Peter beats Toney

Los Angeles - Samuel Peter wobbled James Toney with overhand rights several times in the early rounds and went on to take a majority decision in their 12-round heavyweight fight on Saturday.

Peter, from Nigeria, seemed to lose steam on his punches after building an early lead, and the 38-year-old Toney began landing some combinations and effective counterpunches of his own.

There were no knockdowns.

Despite losing a point for cuffing Toney on the ears with both hands during a clinch in the ninth round, Peter won by scores of 116-111 on the cards of judges Alejandro Rochin and Richard Flaherty. Judge Gale Van Hoy favoured Toney 115-112.

Peter, at 1.85 metres had a 10 centimetre height advantage on Toney and landed hard rights to the top of his head in each of the first two rounds. Toney staggered, but was able to back into the ropes and stay on his feet.

Toney began his career as a middleweight in the early 1990s and has held three IBF titles.

Although Toney's belly was hanging over his belt and jiggled when he moved around the ring, he seemed to have more energy in the later rounds than his opponent did.

Peter has a 27-1 record, with 22 knockouts. His lone defeat was by 12-round decision to Wladimir Klitschko last September.

Toney, fighting for the sixth time as a heavyweight, lost for the first time since 1997 when he was a cruiserweight

Toney faces Nigerian in heavyweight bout

"I am going to prove that I am going to be the true heavyweight champion of the world," he said.

First, Toney must prove he can beat Samuel Peter, a relatively unknown Nigerian, in a scheduled 12-round bout Saturday night at the Staples Center.

Aiming for a shot at the WBC title held by Oleg Maskaev, the 38-year-old Toney will take a 69-4-3 record, with one no-decision and 43 knockouts, into the fight.

The no-decision ended Toney's brief stint as a heavyweight champion. After winning a 12-round decision over champion John Ruiz on April 30, 2005 at Madison Square Garden, Toney tested positive for steroids. The WBA stripped him of the title and gave it back to Ruiz.

Toney said the test result was caused by drugs given to him after surgery for an Achilles' tendon injury, but it still cost him the title.

Peter is 26-1 with 22 knockouts. At 6-foot-1 and 257 pounds, he is some four inches taller and 24 pounds heavier than Toney.

All that doesn't seem to worry Toney, who gradually beefed up from the 160 pounds he weighed in the early 1990s and will be fighting his sixth heavyweight bout.

"I have been in with the best fighters in the world, better fighters than him. Whatever he has got to do is not going to be enough," Toney said. "If I do not knock him out, I will have him destroyed by the end of the fight."

Said Peter: "I know Toney has been there for a long time, being a former world champion. But it is definitely time for him to quit."

Toney, unbeaten since he was decisioned by Drake Thadzi at 179 pounds in 1997, is coming off a 12-round draw with then-WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman on March 18. Maskaev stopped Rahman in the 12th round on Aug. 12 to take the title.

Toney's other heavyweight bouts were a ninth-round knockout of Evander Holyfield in 2003, and decisions over Rydell Booker and Dominick Guinn.

"I am a complete fighter," said Toney, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks. "Everybody wants to keep saying I am a boxer. I do not box. I fight. That is what I do."

The 25-year-old Peter's most recent fight was a first-round knockout of Julius Long on April 28, and his lone defeat was a 12-round decision loss to Wladimir Klitschko last September. Peter's ring resume consists mostly of obscure opponents.

"I have got to prove myself," he said.

On the undercard, champion Eric Aiken will put his IBF featherweight title on the line against Robert Guerrero. Aiken (16-4, 12 knockouts) is from Washington, D.C., and Guerrero (18-1-1, 11 knockouts) is from Gilroy, Calif.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 

Robot  Villager

# 1 ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 01.09.2006 23:09

DoubleWahala  Villager

# 2 I'm rooting for Peter. He is very powerful, but relatively inexperienced. This is what caused his defeat at the hands of Klinshko, some months ago. I admire his tenacity however. That 38 year-old Toney guy is only still doing it for the money and nothing else. I hope Peter sends him into a well-deserved retirement. :mad: DW Posted by DoubleWahala| 02.09.2006 00:14

otito  Villager

# 3 Wish the Nigerian bloke all the very best. OTITO Posted by otito| 02.09.2006 16:08