By Mark Vester

Last Saturday, undefeated junior middleweight prospect James Kirkland (25-0, 22KOs) fought his way to a solid win by battering Joel Julio for a six-round stoppage in San Jose, California. Another rising junior middleweight prospect, Alfredo Angulo (15-0, 12KOs), is also making a big name for himself at the weight. Both fighters love to brawl, come forward and throw a lot of power punches. Both are also becoming solid contenders. Unless one of them is beaten along the way, a showdown will have to happen.

The growing hype for the two of them to fight is almost similiar to a period, going a few years back, when rising prospects Fernando Vargas and David Reid were pounding through the ranks at 154 and captured major titles. Reid suffered a loss before the two of them could ever fight and very quickly their careers went in different directions. 

Kirkland tells BoxingScene.com's Ernest Gabion that he would love to fight Angulo at any time, but he would rather give it more time and have the fight build up to something much bigger - like a championship fight.

"A lot of people want me to fight Angulo. I would love to fight Angulo at any time, but for now I would like to let it marinate. I would like to let it build up, let him get to win more and let myself win more. I want to let it all pile up into something that steams up so much that everybody is dying to see it - and that's what I want to happen," Kirkland tells BoxingScene.

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com