JAMES Toney promised to break Denis Lebedev “physically and mentally” before the two fighters’ twelve-round contest at the Khodynka Ice Palace, Moscow. However, it was the aging former champion who was broken at the end of a humiliatingly one-sided points loss that surely gives “Lights Out” retirement as his only option.
Toney, now 73-7-3 (44), looked slow and lethargic from the opening moments of a bout for the interim WBA cruiserweight title. Forty-three-year-old James had plenty of fans and experts predicting the upset before the first bell after weighing in at 199lbs at yesterday’s weigh-in; it was the former three-weight champion’s lightest for eight years. The predictions sadly fell well clear of the reality as Lebedev put in a solid, work-man-like performance to win every round for all three scoring judges.
Lebedev, trained by former world light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, made a fast start throwing the straight left from his southpaw stance with speed. Bull-necked Toney juked, feinted and moved his head but never threw much in reply. The American legend carried a role of fat around his waist that hung over his trunks and one wondered how gradually Toney had lost the 60 lbs to make his first venture into the cruiserweight class in nearly a decade.
Midway in the second stanza, Toney threw a clumsy lead-right and stumbled off balance where the younger man pounced. Lebedev threw in looping left hands, all of which landed to have Toney looking uncomfortable. The older man tripped off balance again towards the end of the round and seemed to hurt his left leg. His footing seemed unsteady all the way through the contest, even before he showed the injury.
Lebedev, now 23-1 (17), repeatedly would throw a hard jab to the face of his more experienced opponent, causing Toney to lower his head and turn to his right side. Every time he did this, Denis would move to his opponent’s blind side to smash James with big left uppercuts. In previous contests in his prime, “Lights Out” would dip, role and come back with his own shots. On this night his head stayed static, giving Denis an easy target.
By round four, Lebedev was completely in charge landing clean straight-lefts both to the slower man’s head and stomach. Toney was pot-shotting and throwing single rights from too far out; easily evaded by his Russian tormentor. None of James’ punches had any snap all night, the occasional ones that did land, such as a short right-hand-counter towards the end of the fifth, were easily taken by the tough 32-year-old.
Toney, with Buddy McGirt in his corner, took more flush punches in the middle rounds and seemed unable to alter the pattern of the fight which saw Lebedev, 197 ½ lbs, punish him steadily at every opportunity. In the eighth Denis had his biggest round yet as he stepped in with punishing left hands to have Toney reeling all around the ring. Even though his prey was clearly hurt, the home-fighter didn’t do anything silly and just kept the pressure on. Toney kidded that he wasn’t hurt but he was fooling absolutely no-one.
Lebedev, who facially resembles cartoon character Popeye, showed he’d had his spinach when he hurt his tiring foe again in the ninth. At this stage a stoppage win in Denis’ favour looked more than likely as he looked fresh, while Toney was looking tired and completely out of ideas.
In the championship rounds the pace slowed slightly but Lebedev still dominated “Lights Out”. Action was sometimes hard to watch as Toney stumbled around, getting hit flush repeatedly and trying to win with desperation punches. It was a far cry from the stocky fighting machine that became only the second man to stop Evander Holyfield eight long years ago.
The Russian southpaw controlled the last as he had the previous eleven rounds. If the truth be told, Lebedev hadn’t got out of second gear all night yet still won more than handily. The judges scored 120-108 (twice) and 120-107 (the latter of which tallied with my own card). Lebedev now looks set for a world title fight with either WBA champion Guillermo Jones (who defends tomorrow against Michael Marrone) or WBO counter-part Marco Huck in a rematch.
James Toney cut a sorry figure after the scores were announced, sitting despondently with his head in his hands. He promised to “meet (Denis) again soon” in the post fight interview, but let us hope that he meant for an afternoon coffee and not another painfully hard boxing match. James has been a pro for 23 years; let’s hope he has a long, hard think about his next move.
Referee for this bout was Gustavo Padilla in what was Toney’s first-ever loss at the weight.
In undercard action, Alexander Bakhtin scored a resounding ten round unanimous decision over reluctant Columbian Luis Melendez to stay on the march for a possible world title shot next year. Former world title challenger Melendez looked a stiff test on paper but was quickly in his shell as Bakhtin started fast in this super-bantamweight contest.
Bakhtin, now 28-0 (11), swept the early rounds, dropping the Columbian twice in the third. Alas the pace slowed from the fourth and Melendez comfortably lasted the full distance. Thirty-year-old Alexander looked good and threw sharp shots all night on his cagey foe, yet maybe bringing in the uppercut earlier or doubling up on the body shots may have been a better idea. Bakhtin, formerly based in Japan but now back at home in Russia, saw his attacks get a bit repetitive as the fight wore on. Melendez seemed to be on the verge of being stopped many times, but did well to see it through to dip to 31-7-1 (22).
In a cruiserweight ten-rounder, unbeaten Ukrainian Ismayl Sillakh stopped late-sub’ Ali Ismailov in the fourth. The action was competitive early but gradually Sillakh, 189 lbs, made his extra class tell before a superb right-uppercut dropped Ismailov, heavier at 198 lbs, to bring an immediate halt to the proceedings. Tall and rangy Ismail goes to 17-0 (14) and can’t be far off a title shot of some-sort.
Also on the bill, Vyacheslav Glazkov stayed busy with a routine stoppage over a game Daniil Peret. Peret gave it a go early before suffering a knock-down at the end of the first courtesy of a good right to the side of “Shrek’s” head by the now, 10-0 (7) Ukrainian prospect. The tough journeyman shipped more punishment in the fifth and was wisely retired before the next. Glazkov showed good hand-speed and not many stop Peret.
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