m.

Jeff Haney's sports boxing column appears Thursday. Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

Heavyweights James Toney and Chris Byrd, who fight in separate bouts Saturday night in Reno, both think that boxing's signature division needs to be whipped into shape.

"I think the state of the division today, besides me, is terrible," Toney said. "Look, out of everybody in the top 10, you have got all these so-called bad guys. But they could not compete with the ones from yesterday. If it was yesterday, it would have blown these guys up.

"Back then everybody fought each other. Right now, it is all about the politics, money or the belt. I am tired of all that."

Byrd declined to rank the current heavyweight champions, saying it doesn't really matter until some real steps are taken to determine an undisputed champ. He also claimed Toney's attitude is part of the problem.

"No, I will not rate (the current belt-holders)," Byrd said. "Everybody has their different styles and everybody can fight and it is all given on that particular night of the fight and who they are fighting. Best man wins. Until you get a unified champion, it is split."

Byrd was critical of Toney's opting to fight John Ruiz in April, accusing Toney of ducking him.

"Oh, please -- James is running scared," Byrd said. "James has got the biggest mouth in boxing, but he does not have any heart. He had a chance to fight me when he fought John Ruiz. We thought we were going to make something then. Then it fell apart. ...

"I just want to box, but he talks all this trash. He keeps bringing my name up, but then will not sign the contract."

Toney (68-4-2, 43 knockouts) fights Dominick Guinn (25-2-1, 18 KOs) in Saturday night's main event; Byrd (38-2-1, 20 KOs) will make the fourth defense of his IBF title against mandatory challenger DaVarryl Williamson (22-3, 18 KOs). In another bout, IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez (34-3, 30 KOs) risks his title against leading contender Silence Mabuza (18-0, 15 KOs).

Showtime will televise (9:15 p.m., tape-delayed in the West) from the Reno Events Center.

Toney was awarded a 12-round decision against Ruiz in New York, but the WBA stripped him of his title when he tested positive for a banned substance after the fight. Toney said he was taking the substance under medical supervision as part of an injury rehabilitation, but otherwise sounded unrepentant.

"When (promoter) Dan (Goossen) called and said I flunked the test, I thought about it for a little bit. You know what? It does not matter," Toney said. "I did it, I beat him, I beat Ruiz. I told Dan I wanted the fight. I was thinking I would be ready. I was not thinking about the stuff still being in my system. But I cannot look at the past. It was not Dan's fault. It was my fault because I am so edgy. I wanted Ruiz; I wanted to get him before he changed his mind."

Jones-Tarver

After experiencing some serious doldrums, Roy Jones Jr. is rejuvenated and refocused on boxing, his trainer Alton Merkerson says.

Jones, the former longtime undisputed champ, and Antonio Tarver square off for the third time for supremacy in the light heavyweight division Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. (HBO Pay-Per-View, $49.95).

Jones won a decision against Tarver in November 2003, but Tarver scored a dramatic second-round knockout six months later. Jones (49-3, 38 KOs) has since sustained another knockout loss, to Glen Johnson last September. He re-enlisted his father, Roy Jones Sr., to help with training for this fight after a long absence from his camp.

"The previous few fights Roy's performance wasn't what it should have been," Merkerson said. "I think he really got tired of the sport of boxing. He was bored -- all of the criticism about him not fighting anybody, all of the negative input just made him fed up with boxing. ... He was ready to leave boxing and leave it as it stood. That had a lot to do with his performance."

Jones has declined to speak publicly about Saturday's fight or his preparation for it -- a position that irks Tarver (23-3, 18 KOs).

"I think it is a slap in the face to all of those people that have pumped him up and glorified him over the years," Tarver, a 2-1 betting favorite, said. "The guy has given nothing to the game. All he's been is a bunch of hot air."

On the air

HBO Sports will replay the first two fights between Jones and Tarver as a preview of Saturday night's bout. They will be shown on HBO2 (Cox cable channel 201) at 11:35 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday.