Toney-Guinn Fight Predictions

Showtime brings us the welcome return of James Toney, back at last from steroid Siberia. Lights Out gets it on with Dominick Guinn on the undercard of Byrd-Williamson. Toney is the man, champ’s champ at a zillion weights, his record speaks for itself. But Toney’s no natural heavyweight; there’s a lot of eating on that frame. Now he meets a bigger, younger, stronger, supposedly hungrier man than himself. Does Guinn have the right stuff to pound Toney into oblivion? Or will it be the master boxer’s night? This is how The Sweet Science writers see it.

Toney will barely win a tough fight with Guinn, who I think has the wrong style for the slick heavyweight.
Mitch Abramson

Oh, man, is this one (yawn) ever going to be a snoozefest (yawn). Dominick Guinn is not a bad fighter (yawn), but he's in with possibly the best out-of-shape fighter (yawn) in history. Barring James Toney completely falling apart during the bout (yawn), I see no way Guinn can beat him. As for Toney (yawn), he'll fight only as hard as Guinn makes him fight. It's Toney (yawn) by decision.
Randy Gordon

I should have learned my lesson about predicting against James Toney but here I go again. James seems to have everything going into this bout with Dominick Guinn. He's light-years more experienced. He still thinks of his fight against WBA beltholder John Ruiz as a win. He still thinks he can beat King Kong. But Toney has had but three heavyweight fights: a stoppage over ancient Evander Holyfield; a decision over Rydell Booker; and the win-later-ruled no contest with Ruiz. He hasn't exactly mowed down Ali, Frazier, and Foreman. The one thing Guinn brings into this fight is legitimate heavyweight power.  His left hook brings with it a force that Toney has yet to see in the squared circle. Surely Guinn has recent baggage. His draw with Friday Ahunanya and decision losses to Serguei Lyakhovich and Monte Barrett are puzzling. He was well on his way to being the next American hope before the Barrett fight. In his bout with Toney, Guinn, age 30, will reignite the promise he showed earlier in his career. Lest any of us begin to believe that Toney is impervious to the whims of Mother Nature, the fact that he is 37 years old is also not irrelevant. Against great odds, Guinn will upset the legendary Toney by dishing out true heavyweight power against the chin of a true middleweight. (Boy, am I setting myself up for a red face – I also picked John Ruiz to beat him). Guinn by KO in 10.
JE Grant

James Toney is one of my all-time favorite fighters, and capable of beating any hulking heavyweight out there when he's in good shape.  ven when he's not in shape, he can break 'em down with the best body attack in the division, and is willing to fight through excruciating pain to get the job done. His utter calm in the ring makes up for that spare tire he's been sporting. So I say with some reservation that Dominick Guinn will pull the upset this Saturday. Guinn looks fantastic. I've never seen him so sharp, streamlined and focused. I was impressed with the sparring I caught on video. And when trainer Joe Goossen has a willing pupil, he can work wonders. In this case, Goossen has helped a plummeting Guinn recover his confidence by getting him in superb shape and giving him purposeful sparring. The tools are there; it's just a matter of keeping his hands busy. He takes a good punch, and throws tight, short, paralyzing combos. When his head's screwed on straight, which I think it finally is, he's a bad man. I think he's going to outwork Toney and take the decision. Toney's less than Spartan lifestyle and alleged steroid use (was it just to recover from surgery or has he been running with the wrong crowd at Gold's?) is catching up with him. The injury to his achilles before his fight with Jameel McCline, the torn bicep against Rydell Booker, the blown out shoulder against Ruiz – these breakdowns are for a reason and portend more of the same. Wish he didn't have to tempt fate this way, and got the conditioning to match his wondrous skills.
Zachary Levin

I'm still not convinced by “The Fatman as a heavyweight.” Remember, this is a guy who once was a middleweight and who gained some seventy plus pounds in fighting John “Louise” Ruiz in his last go-round. He's 37 years old and eventually age and weight are going to catch up on him. Whether or not it will be against Guinn remains to be seen. Guinn is no world-beater and in his last four fights has one win, two losses and a draw. I gotta go with Toney in this one, but if he fights either of the Klitschko brothers, Brewster or Samuel Peter, his day is done. He's old school but in the not so distant future he's going to be plain OLD.
Scott Mallon

James Toney-Dominick Guinn: Toney W 12 in what should be a stinker.
Robert Mladinich

Don't sell Guinn short over some listless performances. Toney's had his share. Guinn’s a good technician (though sleepwalking comes to mind) with a world of amateur experience. He throws crisp, practiced combinations…and has some real zing on his left hook. The scale may say heavyweight but he looks more a cruiser. Toney, whatever size, is the “natural”; and though Guinn will attempt the stick-and-move and potshot that’s got some by James, Toney will take-him-to-school inside and stop him in the eighth. There won’t be any steroid accusations but a strong suspicion Toney’s head’s been PhotoShopped onto Archie Moore.
Joe Rein

James Toney has deceptively fast hands and a punch that can hurt even the biggest of heavyweights. Guinn is inexperienced and in over his head. Look for Toney to get inside, bully Guinn and eventually knock himout in the later rounds.
Benn Schulberg

James Toney has forgotten more about boxing than Dominick Guinn can possibly learn. Guinn's lesson will end when Toney gets tired of teaching.
Ed Schuyler

Dominick Guinn’s career is on the fritz. Once a promising up-and-comer, Guinn now has one final chance to remain in distant heavyweight contention. Too bad he has to make that last stand against James Toney. Toney by unanimous decision.
Aaron Tallent