James Kirkland: page 9

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Kirkland's Trainer Warns Canelo: Remember The Alamo!

•May 8, 2015

What a crying shame for the sport that the so-called Fight of the Century turned out to be such a dud on the heels of Canelo-Kirkland. Had Mayweather-Pacquiao even remotely lived up to its hype, it might have generated sufficient momentum to propel many a casual fan to follow through and watch a genuinely explosive match-up that is Canelo-Kirkland and perhaps seal their conversion to lifelong boxing aficionados. Instead, the disappointing, anticlimactic result of the richest fight in boxing history probably rendered the general public turned off and tuned out, relegating this potential Fight of the Year to an audience of diehard boxing fans and Mexican patriots.

Tapia: People Thought Kirkland KO Loss Ended My Career

Keith Idec

•May 7, 2015

NEWARK, N.J. – Glen Tapia’s knockout loss to James Kirkland is mostly remembered for its frightening ending, the way Kirkland connected with a crushing left hook as referee Steve Smoger slowly stepped in to protect a dangerously vulnerable Tapia against the ropes in the sixth round of a bout HBO broadcast. An undeterred Tapia still took something positive from his lone professional defeat. “I have a different mentality now,” Tapia said. “The Kirkland thing woke me up.”

Photos: Canelo, Kirkland Tense Face To Face in Houston

Boxing Photos

•May 7, 2015

HOUSTON - Canelo Alvarez and James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland hosted the final press conference in Houston on Thursday, May 7 ahead of their showdown on May 9 at Minute Maid Park and live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®. Golden Boy Promotions Founder and President Oscar De La Hoya, SMS Promotions Chairman and CEO Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Partner Bernard Hopkins were also in attendance to support their fighters ahead of Saturday’s bout. Also in attendance were promoters Mike Battah, President of Leija*Battah Promotions and Jesse James Leija, Texas Boxing Legend and Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions. Other fighters on the Canelo vs. Kirkland undercard in attendance at Thursday’s press conference included co-main event fighter Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs), 2012 Olympian Joseph “Jojo” Diaz Jr. (15-0, 10 KOs), Chinese heavyweight sensation, Taishan (3-0, 2 KOs), KeAndre Gibson (12-0-1, 5 KOs), Joshua Clottey (38-4, 22 KOs), Ryan Martin (12-0, 7 KOs), and James Leija Jr.

Photos: Canelo, Kirkland Hit Texas' Minute Maid Park

Boxing Photos

•May 6, 2015

(From Left to Right) Former WBC & WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya and super welterweight contender James Kirkland pose on May 5, 2015 in Houston, Texas at the Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer Game prior to their May 9, 2015 fight at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Photos by Juan Deleon/Hoganphotos

Austin Trout Talks Canelo vs. Kirkland, Cotto vs. Geale

Ben Jacobs

•May 5, 2015

Austin Trout (28-2, 15 (KOs) is currently looking for a new opponent following the withdrawal of Anthony Mundine from their scheduled clash in Hidalgo, Texas this Saturday. Nevertheless, the former WBA junior middleweight champion offered his opinions to BoxingScene.com on forthcoming fights for two of his previous opponents. Also Saturday in Texas but on a Golden Boy promotion in Houston, Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez boxes in a potentially explosive fight against James Kirkland. Trout dropped a decision to the Mexican while he has worked with Kirkland's new trainer.

Canelo-Kirkland: 35,000 Fans Expected at The Venue

Steve Kim

•May 5, 2015

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez makes his 2015 debut this weekend versus James Kirkland at the home of the Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park. And as usual, a large throng of fans his expected to be in attendance. "We're doing great, I think we should get 35,000," said Mike Battah, the head of Leija-Battah Promotions, who is running this event locally with Golden Boy Promotions. They caught a bit of break with the Los Angeles Clippers beating the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Oscar De La Hoya: Canelo Will Eventually Fight Golovkin

Lyle Fitzsimmons

•May 5, 2015

By Lyle Fitzsimmons - It’s official. Our long national hyperbolic nightmare is over. And as we turn from the tattered wreckage of Manny Pacquiao’s mayhem-creating aura – or from the tattered wreckage of his right shoulder, you decide – we can look confidently forward knowing that boxing’s pay-per-view future remains in the capable hands of a 20-something redheaded Mexican. Or so sayeth Oscar De La Hoya, at least. The “Golden Boy’s” got a vested interest in that scenario, of course, but that’s not to say that the fight his man will take part in this weekend – in Houston, against oft-menacing Texas native James Kirkland – won’t be worth a watch when it arrives on HBO’s air Saturday at 9 p.m. The match will air live, and will be paired with the network’s replay of some other fight that apparently happened last Saturday. The former six-division world champion sat down recently to discuss his company’s flagship fighter, the inherent danger of a rumble with Kirkland and the opponent he ultimate sees as a PPV foil.

Canelo: I'm Confident of Beating Kirkland in Houston

Miguel Rivera

•May 4, 2015

former world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez acknowledges that this coming Saturday night he will face a strong and dangerous opponent, but feels positive that preparation is the key to beating James "The Mandingo Warrior" Kirkland. A victory will set Canelo on the path to face Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto in the fall. Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs), a former junior middleweight world champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA), is hoping to land a world title shot later in the year with Cotto being the middleweight champion under the WBC, but Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) poses a very obstacle in his path.

Kirkland Not Worried About Ring Rust Versus Canelo

Jake Donovan

•Apr 22, 2015

It will have been 16 months since James Kirkland entered a prizefight by the time he faces Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in the ring on May 9 in Houston, Texas. The two all-action fighters collide in a 155 lb. catchweight bout, one that has been nearly three years in the making. For reasons only Kirkland can explain—but never will—just one fight has come in the time since he was first offered the opportunity to face Alvarez in Sept. ’12. That one bout was a hell of a solo performance, surviving an early rush from Glen Tapia to nearly decapitate the then-unbeaten junior middleweight, scoring a violent 6th round knockout in their Dec. ’13 brawl.

Canelo, Kirkland Promise A War For 12 Rounds Or Less

Jake Donovan

•Apr 22, 2015

Any time a fight is mentioned involving Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez or James Kirkland, an action-packed affair is expected to follow. Now that they are scheduled to face each other, fans are expecting an all-out brawl when they collide May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Kirkland is rarely if ever in a stinker of a fight. An exception came in March ’12, when he struggled to adapt to the awkward style of perennial spoiler Carlos Molina before settling for a disqualification win. Oddly enough the fight was supposed to lead to a Sept. ’12 clash between Kirkland and Alvarez. The fight fell through for reasons beyond Alvarez’ control, as well as two other opponents before settling on Josesito Lopez, whom he destroyed in five one-sided rounds.