by Johnny Walker
Veteran heavyweight James “Lights Out” Toney, looking much slimmed down these days, recently gave his opinion to TMZ Sports on the stalking crusade being waged by fellow heavyweight Shannon Briggs against world champion Wladimir Klitschko, who takes on highly ranked contender Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria today (4:45 pm, HBO).
While many boxing fans have been amused by Briggs’ channeling of Clubber Lang from the Rocky III film, Toney is not buying in.
“I don’t know what he’s trying to do, the [older] brother whipped his ass already and put him in the hospital,” Toney remarked of the brutal thrashing now retired WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko gave Briggs in 2010. Briggs was hospitalized in Germany for two weeks and underwent numerous surgeries to repair injuries to his face and arm. He then vanished from the boxing scene for the most part until his recent re-emergence as a professional stalker of Vitali’s younger brother.
“Imagine what the young one will do,” said Toney of Briggs’ chances against Wladimir, which he considers nil.
Toney, seemingly in better health than in recent times, has another idea for the man he calls a “punk” — he has issued a challenge to Shannon Briggs for a fight in the USA.
“Come see me if you want to fight, I’ll oblige you,” says Toney of Briggs.
“You running around talking about ‘Klitschko,’ ‘Klitschko,’ they whipped your ass, they own you,” Toney taunts.
“Put up or shut up,” Toney advises Briggs, adding a number of unflattering epithets in classic James Toney style.
“Don’t be a little girl chasing somebody,” Toney adds of Briggs. “Come and chase me.”