• The Ring “2003 Fighter of the Year”
• Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) cruiserweight world champion
• Former IBF super middleweight world champion, three successful defenses
• Former IBF middleweight world champion, six successful defenses
• Former United States Boxing Association (USBA) light heavyweight champion
• The Ring “1991 Fighter of the Year”

Born on Aug. 24, 1968, in Ann Arbor, Mich., and raised on the perilous streets of East Grand Rapids, Mich., James Toney seems to have been raising hell—one way or another—for as long as anyone can remember.

An outstanding all-around athlete, Toney was a football player good enough to receive scholarship offers from both Michigan State and Western Michigan. Unfortunately, he tarnished his image after he punched a loud mouth named Deion Sanders during a football training camp. Clearly, his future was in boxing.

After compiling a 33-2 amateur record, “Lights Out” turned professional at age 20 in October 1988 and quickly built a reputation as a highly skilled, big-punching terror. In two-and-one-half-years, Toney had compiled a record of 25-0-1 (with 18 knockouts) to earn a shot at the IBF middleweight belt worn by then-undefeated Michael “Second To” Nunn.

On May 10, 1991, the challenger fell behind on the cards, but hunted down the quick-footed Nunn until he finally bagged his prey in the 11th round by technical knockout to win his first world championship at only 22.

In an amazing streak over the next six months of 1991, Toney successfully defended the IBF title against Reggie Johnson on June 29; Francesco Dell ‘Aquila on Oct. 12; and Mike McCallum on Dec. 13. All totaled, Toney had fought six times in 1991, including victories over undefeated Merqui Sosa on Jan. 13 and Alberto Gonzalez on March 31.

For his efforts, Toney was rewarded with The Ring Magazine’s “1991 Fighter of the Year.”

The seemingly invincible Toney moved up to 168 pounds and won the IBF title by scoring a ninth-round technical knockout over Iran Barkley at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Feb. 13, 1993.

Toney continued to be one of the most active champions in boxing and was considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport. He was still undefeated at 44-0-2, and it appeared could do no wrong. And then, like so many great ones, he loss focus.

A deal was reached to fight undefeated Olympian Roy Jones Jr. on Nov. 18, 1994, in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. It was clear that Toney was already in trouble even though he was favored to win.

Six weeks before the scheduled meeting, Toney weighed 212 pounds—44 pounds over the 168-pound weight limit. Four days before the fight, he still had 18 pounds to go. And while he somehow reached the limit, the weak, dehydrated fighter who stepped into the ring in no way resembled the “Lights Out” Toney who had devastated so many opponents.

On the move for 12 rounds, Jones ultimately out-boxed the champion to win the IBF title and hand Toney his first defeat.

``Everyone said, `James, pull out of the fight,' '' said Toney, referring to the days leading up to the fight. ``I said, `it doesn't matter. I'll get this guy.' Everyone said, `Postpone it. We ain't in shape.'

``And as soon as the bell rang, it became a track meet. I wasn't in shape, but Jones couldn't knock me out. If he was the best fighter in the world, as people once thought, he should've knocked me out.'' Toney's once-shimmering career was suddenly in disarray. And he shouldn't have been surprised.

Toney ate all day and drank all night. No longer was he the proverbial gym rat who worked day and night to reach the pinnacle of his sport, erroneously believing that he could beat the world's best fighters on natural ability alone.

On top of that, his personal life had soured. A split with manager Jackie Kallen, a messy divorce and a civil suit filed against his mother had made him miserable.

In the summer of 1997, Toney withdrew.

``Everyone said, `You're gonna do this, you're gonna do that,' '' Toney said. ``They never asked, `What does James want? How is his health?' Even though I'm a man, I always tried to make everyone happy but myself.''

So what did Toney do? He was happy to eat and drink to his heart's content until he'd ballooned to 275 pounds. He didn't fight for almost two years and didn't miss it.

``It got to the point that I didn't even watch any fights, didn't even look at a (boxing) magazine,'' Toney said. ``I didn't care. I was enjoying life, having a jolly-good time.''

That might've been the end of Toney the fighter if it weren't for his profound devotion to his children.
After more than two years away from the sport, all “Lights Out” needed was a whiff of a gym and the inspiration of a television commentator to get back to his first love.

``One day I was watching some fight,'' Toney said. ``A guy was talking about the best fighters, the fighters with the best skills, and they didn't mention my name. They talked about Roy Jones like he was the greatest thing since sliced cheese. He does everything wrong in the sport of boxing. He has no skills.

``When I was younger, I fought the best fighters out there. I didn't fight them when they were old. I fought them when they were in their prime, all the best guys in the division. And I stopped them.”

This time, Toney surrounded himself with people whom he believed had his best interest at heart.

Toney works with International Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. His assistant trainer and manager is John Arthur. Old friend Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions served as his promoter.

``It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that if Toney got motivated, if he sacrificed, worked hard in the gym, he'd be able to reap the dividends,'' Goossen said. ``Obviously, he is still a very talented fighter and has that big name. And now, for whatever reason, Toney understands what it was that was preventing him from giving his heart and soul to the sport. He knows getting older for him only means getting better.”

Toney returned with a vengeance. Campaigning at cruiserweight, he went on a 10-fight winning streak from 1999 to 2002 that culminated in Goossen delivering him another shot at an IBF world title against undefeated cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov. Toney, as always, made the most of his opportunity and boxed his way to a 12-round unanimous-decision on April 26, 2003. As unexpected as his victory over Jirov had been, Toney shocked the world again by moving up to heavyweight six months later on Oct. 4, 2003, to take on the first and only man to have won world heavyweight titles on four separate occasions, Evander Holyfield.

Toney silenced his critics in the ninth round by becoming only the third fighter to knock down Holyfield. He then scored a TKO shortly thereafter when Holyfield’s corner threw in the towel.

The staggering accomplishments garnered Toney a mea culpa of sorts from those in the media who doubted him and his old school boxing resurgence when he was named the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring Magazine’s 2003 Fighter of the Year. Just when it looked like things could not get any better for Toney, he displayed the heart of a champion in September 2004 when he fought through a torn bicep and triceps muscle in his left arm suffered in the first round to outpoint undefeated Rydell Booker in a WBC heavyweight title elimination bout. With the victory, Toney became the WBC No. 1 heavyweight contender.

Toney now had what he coveted most: a world heavyweight title shot against two-time WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz on April 30, 2005, in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Again, Toney made the most of his opportunity.

Ruiz gave Toney everything that made him such a tough fighter to beat yet Toney easily won a 12-round unanimous decision. After watching Toney shake off his best shots with ease for 12 rounds, Ruiz was so deflated that he retired.

The only thing that could derail Toney was the positive test for steroidal substances. Toney vehemently denied the charge. The win became a no decision. Toney received another crack at a world title against WBC heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. on March 18, 2006. As he had done with so many others previously, Toney took Rahman to school and always seemed to give more than he received in the exchanges.

Viewed against Toney’s rotund frame, Rahman’s chiseled physique seemed to have earned him style points. Many true adherents of the sweet science credo of “hit and don’t get hit” marveled at Toney’s performance.

By his own admission, Toney admitted that if he had eaten a little less and not smoked as many cigars leading up to the fight, he would have clearly beaten Rahman because he would not have run out of steam late in the fight when he needed to close the show.

As it turned out, Rahman and Toney fought to a draw. One judge had the champion winning by a laughable score of 117-111, while the two remaining judges scored it a more plausible 114 apiece. Rahman said the challenger showed him looks he had never seen before.

Toney had been so impressive at heavyweight that he didn’t have to wait long for the hottest young prospect in boxing, Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, to come looking for a fight. At just 25, Peter squared off with the “old school” master at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles Sept. 2, 2006, on SHOWTIME. The match had the additional intrigue of being an elimination bout to determine who would become the mandatory challenger to the WBC heavyweight champion.

The young Nigerian surprised everyone by showing boxing skills to go with his proven punching power. Their first meeting was an action-packed affair that featured excellent exchanges and few clinches.

Toney felt Peter’s power on a number of occasions, and may have been wobbled a time or two, but it was difficult to tell with any certainty. After the full 12 rounds, the one thing that was evident was that Toney had given another in a long line of boxing lessons. He had been in better shape, too, and traded blows with his younger opponent all the way to the final bell.

While Peter won the contest by a very controversial split decision, the WBC Board of Governors voted 21 to 10 on Sept. 26, 2006 in favor of an immediate rematch. In their ruling, the WBC cited divided opinions among the media and fans - not to mention the judges. Two scored the match for Peter 116-111, while the final judge had it 115-112 for Toney.
In the rematch with Peter, January 6, 2007, Toney lost a decision.  Toney's most recent victory was on May 24, 2007 against Danny Batchelder, in a bout that both contestants were suspended for a positive test.

When not fighting, Toney has become a fixture as a popular guest commentator on Fox Sports Network’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period.” Just recently, Toney has his own signature cigar (a Cuban seed with a Nicaraguan leaf) in California called “Lights Out.” In addition, Toney has a bio-doc reality show in production.

On Dec. 20, 2005, the flamboyant Toney married his longtime fiancée, Anjanette Corulli, at a poolside ceremony in Cancun, Mexico. The couple has five children: daughters Jasmine Toney, Morgan Corulli, twins Brittany and Tiffany Toney, son's James Toney, Jr. and Jaden James Toney.