According to the Fight Fax web site’s suspension list, James “Lights Out” Toney has been suspended for 90 days and fined $10,000 for testing positive for a banned substance. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, his April 30 WBA title-winning victory over John Ruiz has been changed to a No Decision. While the implications of this decision are not known, the most likely scenario will see the title returned to Ruiz outright. Toney will apparently be re-tested after his 90-day suspension is served. This is an update to the previous story: Newly crowned WBA heavyweight champion James Toney has reportedly tested positive for an anabolic steroid in a post-fight drug test. According to longtime boxing writer Wallace Matthews of Newsday, Toney's promoter Dan Goossen was informed Monday night by the New York State Athletic Commission that Toney had "tested positive for a banned substance that is not a narcotic." The paper quotes another source as saying the substance was nandrolone. If this report is accurate, the bout would be declared a no contest, and John Ruiz, who came out of retirement yesterday, would stand to regain his former WBA crown. Toney's attorney Nicholas Kahn suggested that Toney may have been prescribed something he didn't know was illegal by his personal physician. http://www.fightnews.com
Nah, he cried off into the sunset and retired. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/box/3172199
I actually felt pretty bad for Ruiz. He's right, he's beaten some pretty good fighters but no one wants to see him in the ring, fans, promoters, and other boxers give him no respect.
He unretired yesterday, and now he's the champion again. I feel a little bad for him too, but not that bad. His awful manager/trainer Norman Stone actually is what I really really dislike about him.
Boxing actually looks like it has a better steroid testing policy than baseball. Remember when Vargas tested positive after he was beaten by De La Hoya?
If he'd throw a punch or two instead of holding 2 minutes and 59 seconds out of each round he just might garner a slight bit of respect. His "style" is completely horrible on the eyes in the ring. Go away Ruiz!
Interesting link on how this substance falsely produces a positive result: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/nandrolone/nandh.htm
I wouldn't really be surprised if Toney was using steroids he is freaking huge - he weighs 70+ pounds more then when he began his career as a middleweight. When Roy Jones Jr. beat Ruiz he added about 35 pounds (up from 160ish as a middleweight.)
THanks for the news, slick... I had a question, though... how can a fight be decided as a NO decision????
Technically it's a no contest and no decision was rendered. Anyhow, here's a decision, courtesy of Boxrec Boxing Encyclopedia ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "No contest" occurs when a bout is ended before its scheduled duration, but excludes a knockout or technical knockout ending. Historically, the usual reason for a no-contest was when the referee determined that one or both boxers were not giving their best (not trying) and decided to end the contest, shooing the boxers out of the ring. No-contests also occurred if the police stepped in to stop the fight, a power failure developed, or rain forced an ending. In recent years many United States commissions have made the official result of bouts that end due to an accidental foul or under unusual circumstances "no contest." Many of these bouts had been previously ruled a technical draw. A NC results in neither boxer officially winning or losing. http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/No_contest
You didn't get it. A "decision" of "no decision." Anyway... Which one came first... THE CHICKEN... or THE EGG...?
Sounds like a Vince McMahon storyline - the new champ is disqualified, which means the champ is still . . . . Triple H! (loud booing). Seriously - I fear there will never again be a compelling heavyweight fight. There are no good American heavyweight prospects anymore - they are all playing middle linebacker. The only hope of a future talent pool is probably from poorer foreign countries. But I don't think a Ukrainian fighting a South African will sell tickets in Vegas.
