Boxing isn’t for the faint of heart! Fighters step into the ring, often leaving with more than just bruises—think serious brain damage from all those headshots. Some suffer immediately, while for others, the effects creep in over time. Today, James Toney’s deteriorating speech is the subject of discussion, a fighter who might be battling the brutal aftermath of his boxing days.

Twice named Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year, he was a defensive maestro who won titles across multiple weight classes. Despite his defensive style, his speech has deteriorated over time—something many believe is because of CTE, a condition that plagues many boxers. Yet not everyone agrees that’s the only reason behind Toney’s distorted speech.

Boxing is no game!

A couple of days ago, a user on X named Hassan Weliyo shared a clip comparing James Toney’s speech over the years—from 1993, just five years into his professional boxing career, to 2024 at age 55. The clip, captioned “Boxing is NOT a game,” starkly highlights the gradual deterioration of Toney’s speech over the decades.

It’s also worth mentioning that despite his decorated career, the former world champion and Hall of Famer has tested positive for banned substances, which has significantly impacted his career. So, when the clip started making the rounds online, many speculated that CTE might not be the only factor. In fact, opinions were all over the place—let’s dive in.

Many allege James Toney couldn’t speak to begin with

Such controversial subjects don’t take long to gain traction among the masses, and this one wasn’t any different. The first user was sympathetic to Toney’s cause, claiming even Errol Spence Jr. is a victim of CTE. Not just that, referring to Shakur Stevenson‘s defensive fighting style, the user highlighted Stevenson wouldn’t have this issue. Notably, ‘The Truth’ took a serious beating in the fight against Terence Crawford, and he was in a car crash in October 2019.

In contrast, this user refused CTE or Toney’s boxing career is the reason behind his slurred speech. Instead, the user feels Toney couldn’t speak to begin with. However, the changes in his voice over the years have been uncanny. 

Similarly, even this user wasn’t convinced that CTE is the only culprit, suggesting alcohol and d**ges are also to blame. But such allegations are mere speculation—there’s no evidence that alcohol or d**gs caused his slurred speech.

Meanwhile, this user tried to explain why Toney ended up with the distorted speech, pointing at his fights in the past. While there could be several factors behind it, the user’s analysis could be a contributing factor.

Another user had an interesting take, who suggested Toney’s speech was different because of Toney’s weight gain. While weight could have effects on your speech, Toney has always struggled with weight.

There’s no denying that CTE has played a key role in James Toney’s slurred speech. But most fans believe there are other reasons as well, which is evident from the comments of the post. Do you agree with them? Or do you believe there could be other reasons?