Name	Saint Denis of Paris |birth_date3rd century AD
Death date	c. 250, 258, or 270
Feast day	October 9
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Birth place	Italy
Death place	Montmartre, Paris, France
Titles	Bishop and Martyr
Attributes	carrying his severed head in his hands; a bishop's mitre; city; furnace
Patronage	France; Paris; against frenzy, strife, headaches, hydrophobia, possessed people, rabies
Major shrine	Saint Denis Basilica }}

Saint Denis (also called Dionysius, Dennis, or Denys) is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250. After his head was chopped off, Denis is said to have picked it up and walked ten kilometres (six miles), preaching a sermon the entire way, making him one of many cephalophores in hagiology. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as patron of Paris, France and as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The medieval and modern French name "Denis" derives from the ancient name Dionysius.

Life

Gregory of Tours states that Denis was bishop of the Parisii and was martyred by being beheaded by a sword. The earliest document giving an account of his life and martyrdom, the ''"Passio SS. Dionysii Rustici et Eleutherii"'' dates from c. 600, is mistakenly attributed to the poet Venantius Fortunatus, and is legendary. Nevertheless, it appears from the ''Passio'' that Denis was sent from Italy to convert Gaul in the third century, forging a link with the ''"apostles to the Gauls"'' reputed to have been sent out under the direction of Pope Fabian. This was after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian community at Lutetia. Denis, with his inseparable companions Rusticus and Eleutherius, who were martyred with him, settled on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine. Roman Paris lay on the higher ground of the Left Bank, away from the river.

Martyrdom

Denis, having alarmed the pagan priests by his many conversions, was executed by beheading on the highest hill in Paris (now Montmartre), which was likely to have been a druidic holy place. The martyrdom of Denis and his companions is popularly believed to have given it its current name, derived from the Latin ''mons martyrium'' ''"The Martyrs' Mountain"'', although in fact the name is more likely to derive from ''mons mercurei et mons martis'', ''Hill of Mercury and Mars''. After his head was chopped off, Denis is said to have picked it up and walked ten kilometres (six miles) to the summit of Mont Mars (now Montmartre), preaching a sermon the entire way, making him one of many cephalophores in hagiology. Of the many accounts of this martyrdom, this is noted in detail in the ''Golden Legend'' and in Butler's ''Lives Of The Saints''. The site where he stopped preaching and actually died was marked by a small shrine that developed into the Saint Denis Basilica, which became the burial place for the kings of France. Another account has his corpse being thrown into the Seine, but recovered and buried later that night by his converts.

Veneration

Veneration of Saint Denis began soon after his death. The bodies of Saints Denis, Eleutherius, and Rusticus were buried on the spot of their martyrdom, where the construction of the saint's eponymous basilica was begun by Saint Geneviève, assisted by the people of Paris. Her ''Vita Sanctae Genovefae'' attests the presence of a shrine near the present basilica by the close of the fifth century, though the names of Rusticus and Eleutherius are non-historical. The successor church was erected by Fulrad, who became abbot in 749/50 and was closely linked with the accession of the Carolingians to the Merovingian throne.

In time, the ''"Saint Denis"'', often combined as ''"Montjoie! Saint Denis!"'' became the war-cry of the French armies. The oriflamme, which became the standard of France, was the banner consecrated upon his tomb. His veneration spread beyond France when, in 754, Pope Stephen II, who was French, brought veneration of Saint Denis to Rome. Soon his ''cultus'' was prevalent throughout Europe. Abbot Suger removed the relics of Denis, and those associated with Rustique and Eleuthére, from the crypt to reside under the high altar of the Saint-Denis he rebuilt, 1140-44.

The feast of Saint Denis was added to the Roman Calendar in the year 1568 by Pope Pius V, though it had been celebrated since at least the year 800. St Denis' feast day is celebrated on October 9.

In traditional Catholic practice, Saint Denis is honored as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Specifically, Denis is invoked against diabolical possession and headaches and with Sainte Geneviève is one of the patron saints of Paris.

Companions

9 October is celebrated as the feast of Saint Denis and also of his companions, a priest named Rusticus and a deacon, Eleutherius, who were martyred alongside him and buried with him.

Confusion with Dionysus the Areopagite

Since at least the ninth century, the legends of Dionysus the Areopagite and Denis of Paris have been often confused. Circa 814, Louis the Pious brought certain writings attributed to Dionysus the Areopagite to France, and since then it became common among the French legendary writers to prove that Denis of Paris was the same Dionysus who was a famous convert and disciple of Saint Paul. The confusion of the personalities of Saint Denis, Dionysus the Areopagite, and pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, the author of the writings ascribed to Dionysius brought to France by Louis, was initiated through an ''Areopagitica'' written in 836 by Hilduin, Abbot of Saint-Denis, at the request of Louis the Pious. "Hilduin was anxious to promote the dignity of his church, and it is to him that the quite unfounded identification of the patron saint with Dionysius the Areopagite and his consequent connexion with the apostolic age are due." Scholars might still argue for an Eastern origin of the Basilica of Saint-Denis in the sixteenth century: one was Godefroi Tillman's long preface to a paraphrase of the ''Letters'' of the Areopagite, printed in Paris in 1538 by Charlotte Guillard. Historiographers of the present day do not dispute this point.

Depiction in art

Denis' headless walk has led to his being depicted in art decapitated and dressed as a Bishop, holding his own mitred head in his hands. Handling the halo in this circumstance poses a unique challenge for the artist. Some put the halo where the head used to be; others have Saint Denis carrying the halo along with the head. Even more problematic than the halo was the issue of how much of his head Denis should be shown carrying. Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the Abbey of St Denis and the canons of Notre-Dame Cathedral were in dispute over ownership of the saint's head. The Abbey claimed that they had the entire body, whilst the Cathedral claimed to possess the top of his head which, they claimed, had been severed by the executioner's first blow. Thus while most depictions of St Denis show him holding his entire head, in others, the patrons have shown their support for the Cathedral's claim by depicting him carrying just the crown of his skull, as, for example in the mid 13th century window showing the story at Le Mans Cathedral (Bay 111).

Notes

Further Reading

External links

The Life, Miracles and Martyrdom of St. Denis (Dionysius, Dennis, Denys) Bishop & Martyr of the Church

Catholic Encyclopedia: ''St. Denis''

St. Denis and Companions provides information about their feast on October 9

Category:250 deaths Category:3rd-century births Category:3rd-century bishops Category:3rd-century Christian martyr saints Category:Bishops in Gaul Category:Bishops of Paris Category:Christian martyrs of the Roman era Category:Fourteen Holy Helpers Category:Saints of the Golden Legend Category:Cephalophores Category:Gallo-Roman saints

be:Дыянісій Парыжскі ca:Dionís de París cs:Svatý Diviš cy:Denis de:Dionysius von Paris et:Denis es:Dionisio de París eo:Denizo de Parizo fr:Denis de Paris ko:파리의 디오니시우스 id:Denis it:Dionigi di Parigi he:דיוניסיוס הקדוש ht:Denis la:Dionysius Parisiensis hu:Szent Dénes nl:Dionysius van Parijs ja:パリのディオニュシウス pl:Święty Dionizy pt:São Denis ru:Дионисий Парижский sc:Dionisi simple:Saint Denis sh:Denis fi:Pyhä Dionysius sv:Dionysius (helgon) th:นักบุญเด็นนิส tr:Denis uk:Діонісій Паризький

Name	Roy Jones, Jr.
Realname	Roy Jones Jr.
Nickname	JuniorSupermanRJCaptain Hook
Height
Reach
Weight	Light HeavyweightHeavyweightSuper MiddleweightMiddleweight
Nationality	American
Birth date	January 16, 1969
Birth place	Pensacola, Florida, USA
Death date
Death place
Style	Orthodox
Total	62
Wins	54
Ko	40
Losses	8
Draws	0
No contests	0
Medaltemplates	}}

Roy Jones, Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American boxer. As a professional he has captured numerous championships in the Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a junior middleweight, and go on to win a heavyweight title. He is also noted for holding the WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, NABF, WBF, and IBA light heavyweight championships; a record seven belts at the same time. Jones left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years. Jones was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Boxing career

Amateur career

Jones won the 1984 United States National Junior Olympics in the weight division, the 1986 United States National Golden Gloves in the division and the 1987 United States National Golden Gloves in the division. As an amateur, he ended his career with a 121-13 record.

Jones represented the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where he won the silver medal. He dominated his opponents, never losing a single round en route to the final. His participation in the final was met with controversy when he lost a 3-2 decision to South Korean fighter Park Si-Hun despite pummeling Park for three rounds, landing 86 punches to Park's 32. Allegedly, Park himself apologized to Jones afterward, and the referee told Jones that he was dumbstruck by the judge's decision. One judge shortly thereafter admitted the decision was a mistake, and all three judges voting against Jones were eventually suspended. An official IOC investigation concluding in 1997 found that three of the judges were wined and dined by South Korean officials. This led to calls for Jones to be awarded a gold medal, but the IOC still officially stands by the decision, despite the allegations. Jones was awarded the Val Barker trophy as the best stylistic boxer of the 1988 games, which was only the third and to this day the last time in the competition's history when the award did not go to one of the gold medal winners. The incident led Olympic organizers to establish a new scoring system for Olympic boxing.

Professional career

On turning professional, he had already sparred with many professional boxers, including NABF champion Ronnie Essett, IBF world champion Lindell Holmes and Sugar Ray Leonard. Jones began as a professional on May 6, 1989, knocking out Ricky Randall in 2 rounds in Pensacola at the Bayfront Auditorium. For his next fight, he faced the more experienced Stephan Johnson in Atlantic City, beating him by a knockout in round eight.

Jones built a record of 15-0 with 15 knockouts before stepping up in class to meet former world welterweight champion Jorge Vaca in a Pay Per View fight on January 10, 1992. He knocked Vaca out in round one to reach 16 knockout wins in a row. After one more KO, Jones went the distance for the first time against future world champion Jorge Castro, winning a 10-round decision in front of a USA Network national audience.

Roy Jones vs Bernard Hopkins

Jones tomade his first attempt at a world title on May 22, 1993. He beat future undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins by unanimous decision in Washington, D.C. to capture the IBF middleweight championship. Jones claimed he had entered the bout with a broken right hand, but still managed to outpoint Hopkins and secure a unanimous decision win. Jones reminded the world of this claim on his hit single "Ya'll Must've Forgot" later in his career. While working for HBO as an analyst for Bernard Hopkins title defense against Simon Brown, Jones would admit on air that he was 16 pounds heavier than Hopkins on fight night, weighing 180 to Hopkins 163.

For his next fight, he fought another future world champion Thulane "Sugar Boy" Malinga, in a non-title affair. Jones beat Malinga by knockout in six. Jones finished the year with another win, beating Fermin Chirino by decision. In 1994, Jones beat Danny "Popeye" Garcia by knockout in six, then retained his world title against Thomas Tate in two rounds at Las Vegas on May 27.

Roy Jones vs James Toney

By this point in his career, Jones was considered one of boxing's top four "pound for pound" fighters. On November 18, 1994, he was set to face undefeated IBF super middleweight champion James Toney, #1 ranked "pound for pound" contender. Toney had gone undefeated in 46 bouts and was rated the best in the world. The Jones/Toney fight was ultra-hyped, and Jones for the first time in his career was the underdog.

Over the course of the 12-round unanimous decision, Jones demonstrated his greatness. He danced circles around Toney, scoring a flash knockdown in the third round. Ring magazine called Jones' performance the most dominant of any big fight in 20 years. Revelations that Toney was badly underprepared and dehydrated would surface in the days following the fight. Toney himself would reveal in an interview with Ring magazine that he had taken laxatives and diuretics the day of the weigh-in to make weight.

In 1995, Jones defended his super middleweight title successfully multiple times. He began the year by knocking out Antoine Byrd in round one. He faced former world lightweight champion Vinny Pazienza and defeated him in round six. He then beat Tony Thornton in round two by KO.

Career from 1996 to 2002

In 1996, Jones maintained his winning ways, defeating Merqui Sosa by knockout in two, and future world champion Eric Lucas in round 11. When he boxed Lucas, he became the first athlete to participate in two paid sports events on the same day. He had played a basketball game in the morning and defended his boxing title in Jacksonville, Florida that evening. He also held a press conference in the ring just before the fight, taking questions from a chair in the middle of the ring and defending his choice of Bryant Brannon as his opponenet instead of Frankie Liles, his nemesis from the amateurs. He then defeated Bryant Brannon in a round two TKO.

Roy Jones vs Mike McCallum

The 40 year old former multiple world champion and eventual hall of famer Mike McCallum was defeated by a wide decision in 12 rounds. Jones became a member of boxing's exclusive group of world champions in three weight divisions by winning the WBC light heavyweight championship. After Mike MacCallum lost the World Boxing Council light heavyweight crown to Roy Jones, he called Jones ``the greatest fighter of my time.'`

Roy Jones vs Montell Griffin I & II

In 1997 Jones had his first professional loss, a disqualification against Montell Griffin. Griffin was trained by the legendary Eddie Futch, who had taught him how to take advantage of Jones technical mistakes and lack of basic boxing fundamentals. Griffin jumped out to an early lead on Jones but by round 9 Jones was ahead on the scorecards by a point and had Griffin on the canvas early in round nine. But as Griffin took a knee on the canvas to avoid further punishment, Jones hit him twice. Subsequently, Jones was disqualified and lost his title. Jones sought an immediate rematch and regained the world light heavyweight title easily, knocking Griffin down within the first 2 minutes 31 seconds of the fight, then ending the fight by knocking Griffin out just over two minutes in with a leaping left hand shot.

In 1998, Jones began by knocking out former light heavyweight and future cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill (who had already lost his belts to WBO champion Darius Micalczewski) in four rounds at Biloxi, Mississippi with a huge right to the body that broke one of Hill's ribs. He followed that with a win against the WBA light heavyweight champion, Puerto Rico's Lou Del Valle, by a decision in 12 on July 18, to unify the WBC and WBA belts. Jones had to climb off the canvas for the first time in his career, as he was dropped in round eight, but continued to outbox Del Valle throughout the rest of the fight and gained a unanimous decision. Jones then followed with a defense against Otis Grant. He retained the crown by knocking Grant out in ten rounds.

Jones began 1999 by knocking out the WBC number one ranked contender at the time, Rick Frazier. After this, many boxing critics started to criticize Jones for fighting overmatched mandatories who few had ever heard of as well as his steadfast refusal to meet WBO champion Darius Michaczewski in a unification bout. Jones answered these calls on June 5 of that year, when he beat the IBF's world champion, Reggie Johnson, by a lop-sided 12-round decision to add that belt to the WBC and WBA belts he already owned in the division. Jones dropped Johnson hard in the second round, but backed off and allowed Reggie to finish the fight.

2000 began with Jones easily beating the hard-punching David Telesco via a 12 round decision on January 15, at Radio City Music Hall to retain the light heavyweight world championship. Jones reportedly fractured his wrist a few weeks before this fight and fought almost exclusively one-handed. He entered the ring surrounded by the famous group of dancers, The Rockettes. His next fight was also a first-time boxing event for a venue, as he traveled to Indianapolis and retained his title with an 11-round TKO over Richard Hall at the Conseco Fieldhouse. Jones ended the year with a 10-round stoppage of undefeated Eric Harding in New Orleans.

In 2001, Jones released ''Round One: The Album'', a rap CD. That year he retained the title against Derrick Harmon by a knockout in ten, and against future world champion Julio César González of Mexico by a 12-round unanimous decision.

In 2002, Jones retained his title by knocking out Glen Kelly in seven rounds. Jones then defeated future world champion Clinton Woods by technical knockout. He performed a song from his CD during his ring entrance.

WBA Heavyweight Champion

On March 1, 2003, in Las Vegas, Roy Jones defeated John Ruiz, the man who defeated an aging Evander Holyfield, for the WBA heavyweight title. Jones officially weighed in at and Ruiz at . Jones became the first former middleweight title holder to win a heavyweight title in 106 years, though many historians refuse to recognize the accomplishment because Lennox Lewis was the true and lineal champion at the time of the bout. Jones also became the first fighter to start his career as a junior middleweight and win a heavyweight title.

Jones vs. Tarver

On November 8, 2003, Jones came back down to the light heavyweight division to fully duplicate Bob Fitzsimmons' feat from 1896. He regained the light heavyweight championship belt by beating Antonio Tarver. And by doing this, he became the second boxer in history to win a heavyweight title, then regain the light heavyweight title. Jones appeared a lot weaker after coming back down to the light heavyweight division, losing the muscle he gained for the heavyweight fight seemed to have taken a toll on his aging body and his cat-like reflexes appeared diminished. Jones won by majority decision, the judges giving him 117-111,116-112 and 114-114.

Fall From Grace

Jones vs. Tarver II & Jones vs. Glen Johnson

On May 15, 2004, Jones faced Tarver in a rematch. Jones was heavily favored to win, but Tarver knocked him down at 1:41 of the second round. Jones had won the first round (Tarver only landed two punches in the first round), but in the second, as Jones tried a combination, he was caught by a big counter left hook from Tarver. Jones got on his feet by the count, but for the first time in his career was ruled unable to continue by referee Jay Nady.

On September 25, 2004, Jones attempted to win the IBF light heavyweight title from Glen Johnson in a match in Memphis, Tennessee. Johnson knocked out Jones 49 seconds into the ninth round. Jones lay on the canvas for three minutes after being counted out. Johnson was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the knockout (77-75, 77-75, 78-74) and had landed 118 punches to Jones's 75. Jones used the ring's canvas that night as a billboard for his upcoming rap CD, which came out on November the 1st.

Jones vs Tarver III

After almost a year away from the ring, focusing on training and working as an analyst for HBO Boxing, Jones scheduled a third fight with Antonio Tarver, on October 1, 2005, at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, which aired on HBO PPV. For only the second time in his career, Jones was considered an underdog going into the fight. Tarver won by unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 116-112).

Fallout with HBO

After the loss in the third Tarver bout, Jones resumed his duties as a commentator for ''HBO World Championship Boxing'', calling the Floyd Mayweather Jr-Sharmba Mitchell fight on November 19, 2005, and the Jermain Taylor-Bernard Hopkins rematch on December 3, 2005. His return to the network was short lived, as Jones was let go from his ringside analyst role in January 2006. HBO cited his reported lack of commitment to attending the network's production meetings.

Comeback Trail

Back to winning ways

Jones took on Prince Badi Ajamu on July 29, 2006, at the Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho. Jones defeated Ajamu by a unanimous decision, winning the NABO light heavyweight title.

Next up for Jones was the undefeated Anthony Hanshaw, on July 14, 2007, at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hanshaw was knocked down in the 11th round. Jones won the bout by unanimous decision and in doing so won the IBC light heavyweight title.

Félix Trinidad

On January 19, 2008, Jones faced former 147 and 154 pound five-time world champion Félix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout was fought at a catchweight of 170 lbs. Jones had a noticeable size and speed advantage, and in round seven, a short right hand to the temple dropped Trinidad to his knees. Jones fired a combination in the tenth round to send Trinidad down once more. Jones won the fight by scores of 117-109 and 116-110 (twice). This was the first time a former heavyweight champion returned to fight successfully at 170 lbs.

Joe Calzaghe

After Joe Calzaghe's split from promoter Frank Warren, it was officially announced that Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe had reached an agreement to fight for the The Ring light heavyweight championship in New York City at Madison Square Garden on September 20, 2008 on HBO PPV. However, Calzaghe claimed injury to his right hand in training, so the fight had to be postponed a couple of weeks, with November 8 being set as the new date. Calzaghe was knocked down by an accidental forearm and cut on the bridge of the nose in the first round. Calzaghe resumed control almost immediately and dominated Jones throughout the remainder of the fight. Calzaghe toyed with Jones and mocked him from the center of the ring, daring Jones to try and hit him and then countering with fast combinations. The Welshman opened a cut over Jones' left eye. Jones' corner, who had never seen Roy cut before, didn't know how to properly handle the situation. Blood covered the left side of Jones' face. Ultimately Jones lost by unanimous decision, winning only 2 rounds on the 3 official judges cards.

Recent fights (2009)

Jones defeated Omar Sheika on March 21, 2009, via fifth-round technical knockout. Despite Sheika having won 27 of his 35 professional bouts, including a defeat of Glen Johnson, who had knocked out Jones in 2004. On August 15, 2009, Jones beat former super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy in 10 rounds after Lacy's corner stopped the fight. Lacy had never been knocked out or stopped before.

In December 2009, Roy Jones was set to face Australian boxer Danny Green in Sydney, Australia. In the weeks leading up to this fight, there were reports in the newspapers indicating difficulties getting Roy's sparring partners into Australia. Then on December 2, 2009, following an extensive pre-fight delay due to hand wrap protests, Danny Green defeated Jones in a first round TKO

Roy Jones vs Bernard Hopkins II

Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins met in a rematch bout, on April 3, 2010 in Las Vegas. After 12 foul-filled, uneventful rounds, Hopkins was awarded with a unanimous decision.

Loss to Denis Lebedev

On May 21, Jones travelled to Russia to face Denis Lebedev, who had just come off a controversial split decision loss to Marco Huck. Weighing in at 198 lbs, Jones looked slow and old. Despite this, he gave a decent showing and was heading for at least a majority decision loss at the beginning of the 10th round. However with less than 20 seconds remaining, Lebedev landed a big right followed by an uppercut. Jones, having bent down holding his head and in no position to continue, was then hit by a final big right hand as Steve Smoger hesitated to stop the fight. Jones lay on the canvas for several minutes before getting up.

Professional boxing record

|- |align="center" colspan=8|54 Wins (40 knockouts), 8 Losses, 0 Draws |- | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res. | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rnd. Time | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center |Loss |54–8 |align=left| Denis Lebedev | | | |align=left| Krylatskoe Sport Palace, Moscow, Russia |-align=center |Loss | 54–7 |align=left| Bernard Hopkins | | | |align=left| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} | |-align=center |Loss | 54–6 |align=left| Danny Green | | | |align=left| Acer Arena, Sydney, New South Wales}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 54–5 |align=left| Jeff Lacy | | | |align=left| Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 53–5 |align=left| Omar Sheika | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Loss | 52–5 |align=left| Joe Calzaghe | | | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York, New York}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 52–4 |align=left| Félix Trinidad | | | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York, New York}} | |-align=center |Win | 51–4 |align=left| Anthony Hanshaw | | | |align=left| Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 50–4 |align=left| Prince Badi Ajamu | | | |align=left| Qwest Arena, Boise, Idaho}} |align=left| |-align=center |Loss | 49–4 |align=left| Antonio Tarver | | | |align=left| St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Loss | 49–3 |align=left| Glen Johnson | | | |align=left| FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee}} |align=left| |-align=center |Loss | 49–2 |align=left| Antonio Tarver | | | |align=left| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 49–1 |align=left| Antonio Tarver | | | |align=left| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 48–1 |align=left| John Ruiz | | | |align=left| Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 47–1 |align=left| Clinton Woods | | | |align=left| Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 46–1 |align=left| Glen Kelly | | | |align=left| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 45–1 |align=left| Julio César González | | | |align=left| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 44–1 |align=left| Derrick Harmon | | | |align=left| Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 43–1 |align=left| Eric Harding | | | |align=left| New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 42–1 |align=left| Richard Hall | | | |align=left| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 41–1 |align=left| David Telesco | | | |align=left| Radio City Music Hall, New York, New York}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 40–1 |align=left| Reggie Johnson | | | |align=left| Grand Casino Biloxi, Biloxi, Mississippi}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 39–1 |align=left| Richard Frazier | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 38–1 |align=left| Otis Grant | | | |align=left| Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 37–1 |align=left| Lou Del Valle | | | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York, New York}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 36–1 |align=left| Virgil Hill | | | |align=left| Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi}} |-align=center |Win | 35–1 |align=left| Montell Griffin | | | |align=left| Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut}} |align=left| |-align=center |-align=center |Loss | 34–1 |align=left| Montell Griffin | | | |align=left| Trump Taj Mahal Casino & Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey}} |align=left| |-align=center |-align=center |Win | 34–0 |align=left| Mike McCallum | | | |align=left| Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 33–0 |align=left| Bryant Brannon | | | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York, New York}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 32–0 |align=left| Eric Lucas | | | |align=left| Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 31–0 |align=left| Merqui Sosa | | | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York, New York}} | |-align=center |Win | 30–0 |align=left| Tony Thornton | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 29–0 |align=left| Vinny Pazienza | | | |align=left| Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 28–0 |align=left| Antoine Byrd | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 27–0 |align=left| James Toney | | | |align=left| MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 26–0 |align=left| Thomas Tate | | | |align=left| MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 25–0 |align=left| Danny Garcia | | | |align=left| University of West Florida Field House, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 24–0 |align=left| Fermin Chirino | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 23–0 |align=left| Thulani Malinga | | | |align=left| Casino Magic, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi}} | |-align=center |Win | 22–0 |align=left| Bernard Hopkins | | | |align=left| Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington D.C., Washington}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 21–0 |align=left| Glenn Wolfe | | | |align=left| Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 20–0 |align=left| Percy Harris | | | |align=left| Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey}} |align=left| |-align=center |Win | 19–0 |align=left| Glenn Thomas | | | |align=left| Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 18–0 |align=left| Jorge Castro | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 17–0 |align=left| Art Serwano | | | |align=left| Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada}} | |-align=center |Win | 16–0 |align=left| Jorge Vaca | | | |align=left| Paramount Theatre, New York, New York}} | |-align=center |Win | 15–0 |align=left| Lester Yarbrough | | | |align=left| Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 14–0 |align=left| Kevin Daigle | | | |align=left| Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 13–0 |align=left| Eddie Evans | | | |align=left| Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 12–0 |align=left| Ricky Stackhouse | | | |align=left| Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 11–0 |align=left| Reggie Miller | | | |align=left| Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 10–0 |align=left| Rollin Williams | | | |align=left| Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 9–0 |align=left| Tony Waddles | | | |align=left| Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 8–0 |align=left| Ron Johnson | | | |align=left| Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 7–0 |align=left| Knox Brown | | | |align=left| Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 6–0 |align=left| Billy Mitchem | | | |align=left| Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida}} |-align=center |Win | 5–0 |align=left| Joe Edens | | | |align=left| County Fairgrounds, Mobile, Alabama}} | |-align=center |Win | 4–0 |align=left| David McCluskey | | | |align=left| Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 3–0 |align=left| Ron Amundsen | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} | |-align=center |Win | 2–0 |align=left| Stephan Johnson | | | |align=left| Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey}} | |-align=center |Win | 1–0 |align=left| Ricky Randall | | | |align=left| Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida}} |

Personal life

Roy Jones, Jr., was born in Pensacola, Florida, to two very different parents. His mother, Carol, was warm and easy-going, whereas his father, Roy Sr., was much like a Marine Drill Instructor with respect to his son. A decorated Vietnam veteran, ex-club fighter, and retired aircraft engineer who had taken up hog farming, Roy Sr. was hard on his son from early on, taunting the child, ``sparring'` with him, enraging Roy Jr., yelling at him, and beating the child, often for 20 minutes at a time. This behavior never really changed; if anything it became more brutal as Roy Jr. grew up. Many people would call the father's treatment out-and-out abuse, but he believed he had a good reason for it: to make Roy Jr. tough enough to be a champion. In this pursuit, he was relentless, and Roy Jr. lived in constant fear of his father's verbal and physical violence against him.

Jones described his childhood in Sports Illustrated: ``After a while I didn't care about gettin' hurt or dyin' anymore. I was in pain all day, every day, I was so scared of my father. He'd pull up in his truck and start lookin' for something I'd done wrong. There was no escape, no excuse, no way out of nothin'. ... Getting' hurt or dyin' might've been better than the life I was livin'. ... Used to think about killin' myself anyway.'` There's no way to know whether or not Jones would have become a world champion fighter without this extremely punitive upbringing, but there's little question it toughened the young man.

Roy Sr. ran his own boxing gym, to which he devoted all his available time and financial resources. He offered direction and useful discipline to numerous youths, and steered many of them away from trouble. Roy Sr. did everything possible to expand the program and help more kids. But towards his own son he was merciless, driving Roy Jr. to the brink of exhaustion, screaming at him in front of all the other fighters, assaulting him. Roy Sr.'s father had been a hard-working laborer, and had been tough on him the way he was on Roy Jr. But Jones, the world champion boxer, will not continue this line of treatment. He is very attuned to others' anguish; on his web site, he says, ``What gets [me] down?'` is watching other people be hurt and mistreated.'` It is a feeling he has known very well.

Using his birds as an image for his own predicament, Jones said in the same Sports Illustrated piece: ``I spent all my life in my dad's cage. I could never be 100 percent of who I am until I left it. But because of him, nothing bothers me. I'll never face anything stronger and harder than what I already have.'` Jones' father, with his overbearing and overwhelming personality, had created a powerful craving in the boxer—the need to become his own man.

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman said Jones "hits like a heavyweight and moves like a lightweight"

Boxer Montell Griffin who faced Jones twice at 175 lbs, and sparred with Floyd Mayweather Jr at 140 lbs said, "Floyd was no comparison as far as speed. Roy was much faster".

In 1996, High Frequency Boxing's John DiMaio wrote ``The early evidence points toward the real possibility that Jones is the greatest talent this sport has ever seen. His skill so dwarfs that of his nearest ranked opposition...that providing competitive opponents is a more challenging dilemma than the fights themselves.'` The expert opinion of Boxing magazine's editor, Bert Sugar, is provided on Jones' website: ``He possesses the fastest hands in boxing with lightning fast moves and explosive power in both hands.'` After Mike MacCallum lost the World Boxing Council light heavyweight crown to Roy Jones in a 1996 unanimous decision, he called Jones ``the greatest fighter of all time.'`

Awards

Selected Awards: Ring Sports Magazine—1993 Fighter of the Year; 1995 Man of the Year; 1996 Sportsman of the Year. Ring, Boxing Illustrated, and Boxing Scene magazines—1994 Fighter of the Year. International Boxing Federation—1995 Fighter of the Year and 1995 Fighter of Unlimited Potential. ESPN ESPY Award—1995 Boxer of the Year. The Sports Network-Boxer of the Decade. Boxing Illustrated's Budweiser ratings, June 1995 onward—Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World. March of Dimes—1995 Honorary Chairman. KO—1996 Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and 1996 Best Fighter in the World. Congress of Racial Equality—1996 Outstanding Achievement Award. American Association for the Improvement of Boxing (the Marciano Foundation)--1996 Humanitarian of the Year. Boxing 1996—Best Pound-for Pound Fighter in the World. Harlem Globetrotters—Honorary Ambassador of Goodwill (1997). Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission—1997 Olive Branch Award, for humanitarianism.

Music career

Name	Roy Jones, Jr.
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Roy Lavesta Jones, Jr.
Origin	Pensacola, Florida, United States
Birth date	January 16, 1969
Genre	Hip hop, Southern Hip Hop, Crunk, Dirty South
Occupation	Boxer, rapper, actor, promoter, sports commentator
Years active	2001–present
Label	Body Head Entertainment }}

Jones started his rap music career in 2001 with his album, titled ''Round One: The Album'' and the debut single, "You all Must've Forgot". In 2004, Jones formed a group - Body Head Bangerz and released an album. The album, ''Body Head Bangerz: Volume One'', featured B.G., Juvenile, Bun B of UGK, Petey Pablo, Lil' Flip, and Mike Jones among others.

Discography

Album

Album information
	*Released: February 26, 2002	*Label: Body Head Entertainment	*Last RIAA Certification: None	*Singles: "Y'all Must've Forgot", "And Still"

with Body Head Bangerz

Album information
	*Released: October 26, 2004	*Label: Body Head Entertainment	*Last RIAA Certification: None	*Singles: "Can't Be Touched", "I Smoke, I Drank (Remix)"

Solo singles

2001: "Y'all Must've Forgot"

2001: "And Still"

2009: "Battle of the Super Powers"

Featured singles

2004: "Can't Be Touched"

Filmography

''Married... with Children'', Torch Song Duet (1996) - himself ''The Devil's Advocate'' (1997) - uncredited ''New Jersey Turnpikes'' (1999) - unknown ''The Wayans Brothers'', Rope-a-Dope (1999) - himself ''The Matrix Reloaded'' (2003) - Captain Ballard ''Enter The Matrix'' (2003) - Captain Ballard ''Cordially Invited'' (2007) - Lenny Banks ''Universal Soldier: A New Dimension'' (2012)

References

External links

Roy Jones Jr's Official Blog

Roy-Jones.net

Roy Jones Jr. Fight-by-Fight Career Record

Boxing-Encyclopedia

"One Tough Bird" - a 1995 ''Sports Illustrated'' feature article by Gary Smith.

{{s-ttl | title = WBC Light Heavyweight Champion | years = Nov 08 2003 – May 15, 2004 }} {{s-ttl | title = WBA Light Heavyweight Super Champion | years = Nov 08 2003 – May 15, 2004 }} {{s-ttl | title = The Ring Light Heavyweight Champion | years = 2001 – May 15, 2004 }}

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:African American boxers Category:Boxers from Florida Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:Light-heavyweight boxers Category:Super-middleweights boxers Category:Middleweight boxers Category:American sportspeople in doping cases Category:Doping cases in boxing Category:Olympic boxers of the United States Category:Boxers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:People from Pensacola, Florida Category:African American rappers Category:Southern hip hop musicians Category:Rappers from Florida Category:International Boxing Federation Champions Category:World Boxing Association Champions Category:World Boxing Council Champions Category:Olympic medalists in boxing

be:Рой Джонс bg:Рой Джоунс-младши de:Roy Jones junior es:Roy Jones, Jr. fr:Roy Jones Jr. it:Roy Jones Jr. ja:ロイ・ジョーンズ・ジュニア pl:Roy Jones Jr. pt:Roy Jones Jr. ru:Джонс, Рой simple:Roy Jones, Jr. fi:Roy Jones Jr. sv:Roy Jones, Jr. th:รอย โจนส์ จูเนียร์

name	James Toney
birth name	James Nathaniel Toney
birth date	August 24, 1968
birth place	Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States
death date
other names	Lights Out
nationality	American
height
weight	160–257 lb
weight class	Heavyweight (MMA) HeavyweightSuper-cruiserweightCruiserweightLight HeavyweightSuper MiddleweightMiddleweight
reach
style	Boxing
stance	Orthodox
fighting out of	Sherman Oaks, California
trainer	Juanito Ibarra Freddie Roach Bill Miller Buddy McGirt Greg Owens
years active	22 (1988-''present'')
box win	73
box kowin	44
box loss	6
box koloss	0
box draw	3
box nc	2
mma win	0
mma loss	1
mma subloss	1
am win	31
am kowin	29
am loss	2
am koloss	0
boxrec	1437
sherdog	60940
updated	February 26. 2011 }}

James Nathanial Toney (born August 24, 1968) is an American professional boxer who currently fights in the heavyweight division. A champion of 6 weight divisions, a world champion in 3 weight divisions and has held a total of 12 titles, Toney also now competes in mixed martial arts.

Biography

Boxing career

Toney's amateur boxing record is 33 fights, 31 wins and 2 losses with 29 KOs. He won the 1983 and 1984 West Michigan Division Junior Title (156 lb), 1987 Novice Golden Gloves in Manchester (156 lb), 1987 Michigan Silver Gloves (156 lb) and 1988 Ohio State Fair (156 lb)

Toney had his first professional fight on October 26, 1988, beating Stephen Lee by a technical knockout in the second round. He was scouted and trained by Gregory Owens as a teenager, who also was his trainer through the mid-nineties. His moniker of "Lights Out" was also given by either Gregory or his son.

On March 10, 1989, his manager Johnny "Ace" Smith was killed outside of the Page One Bar in Detroit. Jackie Kallen then became his manager. He won the Michigan Middleweight title in 1990, knocking out Philip Morefield in the 1st round.

A draw with Sanderline Williams was the first blemish on Toney's record, although he beat Williams by unanimous decision three months later and in early 1991 he beat Merqui Sosa in a minor upset, between the two top-10-rated contenders. This win propelled Toney to a title shot at the IBF Middlewight championship, with this hard-earned 12-round points victory.

Middleweight champion

Toney's unbeaten run landed him his coveted title shot at the IBF Middleweight title against the best of the title holders at the time, Michael "Second to" Nunn, in May 1991. Nunn dominated the relatively inexperienced Toney over the first 10 rounds with his excellent boxing skills. In an unusually aggressive performance, there were many heated exchanges, but in the 11th round, with time running out for the young Toney, he dropped Michael Nunn to the canvas. The fight was stopped and Toney was the champion.

Toney continued a regular fight program over the next 18 months at middleweight, before outgrowing the division, where he made several successful yet disputed defenses, outpointing Dave Tiberi in a split decision, outpointing Glenn Wolfe and tough Reggie Johnson and a draw and a win against Mike "The Body Snatcher" McCallum, in two evenly and heated contests.

Super Middleweight champion

Toney moved up to the 168 lbs Super Middleweight division, a weight Toney felt would be to his advantage, after struggling to make the Middleweight limit of 160 lbs.

On February 13, 1993, he challenged Iran Barkley for his IBF Super Middleweight title. After a dominating performance by Toney, the bout was stopped after 9 rounds by Barkley's trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, due to Barkley suffering severe swelling around both eyes. With Toney now a title holder at 168 lbs, alongside Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and his old nemesis Michael Nunn, the division was now one of the strongest in boxing.

Toney remained one of the most active boxers in the sport, winning five mark-time fights throughout 1993, then defeating Tony "The Punching Postman" Thornton in his 1st title defense in October, via a landslide points victory. In his second defense, Toney beat the 24-0 Tim Littles by a 4th round KO. During this bout, Toney suffered a bad cut which caused the referee and ringside doctor to intervene before round 4, allowing him one more round to try to end the fight. His next defense was against former IBF Light Heavyweight champion Prince Charles Williams, whom he knocked out in the 12th and final round. This win paved the way for his fight with Roy Jones, Jr..

The fight was Jones' first at Super Middleweight; Jones vacated his Middleweight belt to challenge Toney on November 18, 1994. The fight was the biggest and most anticipated fight of the year with Jones and Tony ranked highly in the pound-for-pound rankings going into the fight. Toney was fancied to win by many experts due to his superior level of competition he'd faced up to this point.

Jones won a landslide decision over Toney, an upset at the time, taking Toney apart and briefly flooring Toney for the first time with a flash knockdown in the 3rd round. After the fight Toney blamed making the weight for his flat performance and the loss of his cherished unbeaten record. It was his last fight at the weight.

His next fight after losing his title to Roy Jones saw him lose to Montel Griffin at light heavyweight in February 1995. After then winning a series of fights at light heavyweight, cruiserweight, and even heavyweight, he again faced Montel Griffin in December 1996 and once again lost a close decision. He beat old foe Mike McCallum in February 1997, but then lost to journeyman Drake Thadzi in his next fight.

Cruiserweight champion

In August 2002, Toney beat Jason Robinson in an IBF Cruiserweight title elimination fight. This set up a fight between Toney and the champion, Vassiliy Jirov. After a postponement, the fight happened on April 26, 2003. Going into the 12th and final round, with the scores fairly even and the fight in the balance, Toney knocked the undefeated Jirov down in the 12th. The Kazakh rose from the canvas to go to the distance, but Toney got the judges verdict and was now a three-weight World Champion.

For Toney's performance he was awarded comeback of the year and named fighter of the year. Immediately afterward, Toney moved up to heavyweight.

Heavyweight

Even when Toney was a middleweight, he insisted that he would one day be the heavyweight champion of the world. His October 4, 2003, victory over aging former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was Toney's entry into the heavyweight division. After a shaky first round, Toney picked the Atlanta legend apart with shots to the body and head before stopping him in the 9th round.

On April 30, 2005, he defeated John Ruiz by a unanimous decision in a 12-round match for the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight Championship. However, Toney failed his post-fight drug test, testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. This led to the New York Athletic Commission changing the bout's official outcome to a "no-contest", deducting the win from Toney's career record and banning him from boxing for 90 days. The WBA ordered that Ruiz be reinstated as its champion and that Toney be ineligible for another WBA Heavyweight title shot for two years. Toney defended himself by claiming that the steroids were given to him by a doctor to treat an injured arm that occurred during his victory over Rydell Booker in his previous fight. Toney was also subject to a civil lawsuit by Ruiz claiming that Toney's illegal use of steroids gave him an edge in the fight.

In his bout after the Ruiz fight, Toney won a unanimous decision victory over former heavyweight contender Dominic Guinn. Toney next fought against Hasim Rahman on March 18, 2006, for the WBC Heavyweight title. The result was a twelve-round majority draw and Toney weighed a career-high 237 lb for his lackluster performance.

Toney's next two outings were losses to Samuel Peter. The first fight was held in Los Angeles, California on Sept 2, 2006. Toney lost by split decision. The return bout was held in Hollywood, Florida, on January 6, 2007, and Toney once again lost to Peter, this time by unanimous decision. Both fights were WBC eliminator bouts for the belt held by Oleg Maskaev.

Toney returned to action in May 2007 and won a ten-round split decision over Danny Batchelder. Following the bout, Toney once again tested positive for boldenone and stanozolol and was fined $2500 and banned from boxing for a year, Toney appealed the suspension and it was reduced to 6 months after he appeared before the CSAC and claimed he didn't knowingly take any steroids and suggested that he was set up and someone had tampered with his water bottle.

On July 16, 2008, Toney's rematch against Hasim Rahman was stopped in the third round. An accidental Clash of Heads to the outside of Rahman's brow opening a cut above Rahman's left eye to the inside of the brow leading to the stoppage. Rahman told the ring doctor he could not see, the ring doctor then stopped the fight. Initially, the fight was called as a TKO win for Toney, but this was overruled by the California State Athletic Commission and the fight was declared no-contest. Rahman went on to fight Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, IBO and WBO Heavyweight titles in his next fight and James Toney went on to fight Fres Oquendo.

Toney's next bout came on December 13, 2008, against Fres Oquendo. Oquendo was penalized 1 point in round eight for a rabbit punch, which would prove to be the deciding factor in the fight. Toney won a close split decision. On September 12, 2009, James fought heavyweight fighter Matthew Greer (12–5–0 11KO) at the Pechanga Resort & Casino. James won via TKO victory in round two.

On February 24, 2011, Toney made his return to boxing when he successfully defended his IBA Heavyweight Championship against Damon Reed. Toney won a ten round unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 100-90. For this bout Toney weighed in at a career high of 257 lbs.

Mixed martial arts career

Toney was spotted in attendance at UFC 108 on January 2, 2010, which led to talks between him and UFC President Dana White regarding fighting in the organization. On March 3, it was confirmed by White that the two had agreed and signed a multifight deal with the company.

To help his transition into MMA, Toney was coached by trainer Juanito Ibarra. Toney was later coached by Trevor Sherman.

vs. Couture

His first fight was against Hall of Famer and former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight champion, Randy Couture at UFC 118 on August 28. Toney was easily taken down to the mat within 15 seconds into the bout and at 3:19, Couture locked Toney into an arm triangle, forcing Toney to submit. Toney was released from his contract with the UFC.

Altercation with 'Rampage' Jackson

After UFC 123, which was held in Detroit, Toney shared some unfavoring words against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, stating; "If they want to sell any tickets in Detroit, they should put me on there. Bitch ass Rampage can't sell no tickets in my hometown." Rampage stated on HDNet's Inside MMA that he would like to fight James Toney because he was running his mouth about Jackson not being able to sell tickets and that Toney could beat Jackson. Jackson also stated that if this fight was to happen, he would not be afraid to stand up with Toney and will knock him out.

vs. Shamrock

He is now set to fight UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, in a special rules bout, in which there will be 8 three minute rounds instead of the traditional 3 five minute rounds. There will also be a '30 second stand-up rule' which means if the fight goes to the ground, after 30 seconds the referee will stand up the fighters. The time will be held if a submission hold is in place, and it will continue if the hold is broken or released. Despite these new rules giving Toney more of an advantage, it was Ken Shamrock who suggested it, saying it will make the fight more fun to watch.

The proposed special rules mixed martial arts match between UFC veteran Ken Shamrock and boxing world champion James Toney is being targeted for November. Ivaylo Gotzev, one of the fight’s promoters, advised MMAWeekly.com of the month targeted for the unique bout. In addition, Gotzev and his partners are nearing finalization of the venue, which could be in one of two American states or out of the country. “(We’re looking at) two different states and, actually, going outside of the country,” Gotzev said. “We’re zeroing in right now, but it’s going to be November.”

Personal life

James Toney co-starred as Joe Frazier in the 2001 film ''Ali''.

Honors

Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1991 and 2003

''The Ring'' magazine Comeback of the Year fighter for 2003.

Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year for 1991 and 2003

Championships

Boxing

International Boxing Council

*IBC Middleweight title (1 title defense)

International Boxing Federation

*IBF Middleweight title (6 title defenses)

*IBF Super Middleweight title (3 title defenses)

*IBF Cruiserweight title

World Boxing Union

*WBU Light Heavyweight title (3 title defenses)

*WBU Cruiserweight title

*WBU Continental Cruiserweight title

International Boxing Organization

*IBO Cruiserweight title

International Boxing Association

*IBA Super Cruiserweight title

*IBA Heavyweight title (twice, 2 title defenses)

World Boxing Council

*WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight title

North American Boxing Organization

*NABO Heavyweight title

Professional boxing record

|- |align="center" colspan=8|73 Wins (44 knockouts, 29 decisions), 6 Losses (0 knockouts, 6 decisions), 3 Draws, 2 No Contests |- | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Result | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Round | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center |Win |73-6-3 |align=left| Damon Reed |UD |10 |02/24/2011 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |72-6-3 |align=left| Matthew Greer |KO |2 |12/09/2009 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |71-6-3 |align=left| Fres Oquendo |SD |12 |13/12/2008 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |style="background:#ddd;"|NC |70-6-3 |align=left| Hasim Rahman |NC |3 |16/07/2008 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |70-6-3 |align=left| Danny Batchelder |SD |10 |24/05/2007 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |69-6-3 |align=left| Samuel Peter |UD |12 |06/01/2007 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |69-5-3 |align=left| Samuel Peter |SD |12 |02/09/2006 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw |69-4-3 |align=left| Hasim Rahman |MD |12 |18/03/2006 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |69-4-2 |align=left| Dominick Guinn |UD |12 |01/10/2005 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |style="background:#ddd;"|NC |68-4-2 |align=left| John Ruiz |ND |12 |30/04/2005 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |68-4-2 |align=left| Rydell Booker |UD |12 |23/09/2004 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |67-4-2 |align=left| Evander Holyfield |TKO |9 |04/10/2003 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |66-4-2 |align=left| Vassiliy Jirov |UD |12 |26/04/2003 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |65-4-2 |align=left| Jason Robinson |KO |7 |18/08/2002 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |64-4-2 |align=left| Michael Rush |TKO |10 |31/05/2002 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |63-4-2 |align=left| Sione Asipeli |UD |10 |22/03/2002 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |62-4-2 |align=left| Wesley Martin |TKO |3 |30/07/2001 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |61-4-2 |align=left| Saul Montana |TKO |2 |29/03/2001 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |60-4-2 |align=left| Courtney Butler |TKO |3 |03/11/2000 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |59-4-2 |align=left| Terry McGroom |MD |10 |21/01/2000 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |58-4-2 |align=left| Ramon Garbey |UD |10 |08/10/1999 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |57-4-2 |align=left| Adolpho Washington |TKO |10 |30/07/1999 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |56-4-2 |align=left| Terry Porter |TKO |8 |07/03/1999 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |55-4-2 |align=left| Steve Little |UD |12 |14/06/1997 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |54-4-2 |align=left| Drake Thadzi |MD |12 |14/05/1997 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |54-3-2 |align=left| Mike McCallum |UD |12 |22/02/1997 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |53-3-2 |align=left| Montell Griffin |UD |12 |06/12/1996 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |53-2-2 |align=left| Duran Williams |TKO |9 |09/08/1996 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |52-2-2 |align=left| Charles Oliver |UD |10 |03/07/1996 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |51-2-2 |align=left| Earl Butler |TKO |4 |14/05/1996 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |50-2-2 |align=left| Richard Mason |UD |10 |01/03/1996 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |49-2-2 |align=left| Greg Everett |KO |2 |08/12/1995 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |48-2-2 |align=left| Ernest Mateen |DQ |5 |09/09/1995 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |47-2-2 |align=left| Freddie Delgado |TKO |5 |18/06/1995 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |46-2-2 |align=left| Anthony Hembrick |RTD |5 |30/04/1995 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |45-2-2 |align=left| Karl Willis |TKO |8 |20/03/1995 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |44-2-2 |align=left| Montell Griffin |MD |12 |18/02/1995 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |44-1-2 |align=left| Roy Jones, Jr. |UD |12 |18/11/1994 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |44-0-2 |align=left| Charles Williams |KO |12 |29/07/1994 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |43-0-2 |align=left| Vinson Durham |UD |10 |18/05/1994 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |42-0-2 |align=left| Tim Littles |TKO |4 |05/03/1994 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |41-0-2 |align=left| Anthony Hembrick |TKO |7 |16/01/1994 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |40-0-2 |align=left| Tony Thornton |UD |12 |29/10/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |39-0-2 |align=left| Larry Prather |UD |10 |24/08/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |38-0-2 |align=left| Danny Garcia |TKO |6 |29/07/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |37-0-2 |align=left| Glenn Thomas |UD |10 |06/06/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |36-0-2 |align=left| Ricky Thomas |TKO |10 |17/04/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |35-0-2 |align=left| Govoner Chavers |TKO |9 |23/03/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |34-0-2 |align=left| Iran Barkley |RTD |9 |13/02/1993 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |33-0-2 |align=left| Doug DeWitt |RTD |6 |05/12/1992 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |32-0-2 |align=left| Mike McCallum |MD |12 |29/08/1992 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |31-0-2 |align=left| Ricky Stackhouse |TKO |3 |26/05/1992 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |30-0-2 |align=left| Glenn Wolfe |UD |12 |11/04/1992 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |29-0-2 |align=left| Dave Tiberi |SD |12 |08/02/1992 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw |28-0-2 |align=left| Mike McCallum |PTS |12 |13/12/1991 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |28-0-1 |align=left| Francesco Dell'Aquila |TKO |4 |12/10/1991 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |27-0-1 |align=left| Reggie Johnson |SD |12 |29/06/1991 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |26-0-1 |align=left| Michael Nunn |TKO |11 |10/05/1991 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |25-0-1 |align=left| Alberto Gonzalez |TKO |5 |31/03/1991 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |24-0-1 |align=left| Merqui Sosa |SD |12 |13/01/1991 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |23-0-1 |align=left| Jose Carlos Da Silva |TKO |5 |10/12/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |22-0-1 |align=left| Sanderline Williams |UD |10 |16/10/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |21-0-1 |align=left| Kevin Brazier |TKO |2 |24/08/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw |20-0-1 |align=left| Sanderline Williams |PTS |10 |26/07/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |20–0 |align=left| Ricardo Bryant |TKO |4 |27/06/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |19–0 |align=left| Horacio Rene Brandan |KO |2 |23/05/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |18–0 |align=left| Jose Luis Esteven |TKO |5 |27/04/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |17–0 |align=left| Toby Tyler |TKO |4 |05/04/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |16–0 |align=left| Philip Morefield |KO |1 |01/03/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |15–0 |align=left| Danny Thomas |UD |8 |20/01/1990 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |14–0 |align=left| Joe Johnson |KO |4 |29/11/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |13–0 |align=left| Ron Amundsen |UD |10 |13/11/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |12–0 |align=left| Robert Clinton |KO |1 |26/10/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |11–0 |align=left| Ricardo Simpson |KO |2 |12/10/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |10–0 |align=left| Joe Summers |TKO |2 |21/09/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |9–0 |align=left| Lemark Davis |UD |6 |07/09/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |8–0 |align=left| Mark Stephens |TKO |2 |07/09/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |7–0 |align=left| Steve Chaney |KO |1 |06/06/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |6–0 |align=left| Arthur Willis |SD |4 |02/05/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |5–0 |align=left| James Fernandez |UD |4 |16/02/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |4–0 |align=left| Sammy Jenkins |TKO |4 |17/01/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |3–0 |align=left| Carl Penn |KO |1 |10/01/1989 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |2–0 |align=left| Ronnie Yoe |KO |1 |06/12/1988 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |1–0 |align=left| Stephen Lee |TKO |2 |26/10/1988 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center

Mixed martial arts record

|- |align=center| |align=center| | Ken Shamrock |align=center| |align=center| |November, 2011 |align=center| |align=center| |El Paso, Texas, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|0–1 | Randy Couture |Submission (arm-triangle choke) |UFC 118 | |align=center|1 |align=center|3:19 |Boston, Massachusetts, United States |MMA debut.

References

External links

James Toney's Official Website

FightFan.com: Inside James Toney's Training Camp

James Toney Fight-by-Fight Career record

James Toney on entering into MMA

{{s-ttl| title = IBF Middleweight Champion | years = May 10, 1991 – February 13, 1993Vacated }} {{s-ttl| title = IBF Super Middleweight Champion | years = February 13, 1993 – November 18, 1994 }}

{{s-ttl| title=IBF Cruiserweight Champion| years=April 26, 2003 – September 2003Vacated}}

{{s-ttl| title=IBA Heavyweight Champion| years=September 23, 2004 – September 2, 2006}}

{{s-ttl| title=NABO Heavyweight Champion| years=December 13, 2008 – August 13, 2009Stripped}}

{{s-ttl| title=IBA Heavyweight Champion| years=December 13, 2008 – July 23, 2011Stripped}}

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:American boxers Category:African American boxers Category:Boxers from Michigan Category:Middleweight boxers Category:Super-middleweights boxers Category:Light-heavyweight boxers Category:Cruiserweight boxers Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:American mixed martial artists Category:African-American mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists from Michigan Category:Heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:American sportspeople in doping cases Category:Doping cases in boxing Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:International Boxing Federation Champions

de:James Toney es:James Toney fr:James Toney it:James Toney ja:ジェームズ・トニー no:James Toney pl:James Toney pt:James Toney ru:Тони, Джеймс fi:James Toney uk:Джеймс Тоні

Name	Enzo Maccarinelli
Realname	Enzo Maccarinelli
Nickname	Big Mac
Weight	Cruiserweight
Nationality	Welsh|
Birth date	August 20, 1980
Birth place	Swansea, Wales
Style	Orthodox
Total	37
Wins	32
Losses	5
Ko	25

Enzo Maccarinelli (born 20 August 1980 in Swansea, Wales) is a Welsh professional boxer who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is regarded as a heavy hitter within the division, with a high knock out percentage. He is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Union (WBU) world champion and also briefly held the European cruiserweight title. He is promoted by Frank Warren.

Early career

It is thought that Enzo Maccarinelli once trained in Colin Jones' gym which is situated behind a shed at the bottom of one of Swansea's most famous resident's garden.

On 12 May 2000, Maccarinelli suffered his first defeat at the hands of southpaw Lee Swaby. Swaby, from Lincoln, England, sent Maccarinelli down with a crushing right hand, knocking Maccarinelli down in the third round. Maccarinelli never took the rematch against Swaby.

On 28 June 2003, Maccarinelli, known as "the Big Mac" won the vacant WBU cruiserweight title when he defeated Bruce Scott by fourth-round TKO. He made seven successful defences of his WBU title before vacating.

On 8 July 2006, Maccarinelli fought against former World Boxing Council (WBC) cruiserweight champion Marcelo Fabian Domínguez for the WBO interim cruiserweight title. Maccarinelli won the title with a ninth-round TKO.The natural progression was a title fight against the then WBO title holder, Johnny Nelson. Due to the standard political reasons and also several injuries alleged by Nelson, this never transpired. On 22 September 2006, Johnny Nelson relinquished the WBO world cruiserweight title, and so Maccarinelli was promoted to full champion status.

On 14 October 2006 Maccarinelli made his first defence of the WBO title, stopping past opponent Mark Hobson in the first round in a fight that was widely expected to last the distance (as indeed the first fight between the pair had). This was followed by another first round win over Bobby Gunn on 7 April 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. The Gunn fight was stopped with just :25 seconds remaining in the first round by referee Mark Nelson, even though Gunn was not down and only had a small cut. It was widely and erroneously reported that Maccarinelli had broken Bobby Gunn's nose, but it was a small cut to the bridge of the nose that caused the bleeding. Gunn's nose was not broken and most observers at ringside thought the fight was stopped prematurely.

On 21 July 2007 Maccarinelli defended his WBO cruiserweight championship against former WBC champ Wayne Braithwaite and won by unanimous decision, after dominating the match. On 3 November 2007 Maccarinelli successfully defended his WBO cruiserweight title against Mohamed Azzaoui winning by TKO in the 4th Round.

'Bombs Away' and loss of title

Maccarinelli’s next fight was an all-British unification fight against the World Boxing Association (WBA)/WBC champion David Haye. The fight took place on 8 March 2008 at the O2 Arena, London and was much hyped in the weeks running up to the event, being given the tagline “bombs away” (referring to the high KO percentages and punching power both men boasted). Maccarinelli lost the fight and his WBO belt when he was knocked out in the 2nd round. A right hand by Haye knocked Maccarinelli down towards the end of the round and although he was able to get back up it was on unsteady legs and the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

After the fight Haye announced that he would be moving up to the heavyweight division with immediate effect and would therefore be vacating his newly won belts. Because of this Maccarinelli received an immediate opportunity to reclaim his WBO belt in a matchup against undefeated American Jonathon Banks for the now vacant championship, but due to injury Banks was forced to pull out. After several replacements were unable to fight Maccarinelli instead stepped up to heavyweight to face Matthew Ellis. Maccarinelli won after a 2nd round KO in what was his debut at the higher weight. After the fight Frank Warren announced that Maccarinelli would face Banks in a re-scheduled bout for the WBO belt during February 2009.

Once again the Banks fight proved to be a non starter (Banks opted to make an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to win the IBF cruiserweight title against Tomasz Adamek) and instead Maccarinelli’s next fight was against the American based Londoner Ola Afolabi for the “interim” WBO title. The fight took place on March 14 at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, on the undercard of the Amir Khan vs Marco Antonio Barrera bout. Maccarinelli was favoured by most observers to win, however things did not go as expected as Maccarinelli struggled in the early rounds and was staggered in the 3rd round by a short chopping right hand from the slick Afolabi. Despite managing to recover and win the majority of the next few rounds he was knocked out by Afolabi in round 9 when a huge overhand right put him on the canvas and forced the referee to call off the fight.

Lebedev fight, "retirement" and return

Maccarinelli’s next fight was against the unbeaten Russian Denis Lebedev on 18 July 2009. As with the Afolabi contest the fight took place at the M.E.N. Arena on the undercard of an Amir Khan fight, this time Khan’s WBA light-welterweight title challenge against Andreas Kotelnik. From the very beginning of the fight Maccarinelli struggled with the power of his opponent and by the end of the second round his right eye had swollen completely shut from the punches landed by Lebedev. In the third round Lebedev rocked Maccarinelli with an uppercut which landed cleanly through his guard and after a further barrage of unanswered punches the referee stepped in and called a stop to the fight.

Before the fight Maccarinelli had admitted that the contest represented “the last chance saloon” in terms of getting his career back on track, following 2 KO losses in his last 3 fights, and talking immediately after the defeat he hinted that this latest setback could signal the end of his boxing career. In an interview with his local paper a few days later Maccarinelli apparently confirmed his intention to retire from the sport, although he retracted this in a later interview with the same source.

Maccarinelli began his latest comeback attempt on another Amir Khan undercard, this time Khan's WBA Light-Welterweight title defence against on December 5 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. His opponent was the relatively unknown Hungarian journeyman Krisztian Jaksi. who provided little resistance and was knocked out in the 1st round. Maccarinelli managed a second consecutive 1st round KO victory against Hungarian opposition when he defeated Zoltan Czekus at the Echo Arena Liverpool on 13 March 2010.

EBU title shot

Following his two quick comeback wins Maccarinelli's next fight took place on 27 April 2010 when he fought Russian prospect Alexander Kotlobay in St Petersburg for the vacant European cruiserweight title. Despite now being the fighter that had to travel and fight on someone else's patch, Maccarinelli scored his third consecutive quick victory when he knocked Kotlobay down with an overhand right before the referee stepped in to end the fight at 2:15 of the first round. Highly regarded boxing pundit, Steve Bunce, regarded this feat as one of the fights of the year, especially considering the manner of Macaranelli's previous defeats.

His first defence of his newly won title came as part of Frank Warren's "Magnificent Seven" fight card, which took place on 18 September 2010 at the LG Arena in Birmingham. His opponent for this defence was the undefeated Ukrainian prospect Alexander Frenkel. Despite a tentative opening round Maccarinelli improved from then and managed to rock his opponent in the fourth round with a right hand. Despite a clash of heads in the sixth that led to a cut developing over his right eye, the fight still appeared to be going Maccarinelli’s way until he was knocked down heavily towards the end of round seven by a left hook from Frenkel. Despite managing to rise by the count of nine, he was extremely unsteady and appeared to be in no position to defend himself. Despite this the referee allowed the bout to continue only for it to be stopped a few seconds later when a three punch combination from Frenkel led to a second knockdown. The final blows were struck with such ferocity that Maccarinelli was knocked unconscious and required oxygen and medical attention before being able to leave the ring.

In the aftermath of this latest defeat there was heavy criticism from both journalists and fellow boxers (including former Maccarinelli opponent and former heavyweight champion David Haye) at the decision by the referee to allow the fight to continue after the first knockdown, when it was clear that Maccarinelli was in no position to defend himself.

As with the aftermath of the Afolabi and Lebedev defeats there have also been calls for Maccarinelli to retire from the ring, something which the boxer himself admitted to the press is a distinct possibility following his fourth KO loss in eight fights.

Comeback

Maccarinelli stated that he would be returning as a light heavyweight in 2011, but has not been scheduled to fight as of yet. He announced that he would be getting back together with his former trainer, Enzo Calzaghe.

Personal life

Maccarinelli considers himself a Britalian, someone born in Britain and of Italian heritage. Maccarinelli attended Bishop Vaughan Catholic School in Swansea. He studied there until sixth form but then carried on with his boxing career. He is married and a father. He is a passionate Swansea City supporter, and has appeared at the Liberty Stadium with his championship belts.

See also

List of cruiserweight boxing champions

Notes and references

External links

Enzo Maccarinelli - BoxRec Boxing Encyclopedia

Category:1980 births Category:Cruiserweight boxers Category:British boxers Category:Living people Category:People from Swansea Category:World Boxing Organization Champions Category:Welsh boxers Category:Welsh people of Italian descent Category:Welsh Roman Catholics Category:Italian British sportspeople

fr:Enzo Maccarinelli hu:Enzo Maccarinelli ja:エンゾ・マカリネリ pl:Enzo Maccarinelli ru:Маккаринелли, Энцо fi:Enzo Maccarinelli