TECMECULA, Calif., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- James Toney took another step toward a title shot Sunday by knocking out contender Jason Robinson in the seventh round of their cruiserweight elimination bout.
Toney dropped Robinson with a devastating right hand at the end of the fifth round and finished him late in the seventh with a left hook to the chin.
With the win, Toney, 65-4-2 with 42 knockouts, the former IBF middleweight and super- middleweight champion, earns a title shot at Vassily Jirov. He ran his winning streak to 11 fights in a row.
Robinson fell to 16-3.
On the undercard, former IBF junior-lightweight champion Steve Forbes posted a split decision over mandatory contender David Santos, but the victory the victory was hollow for Forbes, who lost his title on the scales Saturday. Forbes could not make the 130-pound limit and reportedly entered the ring at 152 pounds. Reportedly, following his victory Sunday, the title was declared vacant.
Two judges had Forbes, who improved to 21-1, ahead, 117-111, while a third judge had the bout in favor of Santos, 115-113.
Santos, who now is 42-5, lost to Forbes for the second time in two years and had a five-bout winning streak snapped.
