20.09.05 – By Malik Lee: On October 1, Showtime will be showing the boxing fan some love while creating some competition for the Pay Per View of Jones/Tarver III with its card, “The Triple Header,” not aired on PPV. The three fights will all have championship belts as the reward for the victor..
The main event will be for the IBA heavyweight title when James “Lights Out” Toney scraps with Dominick “The Southern Disaster” Guinn. The under card will feature Chris “Rapid Fire” Byrd engaging in a fist-a cuff against DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson for the IBF Heavyweight title while Rafael Marquez goes toe to toe with Silence “African Sprice” Mabuza for the IBF Bantamweight title.
The tale of the tape for James Toney (68-4-2, 43 KO’s) vs. Dominick Guinn (25-2-1, 18 KO’s) bout scheduled for 12 rounds reads as follows: American fighter James Toney, hometown Los Angeles, California, 37-years-old, standing 5’ 9” with a reach of 76” throwing punches from an orthodox stance. In the other corner, the American fighter Dominick Guinn, hometown Hot Springs, Arkansas, 30-years-old, standing 6’3” with a reach of 78” throwing fist from an orthodox stance.
The IBO belt Toney and Guinn will be beating each other up over was previously the prize of two men’s affection in June of 2003 when Lennon Lewis faced off with Vitali Klitschko, ending in TKO in the sixth round.
Toney will enter the ring for the first time since testing positive for a steroid type substance in April 2005. Toney apologized for his mistake saying he was rushed into the ring after a shoulder surgery saying the substance was prescribed by a doctor. However, less than a month after Toney worked John Ruiz over to win a unanimous decision claiming the IBA and WBA championship belts, the New York State Athletic Commission changed the results to a no contest, and the WBA reinstated Ruiz as its champ.
Guinn last fought in May of this year to a draw with Friday Ahunanya. Prior to that, he lost in December of 2004 to Serguei Lyakhovich. Guinn was undefeated in his first 24 fights until he lost to Monte Barrett by split decision in March of 2004.
Before Toney added to America’s growing steroid scandal in professional sports, he had not lost a fight since 1997. Throughout that time, Toney beat up only two notables, Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield, in 2003.
One of Guinn’s televised fights was on a short-lived boxing show in 2001, “Thunder Box,” with his next notable fight against Michael Grant.
Toney has been a championship belt holder many times over winning his first belt in the Michigan State Middleweight Title in 1990; a belt he did not defend. He then won the Vacant IBC Middleweight Title three months later followed by the IBC Youth Middleweight Title in 1991, and still never defended any of the belts. Toney did TKO Michael Nunn in the eleventh round in May of 2001 defending the belt five times.
Toney then moved up in weight beating Iran Barkley for the IBF Super Middle weight title in 1993. After fighting five times over the next eight months with only one title defense, on the last fight of the year, he won against Tony Thornton. He defended the title again three more times in 1994 losing his last defense against Roy Jones Jr. on the judges’ cards.
In 1995 Toney won the USBA & WBU Light Heavyweight title before winning the WBU Continental Cruiserweight Title the same year. In 1996 he won WBU Light Heavyweight Title, but lost it in his first defense to Montell Griffin on the cards. He captured the WBU Cruiserweight Title in 1997 and then lost his next fight trying to capture the IBO Light Heavyweight Title.
His next belt which he did not defend the title for was the IBO Cruiserweight belt in 1997. In 2001, he knocked out Saul Montana in the second round to win the Vacant IBA Super Cruiserweight Title, not defending the belt before he won the IBF Cruiserweight Title in 2003. The last title distinction he held officially is the WBC Continental Americas and IBA Heavyweight belts he won in 2004 before relinquishing those belts to fight for Ruiz for the WBA and IBA titles last year.
Toney started his boxing career for money in 1988, knocking out Stephan Lee in the second round. Guinn started his boxing career for money in 2000, technically knocking out Leroy Hollis in the first round.
Toney weighed in at 160 pounds for his first fight and for his last appearance in the ring, his weight up was 233 pounds. Guinn weighed in at 223 pounds for his first fight and 218 the last time he climbed though the ropes.
The tale of the tape for the Chris Byrd (38-2-1, 20 KO’s) vs. DaVarryl Williamson (22-3-0, 18 KO’s) bout scheduled for 12 rounds reads as follows: American fighter Chris Byrd, hometown Las Vegas, Nevada age 35-years-old, standing 6’ with a reach of 74” scrapping from a southpaw stance. In the other corner, American fighter DaVarryl Williamson, hometown Denver, Colorado age 37-years-old, standing 6’3” with a reach 78” scrapping from an orthodox stance.
The IBO championship belt has been on Byrd’s mantle since 2002 when he beat Evander Holyfield for the belt, which was vacated by Lennox Lewis. Byrd is looked upon my manner as the number one heavyweight in the world by sum.
In Byrd’s last fight in November of 2004, he beat Jameel McCline in a split decision. Byrd’s last lost came in 2000, to Wladimir Klitschko, who was avenging the beat down Byrd put on his brother Vitali, six months prior, when he claimed the WBO heavyweight belt.
Williamson’s last venture in the ring was a fruitful one in April, beating Derrick Johnson for the vacant WBO, NABO and WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight belts. Williamson had previously beaten Oliver McCall in November of 2004, after losing to Wladimir Klitschko the month before.
Byrd started his boxing career for money in 1993, after being given an Olympic Silver Medal in the 1992 games. Williamson started his boxing career for money in 2000, beating Paul Dowdy, who was also making his pro debut.
Byrd weighed in at 169 pounds for his first pro fight and at 214 pounds in his last appearance in the ring. Williamson weighed in at 211 pounds for his first pro fight and at 221 pounds for his last fight.
The tale of the tape for the Rafael Marquez (34-3-0, 30 KO’s) vs. Silence Mabuza (18-0-0, 15 KO’s) bout scheduled for 12 rounds read as follows: Mexican fighter Rafael Marquez. Hometown Mexico City, Mexico, 30-years-old, standing 5’5” with a reach of 68 ½”, fighting from an orthodox stance. In the other corner, South African fighter Silence Mabuza. Hometown Johannesburg, South Africa, 28-years-old, standing 5’6” with a reach of 70” fighting from an orthodox stance.
The IBF Bantamweight belt has been in the hands of Marquez since he took it from Tim Austin in 2003. This will be Marquez’s sixth defense of the belt, winning his last defense and fight in May, against Ricardo Vargas. He has not lost since 2000, when he was knocked out in the second round of a fight against Aquiles Guzman.
Mabuza has held the IBO Bantamweight championship belt since 2002, when he stopped Jose Sanjuanelo defending the belt six times with his last fight and defense against Cruz Carbajal. It was also an IBF eliminator bout setting up his fight with Marquez. This will be Mabuza’s second fight on American soil, with the first being in 2002 in Oklahoma, against Pedro Javier Torres (TKO 5).
Marquez started fighting for money in 1995, losing to Victor Rabanales (KO 8). Mabuza started his boxing career for money in 1999, stopping Magic Hlongwane (TKO 2).
Marquez weighed in at 118 pounds for his first fight of 1996 and weighed 116 ½ pounds his last time in the ring. Mabuza weighed in at 117 ¼ pounds for a fight in 2000 and in his last appearance in the ring, he weighed 117 pounds.