Heavyweight veterans James Toney and Donovan Razor Ruddock put on a horrific Pay Per View fight that was a sad sight for anyone to witness.
The 55 and 59-year-old former champions were dragged out of retirement for charity. However, it could have been the two protagonists who needed help after what transpired.
Footage of the six-round exhibition emerged from the night’s wreckage as boxing suffered another blow to the gut.
Heavyweight exhibition – Toney vs Ruddock
Toney and Ruddock both had flab spilling over their belts as they bashed each other in the head despite both already being significantly damaged from their respective professional careers.
The fact they were even in the ring was astounding and grotesque enough. They then proceeded to go full-blooded with their shots to the skull.
The long-term outcome of a multi-year rested brain then getting pounded again is anyone’s guess. However, you can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be good.
On the scales at the weigh-in, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that either man shouldn’t be fighting. But if you then spoke to Toney, you’d know it for sure,
The slurred speech and apparent signs of boxing trauma should have been taken into consideration. There has been no duty of care from those closest to Toney.
As for Ruddock, the fact he used a charity to get himself back in the ring is unacceptable. He put himself in danger with the aid of a readily available excuse.
Shame
Those who helped these two former stars should be ashamed of themselves. They have a lot to answer for if Toney or Ruddock find themselves in any health crisis in the coming few years.
How anyone would want to pay thirty dollars to watch it is beyond comprehension. It’s a derogatory sign of where boxing is at the moment.
Between influencers, YouTube, and Celebrity Boxing, it looks as though it will take a death or severe injury for someone to take it seriously. There will be blood on someone’s hands. It is just a matter of time.
There will be a significant backlash for the fateful promoter who lands the roulette. But putting fifty-plus heavyweights in the ring together is a surefire way to bring that day closer.
“Lights Out” and Ruddock earned their stripes long ago by being warriors in the sport. Nothing they did in Jamaica adds anything to that. It only takes away.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of experienced boxing writer Phil Jay.
