Both fighters scale inside 200 lb limit for Friday's WBA interim cruiserweight title fight in Moscow
Former four-weight world champion James "Lights Out" Toney scaled a full 58 pounds lighter than in his previous bout when he weighed in at a trim 199 pounds ahead of his WBA interim cruiserweight title fight against Russia's Denis Lebedev at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow on Friday night. Lebedev tipped the Toledos at a rock solid 198 lbs.
The bout will be shown live on Box Nation [Sky 456] on Friday night, the action starts at 6 PM.
43-year-old Toney [73-6-3, 44 KOs] boxed "Dangerous" Damon Reed in a heavyweight bout in February of this year scaling a career heavy 257 lbs. Toney won every round against second-rate journeyman Reed, and despite his obese appearance, his hand speed and reflexes looked as sharp as ever. Toney's last credible opponent was American heavyweight Fres Oquendo, who he looked fortunate to score a split decision victory over in 2008.
Toney last boxed as a cruiserweight in 2003, flooring defending champion Vassiliy Jirov of Russia in the final round on the way to winning a unanimous decision and with it the IBF cruiserweight title. Following that victory Toney subsequently moved directly into the heavyweight division, and has not boxed in the 200 pound weight class since.
32-year-old Denis Lebedev [22-1, 17 KOs] is currently ranked fifth by the WBA and second by the WBO in their cruiserweight rankings. His only defeat was a split decision loss in a WBO cruiserweight title fight earlier this year against German-based Serb Marco Huck. In his most recent bout, Lebedev looked ominously powerful, clubbing modern ring legend Roy Jones Jr to a knockout defeat in the 12th and final round.
The Russian southpaw is a solid boxer with heavy hands and genuine knockout power. He proved in his fights against Huck and Jones that he can go the distance and remain dangerous in the championship rounds. Because of his youth and superior activity against top-level opposition in recent years, Lebedev will enter tonight's bout as a strong bookies favorite, although James Toney should never be underestimated.
A "throwback fighter" with an almost unique ability to avoid punches to the head with a simple role of the shoulders, Toney combines tremendous defensive skills with genuine knockout power and a cement chin. Recently fight fans have witnessed amazing performances by Bernard Hopkins and Vitali Klitschko - two fighters who are both well into their 40s. Toney will no doubt be looking to join them on Friday.
In his 20 year career, Toney has never taken a bad beating, and has mixed it up with the very best from middleweight to heavyweight and never come close to being knocked out. He has not been beaten in a boxing ring since dropping back-to-back decisions to future WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter almost 5 years ago.
Will Lebedev be just too young, too strong and too hungry for Toney, or will the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer still have enough left in the tank to handle the Russian?
All will be revealed when the two come face-to-face in Moscow's Khodynka Ice Palace on Friday night.
Big Fight Odds: Denis Lebedev 1/8, James Toney 5/1
skyBETDan Hunter is a lifelong boxing aficionado and our Boxing Editor.