Photo by Will Hart
The hard-nosed boxing fan has certainly heard of and seen James Kirkland in the ring. As for the fringe boxing fan, well, maybe not.
So, just who is James Kirkland?
Born in Austin, TX, Kirkland enjoyed a successful amateur career that earned him 134 wins. He turned pro in August of 2001 and, at the age 30 is currently the WBO and NABO light middleweight champion.
Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) has had his share of ups and downs both in and out of the ring. He lost two and a half years of his career in 2003 after an armed robbery conviction. Another run in with the law in 2009 cost him another 18 months. He then returned to the ring and got active, fighting six times in 2011.
After running a string of 27 consecutive wins, Kirkland met Nobuhiro Ishida at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was Kirkland’s third fight back after those 18 months in prison.
The expectation was that he would destroy Nobuhiro, who had only six knockouts in 30 fights, and continue onward and upward, in his comeback trail.
HBO’s Max Kellerman called it “a showcase fight for Kirkland.” Everything came to a screeching halt as Kirkland was floored three times and stopped in the first round.
Photo by Isaac Brekken/AP
It’s important to note that on this night, Kirkland did not have his longtime trainer and former champion Anne Wolf in his corner.
Just two and a half months later, Kirkland returned to the ring and scored a first round KO win over Dennis Sharp. He was back on track, and Wolfe was back in his corner.
He has since added four more wins against more notable names like Alfredo Angulo, Carlos Molina, and Glen Tapia.
With Wolfe, Kirkland is a different fighter and the two together, are undefeated. The duo produces exciting, offensive minded, get up off the canvas and come back to win performances.
Their training camps, while unique, are brutal. Training activities include 14 mile runs, sparring every day and working the heavy bag from a moving truck.
As Kirkland presses forward, he has answered some questions. There is no doubting the success he and Wolfe have enjoyed together. His toughness and pre-fight preparation is legendary and he has proved that he can come back after a devastating loss.
Yet, some questions still remain unanswered.
Photo by Will Hart
Is he a top contender? Who does he fight next? Can he compete at the highest levels in the sport? What we do know is that when Kirkland fights, with Wolfe in his corner, there is no absence of excitement and no scarcity of fireworks.
Fighting at 154 pounds, there is no shortage of top tier, world class and world champion fighters. The names are limitless and include Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, Marcos Maidana, Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, just to name a few.
Will Kirkland land a fight with a name fighter, one that the public recognizes as both legitimate and world class?
Can he keep his legal troubles outside of the ring under control to get there? Perhaps the right recipe is Kirkland landing on the undercard of a major pay-per-view where the world will have a chance to see what he can do.
One thing is for sure, the excitement definitely won’t be lacking. Being tough, nasty and gritty certainly won’t be a problem.
But Kirkland needs that household name, one where he can showcase himself and his skills, to move to the next level. Being competitive is one thing, winning the fight against a top-tier opponent is another thing altogether.
This boxing fan would like to see him get that chance.
Header photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images
