James Toney denied by the International Boxing Federation
Following hopes of landing a more meaningful title fight, IBA heavyweight champion James Toney will yet have to wait as the IBF confirmed it will not sanction a bout between him and current unified title
holder, Wladimir Klitschko.
Just this weekend Toney told Fighthype.com he was confident a bout between him and Klitschko would take off, saying: “December 11, Klitschko is going to sleep!” but plans have been thwarted after the IBF
ruled Toney too inactive to deserve the sanction.
Toney’s last boxing bout was in September 2009 against Matthew Greer, whom he defeated in two rounds.
The veteran, who recently lost to Randy Couture in a mixed martial arts fight in August, said that he has attempted to find opponents but is being systematically avoided for lesser fighters who remain
active fighting even lesser guys and thereby qualify for title shots.
In consequence Toney said he was left with little options but to go to MMA in order to stay active.
"you know, the Klitschkos run these sanctioning bodies and this is Wladimir’s way of not fighting me once again. It’s crazy man,” said Toney. He added: “I definitely feel like I’m being blackballed.
You put your life on the line and these are the thanks you get.”
Toney has had successful runs in the middleweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight divisions and is well established as a boxing legend and future hall-of-famer. He has taken on the likes of Roy Jones
Jr., Montell Griffin, Evander Holyfield, Hasam Rahman and Samuel Peter.
His recent match with Couture caused both sports to enter into a theoretical frenzy over which was the superior and more dangerous combative sport. While Toney lasted just three minutes and many therefore
claimed the superiority of MMA, analysts have also noted that Couture, should he enter into a bout with Toney in the boxing ring and under its regulations, would likely get knocked out. Couture declined Toney's challenge to do so.
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