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| Date | September 23, 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Pechanga Resort Casino, Temecula, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | WBC Continental Americas and IBA heavyweight titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toney wins via unanimous decision (120–107, 118–108, 117–110) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Toney vs. Rydell Booker , billed as The Best Damn Heavyweight Period!, was a professional boxing match contested on September 23, 2004, for the WBC Continental Americas and IBA heavyweight titles. [1]
After winning the IBF cruiserweight title from the previously undefeated Vassiliy Jirov to become a three-division world champion, James Toney moved up to heavyweight, winning his first bout in the division after knocking out aging former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in the ninth round. [2] The victory over Holyfield put Toney into heavyweight title contention and his next fight was scheduled to take place on February 7, 2004, against heavyweight contender Jameel McCline in what was to be an IBF eliminator fight in which the winner would become the mandatory challenger to IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd. However, an achilles injury suffered during a sparring session two weeks before the fight forced Toney to pull out and kept him sidelined for nearly an entire year. [3]
It was announced in July that Toney would return in late September to take on undefeated 23-year old heavyweight prospect, and fellow Michigan native, Rydell Booker. In addition to the WBC Continental Americas and IBA heavyweight titles being on the line, the fight was a WBC heavyweight title eliminator, with the winner becoming the number-one contender to WBC heavyweight champion John Ruiz. [4] The fight was aired live on an episode of The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Net and featured commentary from Max Kellerman, who hosted I, Max on the network, and Barry Tompkins and Sean O'Grady, the commentators of Sunday Night Fights, which also aired on FSN. [5]
Toney rebounded from a left triceps injury in the first round, to win a lopsided unanimous decision. Despite the early injury, Toney served as the aggressor from the opening bell and pounded Booker throughout. Toney was able to score the fight's lone knockdown, forcing Booker to take a knee after landing a series of hard shots midway through the eighth round. Booker took a standing eight-count and despite continuing to take a beating, was able to finish the fight. One Judge had Toney winning all 12 rounds with a score of 120–107 while the other two judges gave Booker three and two rounds respectively with scores of 117–110 and 118–108. [6]
Confirmed bouts: [7]
| Weight Class | Weight | vs. | Method | Round | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 200+ lbs. | James Toney | def. | Rydell Booker | UD | 12/12 | note 1 |
| Heavyweight | 200+ lbs. | David Bostice | def. | Cisse Salif | UD | 10/10 | |
| Light Middleweight | 154 lbs. | Mark Suárez | def. | Bradley Jensen | TKO | 3/10 | |
| Super Featherweight | 130 lbs. | Wayne McCullough | def. | Mike Juarez | TKO | 2/8 | |
| Cruiserweight | 190 lbs. | Johnathon Banks | def. | Tihomir Dukic | UD | 4/4 | |
| Heavyweight | 200+ lbs. | Travis Walker | def. | David Johnson | MD | 4/4 |
^Note 1 For WBC Continental Americas and IBA heavyweight titles
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United States | Fox Sports Net |