BraggingRightsCorner.com - WILL PETER BE THE FIRST TO KNOCK TONEY OUT?... by Oleg Bershadsky

-Photo courtesy of Ed Keenan-

Barring a knockout victory by either Peter or Toney this fight is almost certain to produce a controversial decision yet again. With both boxers bringing their A-game for a chance to earn a title shot at Oleg Maskaev, this should be a highly competitive fight with another close decision looming. The winner will have to satisfy either the judges’ desire for power or accuracy. Depending on the individual preferences of each judge this bout can be intrinsically inclined in favor of one boxer before it even starts.

In their first meeting two of the judges preferred Samuel Peter’s power to James Toney’s accuracy and defense. It is difficult to judge who really won that fight because in the end it was simply a matter of preference. Peter’s power and his action packed way of fighting are simply more pleasing to the eyes of many boxing fans. So this time around Toney will most likely come with a slightly different game plan. His strategy will more than likely focus on accurate punching and tight defense to frustrate Peter. In their first bout Toney’s desire to load up on punches got him into trouble causing him to get hit more often. While it would be a good idea to rely more on hand speed than power it is doubtful that Toney will forgo any opportunity to land hard shots.

Hopefully Toney realized that a K.O. victory in his favor is highly unlikely and that he should stick to what he does best, which is box. This in turn should also improve his defense from the previous bout in which we saw him get hit a lot more frequently than before. The number one key for Toney other than the game plan has to be his conditioning. Despite his claims of being a well conditioned boxer, he needs to seriously prepare for a long grueling fight that may come down to the last few rounds.

The strategy for Peter is likely to be the same as he will try to wear down Toney’s defense with heavy shots. Like Toney, the key for Peter in this fight will also lie in his conditioning. With both boxers gasping for air in their fist meeting it was apparent that the boxer with the better stamina will have a decisive advantage. The younger and stronger Peter will be hard to beat if he comes prepared to put constant pressure on Toney from start to finish.

This fight can either be the last chance for James Toney to earn that elusive heavyweight belt or it can be the start of a new age of heavyweights, led by Sam Peter. There is much at stake for both boxers and so despite past concerns, expect both of them to be in reasonably good shape. Will Toney’s skill overcome Peter’s power? Will the younger Peter expose Toney’s age and be the first to knock him out? These and other questions circulating the fight are too close to call and this is what makes this bout an exciting must see affair.

1-4-2007