James Kirkland (boxer)
Encyclopedia
James Derick Kirkland is an American
professional boxer
.
Kirkland fights at light middleweight
, and is the WBO NABO light middleweight title holder. Kirkland, once one of the hottest rising junior middleweights in the world before an 18-month prison stint knocked his career off track.
record of 134–12. and won the Silver Gloves
championship four years in a row and lost on a controversial decision to James Patterson in the finals of the National Golden Gloves.
Instead of going to the Olympics, Kirkland turned professional to provide for his family.
. In his debut Kirkland defeated fellow debutant Maurice Chalmers with a third round knockout. Kirkland has been trained by former women's champion Ann Wolfe
since 2001. On November 22, 2008, Kirkland (24–0, 21 KOs) won an 8th round technical knockout versus Brian Vera
(16–2, 10 KOs). Kirkland dropped Vera twice in Round 2. On March 7, 2009, Kirkland defeated Joel Julio
on HBO's Boxing After Dark at the HP Pavilion in San Jose by TKO after Round 6.
On April 9, 2011, Kirkland faced Nobuhiro Ishida
of Japan
, in what was supposed to be a stay-busy fight for Kirkland. However, in a stunning upset, the previously undefeated Kirkland was stopped in the first round by the Japanese fighter, who isn't known for being a big puncher having only 7 KO's in 29 fights, getting knocked down 3 times. After the loss, Kirkland split with trainer Kenny Adams and reunited with Ann Wolfe. Kirkland and Wolfe had broken up after Kirkland went to prison.
Kirkland made comeback from a shocking first-round knockout loss to score three knockdowns of Alexis Hloros en route to a second-round knockout. He came out with his usual aggression looking to mix it up immediately and scored two knockdowns in the opening round. First, Hloros went down during a flurry and then he took a knee during another stream of punches.
On the 6th of November, 2011, in a highly exciting fight, Kirkland rose from a first round knockdown to defeat Angulo via 6th round TKO.
On Sunday, April 19, 2009, Kirkland was stopped in Austin traffic and arrested for possession of a firearm by a felony
, with a possibility of prison time if he is convicted. He is currently on probation for an armed robbery conviction in 2003, for which he spent 30 months in prison. On Wednesday, September 23, 2009, Kirkland was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to the firearm charge. Kirkland was released from prison in September of 2010 and spent several more months in a halfway house in Austin, Texas.
|- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;"
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res.
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes
|- align=center
|Win||30-1||align=left|
Mexico Alfredo Angulo
|||6 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||29-1|| align=left|
Alexis Hloros
| || 2 || ||align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||28-1|| align=left| Dennis Sharpe
| || 1 || ||align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss||27-1|| align=left|
Nobuhiro Ishida
| || 1 || ||align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||27-0|| align=left|
Jhon Berrio
| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||26-0|| align=left| Ahsandi Gibbs
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||25-0|| align=left| Joel Julio
| || 6 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||24-0 || align=left| Brian Vera
| || 8 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||23-0 || align=left| Ricardo Cortes
| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||22-0 || align=left|
Eromosele Albert
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||21-0 || align=left| Allen Conyers
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||20-0 || align=left|
Mohammad Said
| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||19-0 || align=left|
Ossie Duran
| || 10 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||18-0 || align=left| Billy Lyell
| || 8 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||17-0 || align=left|
David Toribio
| || 4 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||16-0 || align=left| Sherwin Davis
| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||15-0 || align=left| Alexis Division
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||14-0 || align=left| Ray Cuningham
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||13-0 || align=left| David Estrada
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||12-0 || align=left| Manny Castillo
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||11-0 || align=left| Russell Jordan
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||10-0 || align=left| Martinus Clay
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||9-0 || align=left| Sergio Soto
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||8-0 || align=left|
Rodney Tappin
| || 4 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||7-0 || align=left| Juan Carlos Aranday
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||6-0 || align=left| Edgar Pedraza
| || 4 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||5-0 || align=left| Rashaan Abdul Blackburn
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||4-0 || align=left| Jose Luis Rodrigues
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||3-0 || align=left| Maurice Chalmers
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||2-0 || align=left| Juan Jaime Rodriguez
| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||1-0 || align=left| Maurice Chalmers
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
.
Kirkland fights at light middleweight
Light middleweight
Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
, and is the WBO NABO light middleweight title holder. Kirkland, once one of the hottest rising junior middleweights in the world before an 18-month prison stint knocked his career off track.
Amateur career
Kirkland has an amateurAmateur boxing
Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...
record of 134–12. and won the Silver Gloves
Silver Gloves
The Silver Gloves is an annual competition for amateur boxing in the United States. The contest is sponsored by Ringside, Inc.The Silver Gloves are open to all non-professional pugilists age 10 to 15 years old. The Silver Gloves is not the Golden Gloves amateur tournament, which is for amateur...
championship four years in a row and lost on a controversial decision to James Patterson in the finals of the National Golden Gloves.
Instead of going to the Olympics, Kirkland turned professional to provide for his family.
Professional career
Kirkland turned professional in August 2001 in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. In his debut Kirkland defeated fellow debutant Maurice Chalmers with a third round knockout. Kirkland has been trained by former women's champion Ann Wolfe
Ann Wolfe
Ann Wolfe is a female boxer who held world titles in four different weight classes simultaneously. Wolfe is regarded by many within the sport as the hardest puncher and best fighter in the history of women's boxing...
since 2001. On November 22, 2008, Kirkland (24–0, 21 KOs) won an 8th round technical knockout versus Brian Vera
Brian Vera
Bryan Lee Vera is a Mexican-American boxer in the super middleweight division. He trains in Cedar Park, Texas...
(16–2, 10 KOs). Kirkland dropped Vera twice in Round 2. On March 7, 2009, Kirkland defeated Joel Julio
Joel Julio
Joel Jalil Julio Mejia is a professional Colombian boxer rated as a junior middleweight. In 2005, he was named ESPN.com's Boxing Prospect of the Year and he has appeared on Ring Magazine's New Faces feature, as well as in ShoBox.-Professional career:Julio's first loss was a 12 round unanimous...
on HBO's Boxing After Dark at the HP Pavilion in San Jose by TKO after Round 6.
Return to Boxing
On March 5, 2011, Kirkland returned to the ring after an almost 2 year layoff to defeat Ahsandi Gibbs via first round KO.On April 9, 2011, Kirkland faced Nobuhiro Ishida
Nobuhiro Ishida
is a professional boxer from Japan. He resides in Los Angeles.-Amateur career:Ishida was born in Tamana District, Kumamoto and moved to Neyagawa, Osaka soon after. He began boxing at the Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym at the sixth grade of elementary school. When Ishida was a high school freshman, he...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in what was supposed to be a stay-busy fight for Kirkland. However, in a stunning upset, the previously undefeated Kirkland was stopped in the first round by the Japanese fighter, who isn't known for being a big puncher having only 7 KO's in 29 fights, getting knocked down 3 times. After the loss, Kirkland split with trainer Kenny Adams and reunited with Ann Wolfe. Kirkland and Wolfe had broken up after Kirkland went to prison.
Kirkland made comeback from a shocking first-round knockout loss to score three knockdowns of Alexis Hloros en route to a second-round knockout. He came out with his usual aggression looking to mix it up immediately and scored two knockdowns in the opening round. First, Hloros went down during a flurry and then he took a knee during another stream of punches.
On the 6th of November, 2011, in a highly exciting fight, Kirkland rose from a first round knockdown to defeat Angulo via 6th round TKO.
Outside the ring
Kirkland is on probation for a 2003 armed robbery that cost him 2½ years of his career.On Sunday, April 19, 2009, Kirkland was stopped in Austin traffic and arrested for possession of a firearm by a felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
, with a possibility of prison time if he is convicted. He is currently on probation for an armed robbery conviction in 2003, for which he spent 30 months in prison. On Wednesday, September 23, 2009, Kirkland was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to the firearm charge. Kirkland was released from prison in September of 2010 and spent several more months in a halfway house in Austin, Texas.
Professional boxing record
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|30 Wins (27 Knockouts), 1 Loss, 0 Draws|- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;"
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res.
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes
|- align=center
|Win||30-1||align=left|
Mexico Alfredo AnguloAlfredo Angulo
Alfredo Angulo López is a Mexican professional boxer and the former interim WBO Light Middleweight Champion. Angulo also participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics for Mexico...
|||6 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||29-1|| align=left|
Alexis Hloros| || 2 || ||align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||28-1|| align=left|
Dennis Sharpe| || 1 || ||align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss||27-1|| align=left|
Nobuhiro IshidaNobuhiro Ishida
is a professional boxer from Japan. He resides in Los Angeles.-Amateur career:Ishida was born in Tamana District, Kumamoto and moved to Neyagawa, Osaka soon after. He began boxing at the Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym at the sixth grade of elementary school. When Ishida was a high school freshman, he...
| || 1 || ||align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||27-0|| align=left|
Jhon Berrio| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||26-0|| align=left|
Ahsandi Gibbs| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||25-0|| align=left|
Joel JulioJoel Julio
Joel Jalil Julio Mejia is a professional Colombian boxer rated as a junior middleweight. In 2005, he was named ESPN.com's Boxing Prospect of the Year and he has appeared on Ring Magazine's New Faces feature, as well as in ShoBox.-Professional career:Julio's first loss was a 12 round unanimous...
| || 6 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||24-0 || align=left|
Brian VeraBrian Vera
Bryan Lee Vera is a Mexican-American boxer in the super middleweight division. He trains in Cedar Park, Texas...
| || 8 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||23-0 || align=left|
Ricardo CortesRicardo Cortés
Ricardo Cortes is a Mexican boxer in the Super Middleweight division and the former IBA Americas Super Middleweight Champion.-Pro career:...
| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||22-0 || align=left|
Eromosele Albert| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||21-0 || align=left|
Allen Conyers| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||20-0 || align=left|
Mohammad Said| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||19-0 || align=left|
Ossie Duran| || 10 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||18-0 || align=left|
Billy Lyell| || 8 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||17-0 || align=left|
David Toribio| || 4 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||16-0 || align=left|
Sherwin Davis| || 2 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||15-0 || align=left|
Alexis Division| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||14-0 || align=left|
Ray Cuningham| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||13-0 || align=left|
David EstradaDavid Estrada
David Estrada is a Guatemalan-American boxer who is from Chicago.-Amateur career:Estrada started his amateur career in Chicago. He won several titles, including the Chicago Park District Championship in 1993, the PAL National Championship in 1997, and the Texas State Golden Gloves Championship in...
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||12-0 || align=left|
Manny CastilloManny Castillo
Estaban Manuel Antonio Castillo Cabrera is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He batted and threw right-handed, and was 5 foot 9. Castillo played 3 seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Kansas City Royals in and the Seattle Mariners in and...
| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||11-0 || align=left|
Russell Jordan| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||10-0 || align=left|
Martinus Clay| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||9-0 || align=left|
Sergio Soto| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||8-0 || align=left|
Rodney Tappin| || 4 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||7-0 || align=left|
Juan Carlos Aranday| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||6-0 || align=left|
Edgar Pedraza| || 4 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||5-0 || align=left|
Rashaan Abdul Blackburn| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||4-0 || align=left|
Jose Luis Rodrigues| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||3-0 || align=left|
Maurice Chalmers| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||2-0 || align=left|
Juan Jaime Rodriguez| || 1 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win||1-0 || align=left|
Maurice Chalmers| || 3 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center