Hall of Famer James Toney is widely considered to be one of the best fighters of his generation.
Toney entered the paid ranks back in 1988 after an impressive amateur career, going on to win world titles across three weight classes before his retirement in 2017.
The majority of his success came during the 1990s where he held world titles at middleweight and super-middleweight, racking up victories over the likes of Mike McCallum, Michael Nunn and Iran Barkley during this period.
Toney also shared the ring with the likes of Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr during his tenure, with the duo also regarded as two of the best to ever lace up a pair of gloves.
Holyfield was the first man to ever become undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, while Jones won world titles in five divisions, ranging from middleweight all the way up to heavyweight.
Toney defeated Holyfield but came up short against Jones, and despite the career success of his two former rivals, ‘Lights Out’ once revealed the one fighter that he believes is even greater than both.
In a round of Best I Faced with the Ring Magazine, Toney made no mistake in revealing three-weight world champion Mike McCallum as the best opponent he ever faced.
“Mike McCallum – That’s an easy choice, right off the top of my head it’s the Body Snatcher. He was the best fighter I fought at middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight. Out of all the fighters I fought, I respect him the most because he made me think about everything I tried to do. Before McCallum I was just runnin’ in on everyone, but he made me slow down and think for the first time.”
Known for his toughness, McCallum is considered to be one of the best fighters of his time. He captured world titles at super-welterweight, middleweight and light-heavyweight throughout the course of his 16-year tenure, which spanned between 1981 and 1997.
He racked up a number of impressive victories along the way, defeating the likes of Donald Curry, Steve Collins and Milton McCrory to name just a few. He shared the ring with Toney on three occasions, suffering two defeats after their first encounter back in 1991 was declared a split draw. McCallum passed away this year at the age of 68.