James Kirkland vs. Juan Macias Montiel: how to watch, start time.
Former junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) continues his comeback Saturday night on FOX.
Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) is scheduled to face Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout on the David Morrell-Mike Gavronski card in Los Angeles.
The card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with the main event due to begin about an hour into the show. You can watch it on on FOX (the network’s main channel).
Kirkland, who left boxing for four years after he was knocked out in three rounds by Canelo Alvarez in 2015, is 2-0 in a comeback that began last year. The 36-year-old lives and trains in San Antonio.
Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) is a big puncher from Los Mochis, Mexico. He’s coming off a split draw with Hugo Centeno Jr. in December of last year.
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights (3-0, 2 KOs) but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) is a 34-year-old from Lockport, Ill., who has won two fights since he was stopped in three rounds by Jesse Hart in 2018.
Morrell and Gavronski will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Alvarez is the WBA champ.
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
James Kirkland vs. Juan Macias Montiel: how to watch, start time.
Former junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) continues his comeback Saturday night on FOX.
Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) is scheduled to face Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout on the David Morrell-Mike Gavronski card in Los Angeles.
The card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with the main event due to begin about an hour into the show. You can watch it on on FOX (the network’s main channel).
Kirkland, who left boxing for four years after he was knocked out in three rounds by Canelo Alvarez in 2015, is 2-0 in a comeback that began last year. The 36-year-old lives and trains in San Antonio.
Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) is a big puncher from Los Mochis, Mexico. He’s coming off a split draw with Hugo Centeno Jr. in December of last year.
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights (3-0, 2 KOs) but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) is a 34-year-old from Lockport, Ill., who has won two fights since he was stopped in three rounds by Jesse Hart in 2018.
Morrell and Gavronski will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Alvarez is the WBA champ.
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
James Kirkland vs. Juan Macias Montiel: how to watch, start time.
Former junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) continues his comeback Saturday night on FOX.
Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) is scheduled to face Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout on the David Morrell-Mike Gavronski card in Los Angeles.
The card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with the main event due to begin about an hour into the show. You can watch it on on FOX (the network’s main channel).
Kirkland, who left boxing for four years after he was knocked out in three rounds by Canelo Alvarez in 2015, is 2-0 in a comeback that began last year. The 36-year-old lives and trains in San Antonio.
Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) is a big puncher from Los Mochis, Mexico. He’s coming off a split draw with Hugo Centeno Jr. in December of last year.
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights (3-0, 2 KOs) but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) is a 34-year-old from Lockport, Ill., who has won two fights since he was stopped in three rounds by Jesse Hart in 2018.
Morrell and Gavronski will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Alvarez is the WBA champ.
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
What time is David Morrell vs. Mike Gavronski on FOX?
Fast-rising young Cuban David Morrell will face veteran Mike Gavronski in a scheduled 12-round super middleweight fight Saturday evening in Los Angeles.
The card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with the main event due to start about an hour into the show. You can watch it on on FOX (the network’s main channel).
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights (3-0, 2 KOs) but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) is a 34-year-old from Lockport, Ill., who has won two fights since he was stopped in three rounds by Jesse Hart in 2018.
They will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Canelo Alvarez is the WBA champ.
Former junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) continues his comeback on the undercard. He’ll face Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
What time is David Morrell vs. Mike Gavronski on FOX?
Fast-rising young Cuban David Morrell will face veteran Mike Gavronski in a scheduled 12-round super middleweight fight Saturday evening in Los Angeles.
The card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with the main event due to start about an hour into the show. You can watch it on on FOX (the network’s main channel).
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights (3-0, 2 KOs) but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) is a 34-year-old from Lockport, Ill., who has won two fights since he was stopped in three rounds by Jesse Hart in 2018.
They will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Canelo Alvarez is the WBA champ.
Former junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) continues his comeback on the undercard. He’ll face Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
James Kirkland is in a good place emotionally as he prepares for the third fight in his comeback.
James Kirkland was asked recently about his up-and-down journey and could only laugh. “It feels like I’ve been in and out of jail all my life,” he told Boxing Junkie.
In fact, that’s true. A variety of convictions and parole violations have led him in and out of prison much of his adult life. In between those stints, he managed to squeeze an intriguing boxing career. That, too, has been up and down.
Kirkland, who faces Juan Macias Montiel in the next fight of his comeback Saturday in Los Angeles, is known primarily for his wildly entertaining aggression and brutal knockout losses to Nobuhiro Ishida and Canelo Alvarez.
The latter put Kirkland down three times before stopping him with a right hand from hell in Round 3, perhaps the most spectacular knockout of Alvarez’s career.
Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) stepped away from boxing for more than four years after the fight, not because he had to but because he wanted to get his life in order so he could better care for his family.
Canelo Alvarez (left) stopped James Kirkland in three unforgettable rounds on May 9, 2015 in Houston. Scott Halleran / Getty Images
The native of Austin, Texas, used the money he earned in the Alvarez fight and those that preceded it to buy a house in San Antonio, away from bad habits in his hometown. He went into real estate and dabbled in other enterprises. And, in the end, he was satisfied that things were stable.
He never intended to walk away from boxing permanently. And last year he made the decision to return. He went 2-0 against journeyman opponents.
“I just decided that the days of my life could be spent in a more positive way,” he said. “… I was happy. My kids were happy. I said to myself, ‘You know what? Let’s get back in there.’”
Kirkland, now 36, never left boxing entirely. He built a gym in his home, where he says he trained regularly – including sparring sessions – and never allowed himself to get out of shape.
Watch the video of his most-recent fight, a second-round knockout of Jas Phipps in November of last year at the Alamodome. He looked fit and energetic, much like the fighter who knocked out one opponent after another a decade ago.
[lawrence-related id=16703,16680]
He’s still aggressive – that’s who he is – but he says he has changed to some degree in that regard. No more reckless aggression, no more taking unnecessary shots to land one of his own.
“I’ve learned,” he said. “I’ve gone back and watched some of my fights and I saw so many flaws, whether that was not keeping my hands up, throwing punches before putting my feet in position. Some of things I did were just awkward.
“… I realize now what I did right and what I did wrong. I’ve been able to dissect things, work on my craft, focus on my movement, just being alert.”
Gone, too, is trainer Ann Wolfe, who was in his corner for most of his successes and seemingly indispensable for him. However, the Kirkland of today seems to be doing fine without her.
He isn’t looking too far ahead in his comeback, only revealing that he’ll probably settle into the 160-pound division after fighting most of his career at 154. His body, he says, has evolved.
Other than that, he said he’s taking things one step at a time. The next step is Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) on a card featuring a super middleweight fight between David Morrell and Mike Gavronski. Montiel is a 26-year-old Mexican with punching power comparable to that of Kirkland, which should make for an interesting fight.
The “Mandingo Warrior” is excited.
“Yeah, one step at a time,” he said. “My only goal is to kick ass on the 26th.”
James Kirkland is in a good place emotionally as he prepares for the third fight in his comeback.
James Kirkland was asked recently about his up-and-down journey and could only laugh. “It feels like I’ve been in and out of jail all my life,” he told Boxing Junkie.
In fact, that’s true. A variety of convictions and parole violations have led him in and out of prison much of his adult life. In between those stints, he managed to squeeze an intriguing boxing career. That, too, has been up and down.
Kirkland, who faces Juan Macias Montiel in the next fight of his comeback Saturday in Los Angeles, is known primarily for his wildly entertaining aggression and brutal knockout losses to Nobuhiro Ishida and Canelo Alvarez.
The latter put Kirkland down three times before stopping him with a right hand from hell in Round 3, perhaps the most spectacular knockout of Alvarez’s career.
Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) stepped away from boxing for more than four years after the fight, not because he had to but because he wanted to get his life in order so he could better care for his family.
Canelo Alvarez (left) stopped James Kirkland in three unforgettable rounds on May 9, 2015 in Houston. Scott Halleran / Getty Images
The native of Austin, Texas, used the money he earned in the Alvarez fight and those that preceded it to buy a house in San Antonio, away from bad habits in his hometown. He went into real estate and dabbled in other enterprises. And, in the end, he was satisfied that things were stable.
He never intended to walk away from boxing permanently. And last year he made the decision to return. He went 2-0 against journeyman opponents.
“I just decided that the days of my life could be spent in a more positive way,” he said. “… I was happy. My kids were happy. I said to myself, ‘You know what? Let’s get back in there.’”
Kirkland, now 36, never left boxing entirely. He built a gym in his home, where he says he trained regularly – including sparring sessions – and never allowed himself to get out of shape.
Watch the video of his most-recent fight, a second-round knockout of Jas Phipps in November of last year at the Alamodome. He looked fit and energetic, much like the fighter who knocked out one opponent after another a decade ago.
[lawrence-related id=16703,16680]
He’s still aggressive – that’s who he is – but he says he has changed to some degree in that regard. No more reckless aggression, no more taking unnecessary shots to land one of his own.
“I’ve learned,” he said. “I’ve gone back and watched some of my fights and I saw so many flaws, whether that was not keeping my hands up, throwing punches before putting my feet in position. Some of things I did were just awkward.
“… I realize now what I did right and what I did wrong. I’ve been able to dissect things, work on my craft, focus on my movement, just being alert.”
Gone, too, is trainer Ann Wolfe, who was in his corner for most of his successes and seemingly indispensable for him. However, the Kirkland of today seems to be doing fine without her.
He isn’t looking too far ahead in his comeback, only revealing that he’ll probably settle into the 160-pound division after fighting most of his career at 154. His body, he says, has evolved.
Other than that, he said he’s taking things one step at a time. The next step is Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) on a card featuring a super middleweight fight between David Morrell and Mike Gavronski. Montiel is a 26-year-old Mexican with punching power comparable to that of Kirkland, which should make for an interesting fight.
The “Mandingo Warrior” is excited.
“Yeah, one step at a time,” he said. “My only goal is to kick ass on the 26th.”
Here’s how to watch the super middleweight fight between David Morrell and Mike Gavronski on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Former Cuban amateur standout David Morrell is on a fast track to the big time.
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. The next step comes this Saturday in Los Angeles, where Morrell (3-0, 2 KOs) faces veteran Mike Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round super middleweight bout.
They will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Canelo Alvarez is the WBA champ.
The card is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. You can watch on FOX (the network’s main channel). Here are the basic details of the card:
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event about an hour and a half into show)
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
Here’s how to watch the super middleweight fight between David Morrell and Mike Gavronski on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Former Cuban amateur standout David Morrell is on a fast track to the big time.
Morrell, 22, has had only three pro fights but already is an “interim” titleholder and has his sights set on a legitimate world title shot. The next step comes this Saturday in Los Angeles, where Morrell (3-0, 2 KOs) faces veteran Mike Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round super middleweight bout.
They will be fighting for what the WBA calls its “regular” world title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Canelo Alvarez is the WBA champ.
The card is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. You can watch on FOX (the network’s main channel). Here are the basic details of the card:
When: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event about an hour and a half into show)
Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
Former Cuban amateur star David Morrell is making his mark quickly as a professional.
David Morrell knows exactly when he arrived in the United States: July 15, 2019, 10:15 in the morning. “One year and three months go,” he said in English.
And who could blame the former amateur star from Cuba for having that stamped on his brain? His arrival ended a trying year and a half in Mexico, his direct destination when he defected from his native land by motor boat on a harrowing two-day journey, and marked the beginning of his career as a professional boxer.
In Mexico, he lived with other emigres while he waited for a visa to start his new life north of the border.
“I had a lot of difficulties,” said Morrell, a super middleweight contender who fights Mike Gavronski on Saturday in Los Angeles (FOX). “I left Cuba on a boat, in the ocean, scared for my life. Then a year and a half in Mexico, by myself really.
“Yes, it was difficult.”
Morrell could’ve made his home in Miami, which has a large Cuban community and is the town most Cuban boxers call home. However, he wasn’t comfortable with that idea. It was too much like Cuba, too many distractions.
David Morrell (left) outpointed Lennox Allen in August. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions
He wanted to be in an environment where he could focus intently on realizing his boxing dreams. With that in mind, his promoter, Luis DeCubas, gave him three choices: Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Minneapolis.
He chose Minneapolis, which couldn’t be much more different from Cuba. Around 10% of Minneapolis residents are Hispanic and a fraction of that number are Cuban.
“I told (DeCubas) that I choose Minneapolis,” Morrell said. “He said, ‘The thing about Minnesota is it’s really cold.’ I said, ‘I’ll get better at English because I won’t be around a lot of Cubans.’”
And what about the climate?
“I’m adapting now,” he said with a laugh. “At first, yes, it was freezing.”
Just as he planned, he has been able to focus on boxing, although he has had the same COVID-19-related challenges. For example, he couldn’t find sparring partners before his last fight, a wide decision over Lennox Allen on Aug. 8.
He’s content, though. He is comfortable working with trainers Sankara and Adonis Frazier, who also work with welterweight contender Jamal James. And while he has yet to reunite with his parents and siblings — which is his goal — he has a girlfriend of Cuban descent in Minneapolis.
Morrell won an “interim” title in his third pro fight. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions
Someone suggested that he found the only Cuban in Minnesota. He laughed and said, “Yes, it’s true.”
“I’m alone here when it comes to blood,” he said. “I’m by myself. Thank God I have a girlfriend who is also Cuban. And she and her family treat me like I’m one of their own. I’m grateful for that.”
And he’s grateful for the opportunities that professional boxing has provided.
Morrell (3-0, 2 KOs) was a youth champion as an amateur, both at the national and world level. That foundation has allowed him to progress quickly as a pro. His first fight was a scheduled six-rounder, his second eight and his third 12, in which he defeated the previously unbeaten Allen to win the vacant WBA “interim” title.
The plan all along was for Morrell to progress rapidly, just not necessarily that rapidly.
“It was just how everything presented itself,” he said. “It came quicker than we thought. I was asked about the [Allen] fight, whether I wanted to take it. I was ready. I said, ‘I’ll take it.’ I believe in myself, my team believes in me, so I went ahead and took the fight.”
The result was impressive, in spite of the lack of sparring: He outboxed and outworked his veteran opponent, winning 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110.
Now, three fights into his career, he’s in line to fight the WBA titleholder sometime soon. Who is that champion? Canelo Alvarez.
Is he ready for that? Well, Morrell was asked how long he believes he’ll have to wait before he fights for a world title. He didn’t want to answer directly, simply acknowledging that he is still developing as a fighter and that his time will come.
He also has big dreams. He was asked what he wanted to accomplish in boxing and used the word “legend” three times.
“As of right now I can’t really answer that question,” he said, referring to his time table. “That’s more of a question for my team. As my career goes on, I feel better and better. I’ll be ready when the world title shot comes.”
