Retired boxing legend, James Toney, has called out multi-weight world champion and pound-for-pound star, Canelo Alvarez, saying he is willing to come out of retirement and prove that he was, and is, levels above the modern great.
The frustrations of ‘Lights Out’ Toney first arose when pundits suggested that a prime Canelo could defeat the American at his peak. This has sparked a reaction from the now 55-year-old, who retired in 2017 with a record of 77-10-3, having never been stopped.
In an interview with Mill City Boxing, Toney criticised Canelo, claiming that he cherry picked his opponents unlike himself, who fought the likes of Roy Jones Jr, Iran Barkley and Mike McCallum in their prime, and boxed at all weights between middleweight and heavyweight during his twenty-nine year career.
“We put too much emphasis on Canelo. If you look at it, he’s fought all these guys who are lighter than him, or they are past their prime and all of that, you can’t compare this mother****er to me, dog.
I fought the best fighters in their prime. I don’t even want to talk about the mother****er, because he p***es me off.
If he has balls, I could always come out of retirement and whoop his mother****ing a** right now, I’d f*** him up, for real. I ain’t got a problem with [doing] that!
I’d beat Canelo right now! He can be knocked out, he’s not all that. He’s no James Toney. He’s not in my league, he can’t carry my bags. Stop comparing him to me because there is no match, I would destroy him.”
The fantasy fight may be discussed, but the chance of it happening – or appetite for it – is zero.
Canelo is focusing on potential fights against the likes of David Benavidez, Terence Crawford or Demetrius Andrade on the horizon, as well as a possible return to the light-heavyweight division after dominating against Jermell Charlo in his last outing.