Toney challenges Couture to boxing match, uncovers MMA fighters claim superiority only when cards in their favour
It was inevitable, and you have to give it to him. After losing a one-sided MMA contest with former heavyweight champion Randy Couture, James Toney has yet to accept defeat. Instead today he issued a second challenge to Couture, saying this time they should tie them up in a boxing ring.
“My thing with Randy Couture is he is a legend in his sport. He seems like a good person. I don't know him personally, but from when I meet him, he seems like he’s a great dude, man. And if he is a real man, come put the gloves on,” Toney said.
He continued: “The thing is, I did it his way. Now is he willing to come do it my way? Nobody in MMA will do it my way. No one will come to boxing and to try show off their hands with me. Nobody in the MMA world can go blow-for-blow with James Toney.”
Saturday night Toney and Couture’s UFC 118 bout, which was scheduled for three rounds, was stopped shortly after three minutes of the first round. After shaking off nerves for the first seconds, Couture managed to take James to the ground by diving at him. From there the two remained closely tied up, with Couture smothering him for the remaining minutes, until he was able to put him into a submission and get the boxer to quit.
The results of the bout inspired a lot of fans of both sports to conclude that MMA technicians are the superior fighters over boxers, and that they would last longer in a battle for survival. At the same time, many expressed dissent with the terms of the fight and pointed out they were entirely in favour of MMA, and therefore could not accurately indicate anything qualitative.
With his latest comments, Toney can’t be criticized. Sure, he lost in the cage. But the point is he wasn’t willing to just talk the talk. He does happen to ‘talk the talk’ more than most boxers on this side of the planet. But then he was also one of only a small handful who ever been willing to step into a UFC cage, let alone with one of the sport’s living legends. By putting out the same challenge to Couture, Toney is asking him simply that: accept the challenge, walk the walk.
After the fight Couture stated that if faced with the prospect of a rematch he would “respectfully decline,” but then added if he were to get into the boxing ring with Toney, he would likely get stopped.
These may be wise words, but they don’t sell tickets. They also don’t make fans.
James Toney has won the verbal match. To many, by putting forth these challenges, he’s also won the symbolic one. Perhaps there is the possibility Couture will accept, but it seems unlikely. The fact is these guys like to say they’re more capable than boxers, but only when they can demonstrate it with the cards in their favour. And should Couture not accept the challenge, this is ultimately what people should recognize Toney for uncovering.
Toney also expressed admiration for MMA fans and the atmosphere in general the night of the fight, saying: “Man, the fans in MMA are great. These fans are...they are fanatics man [...]I love the atmosphere they bring. It reminded me of the old days of boxing; the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s. Boxing fans used to be like that and we need to bring it back.”
It’s likely that if there were more James Toneys to go around, boxing fans would be like that.
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