James Toney didn't just stop Evander Holyfield with a dominating performance Saturday night. He may have also ended his career.
Making his debut as a heavyweight, Toney exposed Holyfield as an aging fighter with fading reflexes before finally stopping him at 1:42 of the ninth round. In doing so, he may have finally convinced Holyfield that it's time to quit.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The shocking sight of Holyfield going down from a body punch in the ninth was quickly followed by another sight never seen before in his 20-year career: his cornermen jumping in the ring to save their fighter from more punishment.
Toney became only the second fighter after Riddick Bowe to stop Holyfield. But this was not the same Holyfield who engaged in wars with Bowe and Mike Tyson during his prime.
This was an old fighter just two weeks shy of his 41st birthday still believing in his mind that his body could do things it could no longer do.
The more he tried, though, the more futile his punches became and he was taking a beating before the fight was finally stopped.
Holyfield, who won only two of his previous seven fights, had vowed to fight until he became the undisputed heavyweight champion again. But after being dominated by a former middleweight champion, there were no more excuses left.
He acknowledged as much, but wasn't ready to officially call it quits just yet.
"The easiest thing to do when you don't have a good night in your mind is just to say I quit, this is it," Holyfield said.
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