Veteran Toney faces Oquendo

He’s dealing with a late change in opponents, questions about fighting at 40 and promoter demands that he needs “a statement victory more than just a win.”

James Toney, 81 fights into a pro boxing career that has included middleweight, super-middleweight and super-cruiserweight world titles and a heavyweight title bout, meets Fres Oquendo (29-4, 18 knockouts) in a heavyweight main event tonight at Morongo Casino Resort in Cabazon that probably will determine if the 40-year-old Toney is headed for another title shot or on a road to oblivion.

“I’m a professional, none of it’s affected me at all,” Toney said. “I’ll be in great shape. I respect Fres, he’s a good fighter, but he’s never been in there with James Toney.”

Toney (70-6-3, with 43 KOs and two no-contests) is 1-2-1 with a no-contest in his last five bouts. His unimpressive victory over Danny Batchelder in May 2007 was tainted by a positive test result for a steroid used on horses.

Toney’s appeal to the California State Athletic Commission cut a one-year suspension to six months, and he returned impressively in July to hammer Hasim Rahman in Temecula. Toney thought he had won by a third-round TKO, but the state commission ruled that a bad cut on Rahman meant the outcome was a no-contest.

Oquendo, 35, who has lost world title shots against Chris Byrd and John Ruiz, stepped in to replace Tony Thompson, who contracted bronchitis. Toney weighed in at 230, Oquendo at 219.

The Morongo card also features unbeaten super-middleweight Andre Ward (16-0, 11 KOs) fighting Esteban Camou (23-4, 19 KOs) and the second pro bout of U.S. Olympian Shawn Estrada, a middleweight from East Los Angeles.

--

lance.pugmire@latimes.com