Troy Isley failed to impress even his own corner in his latest victory.
One of several members of the 2020 U.S. Olympic team under the Top Rank banner, Isley failed to separate himself from the pack in a six-round, unanimous decision win over a crafty Victor Toney. Judges Chris Flores (59-55), Patricia Morse Jarman (60-54) and Ricardo Ocasio (59-55) ruled in favor of Isley in their ESPN+ streamed middleweight contest Saturday evening at Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas.
The bout was fought at a measured pace, with Isley leaving a lot on the table particularly in the early rounds. The unbeaten prospect from the southeast D.C. region was selective in his punch output, spending too much time admiring his work and failing to cut off the ring against a fleet footed and defensive minded Toney.
The disinterest presented by Isley did not set well with head trainer Al Mitchell, who tore into the 23-year-old in between rounds. Isley picked up the pace in round three, following up after catching Youngstown, Ohio’s Toney clean rather than admiring his work. Toney picked off a lot of the incoming through an expertly applied shoulder roll, at times offering shades of his second cousin and Hall of Fame former three-division champ James Toney.
Isley was presented with adversity in round four. A missed right hand by the Olympian and aspiring middleweight prospect was met with a counter right by Toney, whose shot landed clean. Toney landed another right hand later in the round, though unable to properly follow through on either occasion.
Isley boxed down the stretch, preserving his fifth win since last summer’s Tokyo Olympics though forced to go the distance for the first time since January. The distance victory snaps a two-fight knockout streak as he advances to 7-0 (5KOs). Toney falls to 6-2-1 (3KOs).
Headlining the show, former lineal and unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (16-1, 12KOs) faces Mexico’s Pedro Campa in a scheduled ten-round junior welterweight bout. Lopez fights for the first time since losing his championship to George Kambosos Jr. via split decision last November 27 in New York City, as he now campaigns in the 140-pound division.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox