James Toney gave Evander Holyfield the close-range fight he wanted on October 4, 2003, then made him pay for it. Twenty-three years later, their meeting remains a sharp example of
On October 4, 2003, James Toney made his heavyweight debut by stopping former champion Evander Holyfield in the ninth round at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. After a competitive opening three rounds, Toney dominated the inside exchanges, using body punches, shoulder rolls, and short counter combinations to dismantle Holyfield.
A sustained ninth-round body attack sent Holyfield to the canvas, prompting trainer Don Turner to step in and stop the fight at 1:42 of the round. CompuBox recorded Toney landing 217 of 418 punches compared to Holyfield's 135 of 354, marking a decisive victory that proved Toney's craft translated seamlessly to the heavyweight division.
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