Looks like this fight has been signed!

Wlad shouuld Dominate...
If The Rock can land that right hand then it could get interesting!

Its kinda funny but sad!

They were trying to land Chris Arreola but Chris's management turned it down (which was probably smart at this point)

Tune up for Wlad...

I think this will be a better fight than anybody expects!

NOBODY is expecting anything from Rock at this point.....so in that since, coupled with his age....he HAS to know this will without doubt be his last shot.

I think he is a better opponent than Povetkin despite the age and recent outings.....while I would like to eventually see how Povetkin fares with Wlad....I just thought now was way too soon in his career for that test.

Put Povetkin in with McCline to test his ability with a huge guy.

I could see Rock going all out balls to the wall like he did with Meehan and giving us a little excitement if not an upset.

I for one hope he pulls a homerun miracle out of his ass and wins.....IMHO....he deserves it....time after time after time he has failed himself....it would be nice to see him get one more unexpected, unlikely win before he closes his career.

Chris Arreola might possibly be the fighter I hate most right now..He doesn't deserve a shot but I'd want to have him exposed to everyone for the joke he is..What happened with Povetkin??Rahman only will be decent if he does a lot of jabbing..I'd rather see Wlad and James Toney fight than Rahman..I'd wanna see if the impossible is possible(KOing Toney)..Hell,we might see Vitali get Toney..Toney and Rahman have a sorry ass fight and now I bet they are both lookin at title shots..I'd really want to see Toney in there with a Klitchko though..He talks a lot of shit about em and I'd really wanna see how he does against em..His height will help him be more elusive against one of em I think..Yet,if he gets hit,it'd be wayyy worse for him than if he was taller since the weight would be coming down harder on the big shots..

James Toney has to get by Tony Thompson first! That will not be easy.

Based upon what I saw against Toney, Wlad is going to knock Rahman out - and I suspect it will happen before the 6th round.

Im thinking it could be earlier!

Maybe 3rd or 4th... It will look like Lewis Rahman II

I think that will be the general view....and rightfully so.

BUT....I still never feel 100% with Wlad and anybody with some pop and some decent skill.

This is why I feel Rock should just go out and go nuts.....BUT...I'm sure he will try to utilize his very good jab....but unless he gets extreamly aggrissive with Wlad....I don't see him winning down the stretch.

Does anybody know wht happened to Povetkin?

I think Rahman charged Meehan because he just had no respect for him...as soon as he gets stood up by a jab, and felt a hook off of it, I suspect that aggression would subside. I don't know, I just think Rahman is kind of lazy now.

He may go in there, try to let the right hand go, realize he has nothing for Wlad, and fall into the mode of holding on the inside, and trying not to get beat up on the outside.

As for Povetkin, he suffered a foot injury...I think he is on the shelf for a couple of months.

What amuses me most though Johnny is that James would actually WANT to get in there with either Klit.

I don't think either of his great middleweight contemporaries HardNard nor Roy, despite the fact they've had much more stellar careers, would ever consider getting in the ring with either brother (regardless of what Roy says).

How the fuck Rahman gets another shot though is beyond me. Toney wobbled him significantly in their last fight so I would wager his chances against a true hard punching heavyweight at this point in his career are approximately none.

I think Rahman along with Ruiz would have to be the two most eco-friendly boxers around today. It's garbage you can keep on recycling and recycling and recycling..........

It's a shame Toney is older and fat now but he LIVES, eats and shits boxing. You see how he is in the gym when he;s sparring...he will really spar anyone. James is the most fun fighter to watch in the Heavyweight division..it's fun to watch his defensive/counter puncher skills but as much as I like him he can't beat either of the Klit brothers...In fact, he'd get dominated.

Unfortunately agreed. I'd give him a slim chance against Wladimir just cause he's been possiblly a little mentally weak in the past and absolutely no chance against Vitali.

True..I think Thompson is better than how he is percieved..He's pretty crafty and is definitely not the easiest guy to hit..Him and Toney should make for a good fight as long as Toney FINALLY comes into a fight in shape..

Also,what do you guys think about Toney possibly getting KO'd by either Klitchko??Do you think it's possible??

I can't believe...nor have I ever believed how ANYBODY has ever seen JT as a real threat in the HW division. He has been a total sham at HW.


I will bet my entire mortgage and bank account he gets his ass beat in VS either Klit.....and I am not a fan of the Klitchkos....it's just basic common sense. A 40 year old, short, ZERO power at HW, FAT James Toney is NOT going to be able to do enough for 12 rounds to beat a huge guy like Wlad or Vitali.

I've been BEGGING them to toss hm in with them for years now.....just to shut the masses up.

Although I will admit....some of his followers have come to their senses since the Peter fights.

Ha ha tell that to Evander Holyfield.

And despite being grossly overweight for the Rahman fight, with Rahman being in the best shape I'd seen him in in years, he still clobbered Hasim with plenty of overhand rights (lucky to get the draw though).

He beat Ruiz (ok got the timing of his roid program a little mixed up) and I thought won a close but clear first fight against Peter whom many pundits were trying to make out to be some kind of monster.

Yeah he wouldn't go too well against the Klit's but plenty of 'real heavyweight' guys don't go so well against them either.

I personally think it's remarkable that a former middleweight champion was even competitive against some very legitimate heavyweight fighters/champions.

Hell apart form that half arsed slip against Peter he hasn't even been badly stunned enough to end up on the canvas.

I'd say that apart from the Klit's James stood a chance to beat anyone during his campaign up there. As for now? I think his time may have passed but during that period right after beating Holyfield I'd say he was definately a legit contender.

How can James have zero power at Heavyweight when he's the only to stop Evander Holyfield since Riddick Bowe...

James was ROBBED in that 1st Peter fight.

Agreed and I'd follow that up by also pointing out that before the Rahman,Ruiz and Peter fights all those guys said they'd 'walk straight through James' and it was clearly not the case in any of those fights.

OK so Rahman claims he couldn't see the punches coming but James definately shook him up in that last fight and I think would've knocked him out.

He doesn't have one punch power but he can obviously crack at a decent level.

If you let Toney hit you enough times you'll get busted up. He could really knock guys TFO in the lower weights back when he was at his prime though...

And even at 190 just below heavyweight.

I love love love watching that Jason Robinson fight where he keeps hitting him all night with big right hands then right at the end puts him to sleep with a wicked left hook.

One punch and out.

At 168 he was a bad bad man. And he I think if he'd had the discipline to stay at cruiser he would have been a bad bad man there too.

As someone who had very high hopes for Rahman after he ko'd Lewis, and has since become an avowed hater...Rahman will get knocked out in this fight.
He is the consumate underacheiver.

I don't know how Rahman keeps getting title shots, he should be fighting in clubs. Or undercards at best.
He couldn't even get "up" enough for the ONE fight he should have wanted to win more than any other...his rematch w/ Maskaev. The man who humiliated him by knocking him out of the ring should have been motivation enough...but he couldn't even pull that one off.

Rahman does well only against guys who are shorted than him with limited skills (Tua). He can use his jab effectively against them.
Otherwise he will get his ass knocked out. His only shot against Wlad is to come out very aggressively and swing for the fences with his right hand.

If he doesn't knock Wlad out by the 4th round, he can just quit on his stool.

wlad vs. rahman... i think i have said enough...

Power doesn't mean shit if ya got the skill that Toney has..If Toney came in in shape,how would he not be a threat??He is basically like Chris Byrd who was the most underrated heavyweight out there because he'd shut down your offense first then bring his..He also wouldnt get the credit cause he had no serious power and was small for a heavyweight..Toney is more entertaining than Byrd to the casual fan but I think ya got my point..

byrd like jones relied on reflexes as defense, Toney and Hopkins on skill. If this were 5 years ago and the Toney that came in against Holyfield were to show up, I would give him a chance.

Rahman KO'd a much taller Lewis, and as Lewis said this is the heavyweight division and anything can happen. Rahman has to make Klit feel his power early, I agree he should go all out in the beginning

James Tony is probably my favorite fighter.
That said, he'd get crushed by either Klitschko. They're just too tall. He wouldn't be able to lay back on the ropes and let them gas themselves, because they don't get in close enough to where he could counter effectively. They would stay outside, throwing jabs.
He has more skill than both of them put together, but it's just a mismatch on size.

Rahman has pretty much wasted his talent, other than the homerun he hit against Lewis. Lewis came in out of shape and tired, and Rock trained like his life depended on it.
Ever since then, he's gotten by on his mouth. He talks a great game, but usually goes into the ring and looks like hell.
The only time he's looked decent in any recent fights was against the heaviest James Toney of all time...and even then he only got a draw.

How the fuck is Rahman still getting title shots? God the heavyweights are piss poor

The last page or so of total Toney ball gargling is why I so badly want them to put him in with either klit!

The ONLY fight I give him credit for and the one most JT followers always point to is the Holyfield fight....yes he looked good tkoing a well past his prime Holyfield! BUT....due to the question of roids on multiple occasions after the fact.....you have to question was the guy juiced up for that win?

BUT....lets take away all the what if and he should haves and all the qualifiers and actually look at the man's record at HW.

He is 4-2-1, 2NC with 1ko. in 5 years at HW.

Although I admit....at the lower weight classes the man is a Legend....that record at HW SUCKS!

And it's not like he is fighting in a good HW division either.

I've never blamed Toney for his move up to HW....as a business man....it was the smartest thing he could do....but I've always expected more from the masses to see that he is a total sham, only there for the $$$.

I have been astounded how about 3 years ago, even credable boxing "experts" were actually considering him the "future" of the HW division! lol WTF!???

I wish they would put him in.....let him make the most money he possibly can.....let him get brutally beat up and stopped and then let him ride off into the sunset.

Then I would never have to hear anything in relation to his being HW champion and all this nonsense from his delusional fans.

Klit-Rahman is a complete joke. Rahman's last fight he was on his way to losing to Toney. His two fights before that, which I saw both and one of them live at the Soverein Center, he looked like absolute garbage. His punches looked like he had cinderblocks tied to his gloves. Slowest fighter I have ever seen in my life. How does he warrant a title shot? When was the last time Rock beat a rated fighter?

As far as Toney, if the Toney that beat Holyfield showed up, I honestly think he could beat any heavyweight. But, that was many years ago, and I realize that ain't going to happen. People can rip on him all they want, but atleast he has and will never duck anyone. His problem lies on his eating and training habits. He is the most skilled fighter today, Hopkins is a close second. If only he had Bernards dedication. Regardless, I would love Toney to atleast one day soon to get another crack at a title. Either Klit would do. It would satisfy the Toney fans, the Toney haters(cause he could possibly get KO'd), and Toney himself. Toney must first try and get by Thompson first, then we will see what and if he has anything to offer in the future. These are just my opinions.

BG the thing that's always struck me as odd about your argument is that you continue to defend Holyfield as a fighter today and talk up how he can still beat a lot of guys. You've supported him continuing on with his career, even though the idea that he can somehow become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world again the way he craves is completely delusional.

Toney - short, fat, piss poor conditioning et al - proved five years ago that regardless of all that, he is a much, MUCH better heavyweight at this point in time than is Holyfield. The way he handled Ruiz (steroids made no difference in that fight) compared to the manner in which Holyfield struggled with him proved that further. Toney dominated Guinn, who if nothing else is a legit trial horse, and most thought beat Peter the first time.

Granted, it was crazy for some to call Toney 'the future' of the heavyweight division - though I actually don't recall anyone ever expressing that exact sentiment, but whatever. Still, the fact remains that looking at his performances, James Toney in the past few years has been a very respectable, very legitimate heavyweight boxer. And that's pretty amazing when you consider how far up he came to get there.

All I got to say if Rahman has insanely long arms for his height and he better be ready to throw a lot of jabs and not look for a big shot..Klitchko's speed and footwork will give him a easy win though..Rahman is SOOO slow with his feet..

I liked the smaller Rahman better than the big heavy weight lifting Rahman..He needs to go back to his roots and he'll see that with less muscle mass he was faster and was able to do a lot more in the ring..Rahman will always have a amazing jab to me but when he was smaller it was even better..

I defend Holyfield's RIGHT to fight....but that does not translate into me thinking he can become undisputed HW champ again. And I give Toney the same amount of credit as I do Holy at this point....although they are both shells of their former greatness....they can still beat a bunch of today's crap HWs.

NOW, trying to make me believe that Toney is a BETTER HW today than Holyfield is....I don't really agree with that. Comparing the Ruiz fights is useless as they took place a few years apart and you know as well as I do....two fighters handling of a common opponent does not prove anything.

As far as I'm concerned...JT has yet to be tested with a guy with a huge size factor. He will with Thompson soon. BUT look how many years it's been. All the time he was fighting guys like Guinn and Peter and even Holyfield....I would always ask myself....how does this in any way prepare him for a Wlad or Vitali or Valuev. With a guy like Toney, extreamly short....those are going to be mega issues in a championship attempt with a huge guy.....and it's not like Tyson, where his size issues is lessened by his punching power.

All I ever wanted to check Toney's validity at HW was a matchup with a McCline or Briggs...somebody with a decent heigth advantage to see just how much the size was going to effect the outcome of a Wlad/Toney type matchup.

Instead we got fights with Guinn and Booker. Safe fights that really did nothing to back up all of his claims of being able to become HW champion.

If you did not catch all of the references to him being the future of the division, you must have missed a couple of issues of The Ring and one HBO BAD broadcast in particular.....because I nearly fell ot after reading/hearing such nonsense.

I myself do not think his HW career is ANYTHING worthy of his prior greatness. The record speaks for itself IMHO. BUT....unlike many, I never expected it to be worthy of anything.

James Toney is a legendary fighter coming to the end of his career trying to make big bucks off of the one division you can have a name in and do so. I don't think bad of him for that.....but I don't give him any chance to be HW champ based on anything I've seen fro mhim at HW. For sure as the years and chins start adding up.

Rahman can't out jab Wladimir. He's not going to get on the inside to brake Vladimir down....he'll just sit on the outside, being lazy and rubbish, whilst Wladimir breaks him down and sets him up for the big right hand.


Rahman is crap. He had one win against Lewis...and thats it.


Wladimir should beat Rahman pretty easy, imo.

Rahman won't be able to out jab Wlad cause his jab is soo much slower..Rahman is just soo slow its ridiculous..Rahman is not crap though..His fight with Tua was great..I really liked the Rahman that threw a lot of volume and not just slow sluggish shit like he does now..Rahman was a different guy back in the day compared to now..I think he would of beat Tua had Tua not hit him late that one round..Normally I'd never say anything like that but that punch was massive!!No doubt it fazed him going into the next round..He doesn't recover very quickly and it was a late punch..Late punches happen all the time though..Tyson hit late after the bell all the time,sometimes 5-10 seconds after the bell(now thats stupid shit)..

This will either look like Lewis 1 or 2 again.

Rahman will either land that lucky punch or get that right hand landed on him!

Rock's gonna get pulverized. Once again.

Getting your ass kicked for three rounds and then quitting against James Toney apparently can take you pretty far these days.

I think it will be a lot different than the Lennox fight..I think Wlad. will box him more than Lennox did..Lennox was HORRIBLE in the first Rahman fight..He was too cocky and thought he had it all in the books before he got in the ring..Do ya all see another wrestling match but between Wlad. and Rahman on a talk show??hahahaha..The Lennox/Rahman wrestling thing was toooooo funny..Lennox got under dudes skins and didn't even try that hard..It also was out of character to see Lennox get into something like that outside the ring but Rahman did start it I think..Who said MMA guys would whoop a boxer cause of wrestling skills??Crazy!!!Just watch Lennox and Rahman..hahaha..

Either way it goes...he loses!

Yup..Can any of you recall a heavyweight weighin 250 that was faster than Wlad on his feet and hands(more his feet than hands though)??Kirk Johnson comes to mind but he sucked when he'd weighed 260 against Vitali but was best at 220-240..He was fast as hell for his weight considering he was 6'2..Especially when he'd weigh 240..

So true.

It's sad this fight was made! I like Hasim! but he does not deserve to be in the ring with any of the champs! I would have much rather seen one of the younger guys get this fight. (Scott, Arreola, or Johnson)