Net Worth Ranker
What Is James Toney’s Net Worth?
James Toney, the retired American professional boxer, has accumulated a net worth of approximately $2 million. This figure is primarily derived from his earnings throughout a boxing career that spanned from 1988 to 2017. Toney’s boxing career involved holding world titles across three different weight classes and securing victories against notable opponents, contributing significantly to his overall financial standing.
James Toney: Career Earnings and Notable Purses
During his professional boxing career, James Toney earned at least $10 million from fight purses and Pay-Per-View (PPV) bonuses. His most significant known purses, excluding PPV bonuses, include:
- James Toney vs. Evander Holyfield (2003): Toney reportedly earned around $2 million for this fight. The bout concluded with Toney defeating Holyfield by a TKO in the ninth round.
- James Toney vs. Samuel Peter (2006): Toney is estimated to have earned approximately $1 million for the initial fight against Peter. The match resulted in a controversial split decision win for Peter.
- James Toney vs. Samuel Peter II (2007): Toney’s purse for the rematch was again approximately $1 million. Peter won the rematch by unanimous decision.
These specific purses, totaling around $4 million, represent a substantial portion of his known career earnings. The additional $6 million is presumed to come from other fight purses, including wins and defenses of his titles, as well as potential Pay-Per-View earnings. While specific details of these bonuses are not publicly available, they would depend on the success of each event’s viewership and sales.
Early Life and Transition to Boxing
James Toney was born on August 24, 1968, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His early life was marked by the absence of his father, who was also a boxer. As a teenager, Toney engaged in street fighting and selling crack cocaine. Despite these challenges, he demonstrated athletic prowess in high school as a star football player, leading to scholarship offers from both Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan. However, Toney declined these offers, believing that boxing would be a more suitable path for him due to his perceived lack of team-player skills.
Middleweight Career
After a relatively short but successful amateur career, James Toney began his professional boxing career in late 1988, defeating Stephen Lee. Throughout 1989, he maintained an unbroken winning streak, defeating opponents such as Carl Penn, Sammy Jenkins, Steve Chaney, Lemark Davis, Ricardo Simpson, and Joe Johnson. In 1990, all of his fights resulted in wins, except for two that ended in draws. A pivotal moment in Toney’s career occurred in May 1991 when he won the IBF and lineal middleweight titles by knocking out Michael Nunn. Over the next year and a half, he continued to fight at middleweight, successfully defending his title, including a controversial split-decision victory over Dave Tiberi. Toney made his final defense of the middleweight title against Mike McCallum in late 1992, winning by majority decision.
Super Middleweight Career
Moving up to the super middleweight division, James Toney faced Iran Barkley for the IBF super middleweight title in early 1993. He won the title in a dominating fashion and successfully defended it against Tony Thornton later that year. Further successful defenses against Tom Littles and Charles Williams followed, before he experienced his first career loss to Roy Jones Jr. in 1994. The transition to super middleweight marked a significant phase in his career, demonstrating his ability to adapt and succeed in different weight classes.
Light Heavyweight Career
James Toney’s entry into the light heavyweight division began with a loss against Montell Griffin in early 1995. Later that year, he secured the USBA light heavyweight title by defeating Anthony Hembrick. Subsequently, Toney won the WBU light heavyweight title by defeating Freddie Delgado via TKO. He defended this title against Ernest Mateen, Earl Butler, and Duran Williams, before losing to Montell Griffin in late 1996. His time in the light heavyweight division was marked by both victories and defeats, indicating the competitive nature of this weight class.
Cruiserweight Career
In early 1997, James Toney faced Mike McCallum and won the vacant WBU cruiserweight title. In June of the same year, he claimed the vacant IBO cruiserweight title by defeating Steve Little. Over the following years, Toney defeated former title holders and title contenders, including Adolpho Washington, Ramón Garbey, Saul Montana, and Michael Rush. In 2003, he won the IBF cruiserweight title by defeating Vassiliy Jirov. This victory solidified his reputation as a multi-division champion. After this period, Toney transitioned to competing at heavyweight for the next seven years, showcasing his ability to compete across different weight divisions.
Heavyweight Career
James Toney made his entrance into the heavyweight division with a victory over Evander Holyfield in October 2003. In 2005, he won the WBA heavyweight title after defeating John Ruiz; however, he was later stripped of the title after failing a post-fight drug test. He then beat Dominic Guinn and fought to a draw against Hasim Rahman for the WBC heavyweight title. His subsequent two fights were losses to Samuel Peter. In late 2008, he won a split decision over Fres Oquendo, and in 2009, he beat Matthew Greer via TKO. He didn’t fight again until early 2011, when he beat Damon Reed by unanimous decision. The following year, Toney defeated Bobby Gunn for the vacant IBU heavyweight title. In 2013, he lost to Lucas Browne for the WBF heavyweight title. Toney had his final fight in May 2017, when he won the WBF heavyweight title by defeating Mike Sheppard.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
In addition to boxing, James Toney had a brief foray into mixed martial arts (MMA). Under the coaching of Juanito Ibarra, and later Trevor Sherman, he debuted against Randy Couture at UFC 118 in August 2010. Toney lost via submission and was subsequently released from his contract by the UFC. The match was widely criticized, including by UFC president Dana White, who labeled it a “freak show fight.” His foray into MMA did not yield any significant financial gains and was more of a short-lived experiment outside of his primary boxing career.
Film Career
In 2001, James Toney appeared in Michael Mann’s biographical sports film “Ali,” starring Will Smith as Muhammad Ali. Toney portrayed rival boxer Joe Frazier in the film. While the exact payment he received for this role isn’t available, it would have contributed marginally to his overall earnings compared to his boxing purses. Details on the specific contract terms or residual income from the film are not publicly accessible.
