By Mohamed Bahaa
Former two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year James Toney has left a lasting legacy in boxing. Renowned for his exceptional counterpunching skills, Toney would often draw his opponents in utilizing the ropes to his advantage as he skillfully dodged and returned punches. He only had 10 losses over his 92-fight career and never was stopped inside the ring.
The three-weight world champion was recently asked to name his best pound-for- pound fighters in the boxing scene of today. His rankings were different from the generally agreed top three of Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, and Naoya Inoue, fighters renowned for their amazing success in becoming two-time undisputed champions in the four-belt era.
Toney ranked Terence Crawford as the best on an interview with Title Sports Network. Many, nevertheless, were surprised by his second and third slot choices. Second on his list was two-time super-middleweight champion David Benavidez, then hard-hitting Gervonta Davis at number three.
Benavidez and Davis both have perfect records and provide different approaches to the ring. Renowned for his persistent, high-volume approach that usually overwhelms his opponent before the last bell, Benavidez has recently turned his focus from chasing a fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to stepping up to light-heavyweight, where he is now the mandatory challenger for the forthcoming undisputed winner of the clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
On the other hand, Gervonta “Tank” Davis doesn’t depend on volume to guarantee success. Though generally seen as one of the toughest hitters in relation to his weight division, Davis has only gone the distance twice during his 30-fight career. Right now he holds the WBA Lightweight World Title.
Boxing fans have expressed their surprise with Toney’s absence from the list, as a four-weight world champion known for his power despite participating in competing in lower weight classes and Usyk, who has overcomed the odds by becoming undisputed in both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Usyk’s achievements, especially his triumphs over bigger rivals like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, have confirmed his rank among the best in the sport. Later this year, he is scheduled to rematch Fury in a bid to preserve his unbeaten perfect.
