Winter Auction 2016 Closing January 30th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/31/2016
The formidable James Toney was a universally feared champion, having held the IBF middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight titles. In recognition of his success, the Grand Rapids, Michigan fighter was given the most prestigious recognition in his sport – the esteemed "Edward J. O'Neil Award" offered here – in 2003. The award (originally named for a distinguished Associate Press reporter and war correspondent, and renamed in 2009 in honor of Sugar Ray Robinson) is conferred on an annual basis by the Boxing Writers' Association of New York. Its engraving refers to Toney's "Outstanding service to boxing," an acknowledgement of the 2003 cruiserweight title victory that cemented his status as a three-weight champion. (Toney also won the award in 1991, as a middleweight.) The award is designed for wall-mounted display, and consists of a metal plaque mounted against an approximately 12-1/2" x 15-1/2" wooden base. LOA from James Toney.