James Toney sheds 58lbs, hunts interim belt tonight in Moscow

Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor

‘Lights out’ meets Russian Lebedev

Four-weight world champion James ‘Lights Out’ Toney (73-6-3, 44 KO's) has boiled down to cruiserweight for the first time in eight years after he successfully made the 200lb limit for his bout with Russian Denis Lebedev in Moscow tonight.

Toney, 43, last fought in February when dominating heavyweight Damon Reed over ten rounds and weighing in at his heaviest ever weight of 257lbs. The American has been hard in training on and off over the past few months and stepped it up for his eight-week camp to shed a considerable amount to weigh in at 199lbs on the scales last night.

Opponent Lebedev (22-1, 17 KO's), who came in at 197.5lbs, is on the back of a career-best win over an aging Roy Jones Jr. and the 32 year-old is hoping to add another marquee name to his list as he attempts to win a rematch with WBO belt holder Marco Huck.

'Kaptn' Huck took a controversial points decision over the southpaw in December 2010 and could be targeted along with WBA champion Guillermo Jones by the victor for a challenge in 2012.

The Tragedy of Billy Collins Jr.

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor Collins after the fight Williams Ray Collins Jr. or Billy Collins Jr. as he became known, was born to a boxing father in Antioch, Tennessee in 1961. His father William Sr, once fought Welterweight Champion Curtis Cokes and wanted his boy to follow in his footsteps, so decided to train Billy himself. Collins Jr. turned pro in 1981, a welterweight, just like his father before him and impressively won his first 14 professional contests, 11 by knockout with eight inside the first three rounds. It was 1983 and Billy was matched up against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto on the undercard of Roberto Duran v Davey Moore at Madison Square Garden in a ten rounder. Resto wasn’t known for his punching power but Billy took a sustained beating for the full ten rounds, his face, badly damaged and his eyes were almost shut. After the fight, which Resto won on decision, Billy’s father shook Resto’s hand and noticed there wasn’t much padding in his gl...

The Ring Magazine P4P Top 10 compared to WBN's P4P Top 10

World Boxing News pound for pound Top 10 (25/11/2011) 1. Manny Pacquaio (53-3-2) WBO Welterweight champion and WBC light-middleweight champion 2. Nonito Donaire (26-1) WBC and WBO bantamweight champion 3. Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0) 4. Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2) WBC and IBO light-heavyweight champion 5. Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1) WBA and WBO lightweight champion 6. Miguel Cotto (36-2-0) WBA "Super" light-middleweight champion 7. Sergio Martinez (47-2-2) 8. Wladimir Klitschko (55-3-0) WBO and IBF heavyweight champion 9. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (80-3-1) WBC flyweight champion 10. Chris John (44-0-2) WBA “super” world featherweight champion Do you agree or disagree? Have your say on the WBN Facebook wall at http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Boxing-News/134654593225151

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (picure by boxrec.com) After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway. One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie ga...

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