Tag: Jamal James

Jamal James pleased with his success, primed for more

Welterweight contender Jamal James is grateful for the position he’s in and gunning for more.

Jamal James could complain but he won’t.

The welterweight contender was scheduled to face Thomas Dulorme on April 11 at the Armory in his hometown of Minneapolis but the fight gave way to COVID-19. It was rescheduled for July 25 and then pushed back again because of the start of the baseball season, this time to this Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Is James frustrated? Nah. He looks around him and feels fortunate.

“It’s definitely different,” James said on The PBC Podcast. “… I try to keep a positive outlook on whatever gets thrown my way. It’s very easy to complain about stuff but when I look at the position I’m in, the blessings I’ve received, it’s a lot better than people I know and stories I’ve heard.

“… So I try not to complain too much.”

James (26-1, 12 KOs) is definitely in a good position in terms of boxing.

The one-time national-level amateur fighter took up the sport at 5 years old, which means he has been grinding for 27 long years. And, today, he’s only a victory or two away from the opportunity to realize his dream of winning a world title.

The re-re-scheduled fight with Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) is for the WBA “interim” title, which will put the winner in a position to challenge titleholder Manny Pacquiao.

Jamal James (right) defeated veteran Antonio DeMarco by a unanimous decision in July of last year. Andrew Dobins / The Armory

The problem is that everyone wants to fight Pacquiao and he seems interested in facing only opponents with the biggest names at this stage of his career. James understands that. He also understands that a victory over Dulorme will be a giant step toward truly big fights.

“The welterweight division is so stacked with big-name fighters,” he said. “You know, you could make a decent living in that weight class or decent boxing career in that weight class if you have the skills for it. So I’m down to get in there with anybody as long as it makes business sense.”

Of course, he has to get past Dulorme first, which is no given.

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican was stopped by Terence Crawford in 2015 but has fought well since then even though he’s only 1-1-1 in his last three fights, losing a close decision to Yordenis Ugas, drawing with Jessie Vargas and then outpointing previously unbeaten Terrel Williams.

Dulorme is talented and experienced, and he seems to have found a grove.

“He’s a veteran in the game,” James said. “He’s fought world class opponents, been in there with the Terence Crawfords and other guys. He has his own natural, special abilities. When you get in there with a guy who’s been around the block a little bit against other tough opponents, has a winning record, you can bet they’re going to come to fight, they’re going to have tricks you have to watch out for.

“But I’ve been in there with tough guys, too, I have my bag of tricks as well. So we’re going to see what’s up.”

James (right) demonstrated both skill and resilience against the tough DeMarco. Andrew Dobins / The Armory

One fight in which James learned a great deal was his only loss, a unanimous decision against Ugas in 2016.

James took that fight only a few days beforehand. He was prepared physically, in part because he fought less than a month earlier, but he realized after the fact that a few days isn’t necessarily look enough to get in the proper frame of mind to face an opponent as gifted as Ugas.

Lost a fight. Learned a lesson.

“You don’t overlook or underestimate anybody,” James said. “You gotta be 100 percent prepared when you step in there with anybody, especially at this level. I took that fight on very short notice. We looked at the guy, we looked at Ugas’ record, but we didn’t do my full research.

“I was still healthy, in decent shape because I just got done with another fight, but I wasn’t mentally focused and in the zone like should’ve been. Once you’ve been in camp for a month or more, when you come out of that camp you have a different hunger to you, a different focus to you.

“I had a focus but it wasn’t to that level. He definitely had a focus because he had been preparing. … I’m not a hater. He did what he’s supposed to do, he won. His career has been blasting off. Hopefully in the future I get a rematch in if the business is right.

“But like I said I’m happy where I’m at now. And I’m going to try to get more and more.”

You can bet that James will be ready Saturday – physically and mentally.

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Fox schedule: Thoughts on Spence-Garcia, Shawn Porter, Aug. 8 card

The Errol Spence Jr.-Danny Garcia fight is about as good as it gets. Shawn Porter vs. Sebastian Formella? Not so much.

Showtime last week revealed its schedule for the remainder of the year. Fox will do the same during its first post-lockdown telecast on Aug. 8, although word of other matchups is trickling out before the formal announcement.

Fox announced that the Aug. 8 card, on Fox Sports and Fox Deportes, features a 12-round welterweight bout between Jamal James and Thomas Dulorme behind closed doors at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

On Aug. 22, welterweight contender Shawn Porter will face unbeaten Sebastian Formella of Germany, according to The Athletic.

And on Friday Errol Spence Jr. and Danny Garcia both Tweeted that their 147-pound title fight is set for Nov. 21 on Fox Pay-Per-View.

Of course, the most compelling fight among those is Spence-Garcia, which is why it will be available for a fee. It’s not Spence vs. Terence Crawford or Manny Pacquiao but it’s big.

Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) is considered one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound – he’s No. 7 on the Boxing Junkie list – yet Garcia (36-2, 2 1 KOs) is considered a genuine threat to the Texan.

And why not? Garcia, a former two-division titleholder, has fought successfully at the apex of the sport for a decade and is still only 32. His two losses – against elite opponents Keith Thurman (SD) and Porter (UD) – were both thisclose.

Another element to the match is Spence’s horrific one-car crash in October, from which he somehow walked away with minor injuries. He says he’s perfectly healthy but we won’t know until he steps into the ring.

Spence is coming off back-to-back decisions over Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter. If he’s is 100 percent, he’ll be favored to beat Danny Garcia, too. He’s the naturally bigger man and seen as a better all-around fighter than the Philadelphian.

At the same time, Garcia has more experience and the ability to compete with anyone. No one is counting him out.

The Porter matchup is more of a showcase or tune-up than a competitive fight, or so it seems. Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs) came within a whisker of beating Spence in their fight-of-the-year candidate last September in L.A. He’s a former two-time welterweight titleholder at the top of his game at 32.

Formella (22-0, 10 KOs) has a nice record but has never faced anyone near Porter’s caliber and has fought outside his native country only once. Plus, his record seems to indicate that he doesn’t have much punching power.

How is he going to keep a strong, swarming volume puncher like Porter off of him? He probably will have no hope of doing so. In other words, this could be a mismatch, which will disappoint a lot of fans.

James vs. Dulorme is a good matchup between two capable, hungry fighters hoping to position themselves for a shot at a 147-pound title.

James (26-1, 12 KOs) has won six consecutive fights since he lost a decision to slick Cuban Yordenis Ugas in 2016. He’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over veteran Antonio DeMarco, although some thought DeMarco did enough to win.

Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) has had mixed results – losing to Terence Crawford (TKO 6) and Ugas (UD) – and has fought only sporadically in recent years but is coming off a solid unanimous-decision victory over previously unbeaten Terrel Williams in September, in which Dulorme looked like a legitimate contender.

We’ll hear the rest of the Fox schedule in a week.

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Junkie Drawer: Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia say fight set for Nov. 21

“Junkie Drawer” is a new feature on Boxing Junkie. It will be updated most days with any bit of news, notes or rumors of interest to fans.

Editor’s note: “Junkie Drawer” is a new feature on Boxing Junkie. It will be updated most days with any bit of news, notes or rumors of interest to our readers. Come back and check it out each day.

July 31, 2020

Welterweight titleholder Errol Spence and Danny Garcia confirmed Friday on Twitter that they will fight on Nov. 21 on pay-per-view.

“Done deal the KING of the division [is] BACK,” Spence Tweeted.

Garcia responded by Tweeting: HERE WE GO! @ErrolSpenceJr Spence on Nov. 21. Signed! Sealed! Delivered! My 10th world title fight its time to crown the king again

The site has not been announced.

Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) last fought in September, when he defeated Shawn Porter by a split decision to retain his 147-pound titles. The following month he escaped a horrific one-car accident with minor injuries.

Garcia (36-2, 21 knockouts) is a former two division titleholder and one of the top welterweights in the world.

***

Junior welterweight prospect Omar Juarez (7-0, 4 KOs) will face Willie Shaw (12-1, 8 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout on the Thomas Dulorme-Jamal James card Aug. 8 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Fox, BoxingScene.com is reporting.

The card is the network’s first show since March 7 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

Lomachenko-Lopez ‘working date’ now Oct. 3, sites for PBC return revealed

Promoters are scrambling to find the best dates and sites to showcase their fighters.

Promoters are scrambling to find the best dates and sites to showcase their fighters.

The lightweight title-unification fight between Vasilily Lomachenko, Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound, and Teofimo Lopez has tentatively been moved from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3 in the hopes that the corornavirus will ease enough to allow some spectators, BoxingScene.com reported.

Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters, hopes to stage the fight in Las Vegas.

Lomachenko-Lopez was originally scheduled for May 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York but was canceled because of the pandemic.

“Loma-Lopez, we had scheduled it for Sept. 19 as the working date but now it will probably go on pay-per-view and that means the working date now is Oct. 3,” Arum said.

“Right now, with the [coronavirus] spike going on Nevada we couldn’t schedule it even with limited spectators. Hopefully, and we have some time, we’re looking to do that fight for 2,000 or maybe 2,500 people.”

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) last fought in August, when he defeated Luke Campbell by a unanimous decision in London. He reportedly opened his training camp this week in Ukraine.

Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) is coming off a sensational second-round knockout of Richard Commey to win his 135-pound title.

Meanwhile, BoxingScene.com reported that the sites for Premier Boxing Champions’ first post-lockdown cards are set.

The PBC will stage a card on Aug. 1 in a secured bubble at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on Showtime, according to the website. An MMA card reportedly will be held at the same site the week before.

Luis Nery (30-0, 24 KOs) could face Aaron Alameda (25-0, 13 KOs) in a junior featherweight bout in the main event Aug. 1, according to BoxingScene.com.

Also, an Aug. 8 card – reportedly featuring Jamal James vs. Thomas Dulorme in a welterweight bout, although that hasn’t be finalized – will take place at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, from where Fox apparently will televise several cards.

The first show on Fox was scheduled for July 25 but was moved because of the scheduled start of the Major League Baseball season.

 

 

PBC on Fox return pushed back to Aug. 8 because of baseball

PBC on Fox has pushed back its return because of the start of the Major League Baseball season.

Baseball trumps boxing.

PBC on Fox was scheduled to return on July 25, with Jamal James fighting Thomas Dulorme in the main event. However, baseball has announced that it will kick off its belated season on July 23. And the first MLB on Fox games are on … you guessed it … July 25.

As a result, the James-Dulorme card has been pushed back to Aug.8, according to The Athletic.

The show had been scheduled to fight on April 11 in Minneapolis — James’ hometown — but the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was rescheduled for July 25 in a studio setting without spectators.

The site hasn’t been announced. And it’s possible that the James-Dulorme fight will be shifted to a different card, meaning another matchup could be featured on the Aug. 8 card.

The 6-foot-2 James (26-1, 12 KOs) has won six consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in August 2015. James outpointed Antonio DeMarco in July of last year.

Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) rebounded from a decision loss to Ugas and draw with Jessie Vargas by easily outpointing then-unbeaten Terrel Williams in September.

Also on the card, The Athletic is reporting that Lennox Allen (22-0-1, 14 KOs) of Guyana will face David Morrell (2-0, 2 KOs) of Cuba.

The last main event on Fox was Robert Helenius’ upset knockout of Adam Kownacki on March 7.

Report: Jamal James vs. Thomas Dulorme set for July 25 on Fox

Jamal James will face Thomas Dulorme in a 12-round welterweight fight on July 25 on Fox, according to a report.

Boxing on Fox will resume on July 25, according to a report.

Jamal James will face Thomas Dulorme in a 12-round welterweight fight on that date in what BoxingScene.com described as a “studio setting” – without spectators — in the Los Angeles area.

They had been scheduled to fight on April 11 in Minneapolis but the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 6-foot-2 James (26-1, 12 KOs) has won six consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision against Yordenis Ugas in August 2015. James outpointed Antonio DeMarco last July.

Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) rebounded from a decision loss to Ugas and draw with Jessie Vargas by easily outpointing then-unbeaten Terrel Williams in September.

The last main event on Fox was Robert Helenius’ upset knockout of Adam Kownacki on March 7.

Travis Kauffman tests positive for coronavirus, stresses social distancing

Reading, Pennsylvania-based heavyweight Travis Kauffman has the coronavirus, the fighter announced on social media…

Heavyweight Travis Kauffman has tested positive for the coronavirus, the fighter announced Thursday on his social media.

Kauffman, who lives and trains in Reading, Pennsylvania, says the symptoms began somewhat innocuously before it suddenly escalated.

“It started with a little scratchy throat, so I loaded up on Airborne. I didn’t think nothing of it,” Kauffman said in a Facebook Live video. “Saturday, something just hit me. It felt like I got hit by a truck all of a sudden. Boom! I started feeling weird. My body was hurting bad. My fever was a 102.7. That’s when I said I got to go checked.”

The 34-year old was set to fight Nick Guivas on the undercard of the Jamal James vs. Thomas Dulorme main event on April 11 in Minneapolis, but that show was canceled as a result of the pandemic.

Kaufmann (32-3, 23 KOs) says he is doing fine at the moment and is more concerned about some of his loved ones, given the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus. 

“I’m pretty healthy. I think I’ll get through this. But if I don’t get through this, I’m not worried about me,” Kauffman said. “I’m worried about my father. My father is 57 years old, heart problems, diabetes. And he’s sick right now. He hasn’t been tested for the coronavirus. but I’ve been around him, and he has the same exact symptoms as me.”

Kauffman’s father is Reading-based boxing promoter and trainer Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. And he’s not the only loved one in potential danger, the younger Kauffman said. 

“My baby is sick,” he said. “Now his mom is sick. So the problem with this coronavirus thing … we all look it as a flu and it kind of is. The only problem is it’s so f—ing contagious.

“This is a reason why we have to stay away from each other, man.”

In other words, practice social distancing. 

Said Kauffman: “I spoke to somebody today [and he said], ‘Well, Trav, everybody is going to get it anyway.’ That’s the mindset of f—ing people.”

Regis Prograis vs. Maurice Hooker, three PBC cards shelved

The Regis Prograis-Maurice Hooker fight and three PBC cards have been shelved as a result of the coronavirus threat.

Premier Boxing Champions is canceling cards through at least the end of April and Matchroom Boxing is calling off the Regis Prograis-Maurice Hooker bout because of the coronavirus pandemic.

PBC decided Monday to shelve three cards, including super middleweight David Benavidez’s homecoming scheduled for April 17 against Roamer Alexis Angulo at the Arizona Federal Theater in downtown Phoenix.

“The health and safety of the boxers, fans and those working the events are of utmost importance to us,” Tom Brown, president of TGB Promotions and lead promoter for the canceled PBC shows, said in a statement. “We are all disappointed, and as we get more information we will address future events.”

Prograis-Hooker, an intriguing junior welterweight bout, had been scheduled for April 17 at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn said he will try to re-schedule the bout.

Two other PBS cards were scheduled, one featuring  Luis Nery vs. Aaron Alvarado in a bantamweight bout on March 28 at the MGM’s Park Theater in Las Vegas and Jamal James vs. Thomas Dulorme in a welterweight bout on April 11 at The Armory in Minneapolis.

The MGM announced Sunday that it was closing its casinos and hotels in Las Vegas for “the foreseeable future.’’

Meanwhile, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an advisory Sunday that events with more than 50 people should not be held over the next eight weeks. That means there might not be any boxing in the U.S. until at least May 11.