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.
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.
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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.”
