Tweet
By Michael Swann - James Kirkland, 25-0 (22 KOs), a southpaw junior middleweight, turned 25 years of age this past Thursday, firmly established now as one of the premier young fighters in the game. His fan friendly, all out offensive show of tracking down his opponents as he walks through their punches has made him a can’t miss attraction. HBO loves him.
But life wasn’t always such for the Austin, Texas native.
This writer first interviewed Kirkland three years ago when he was 11-0 (9 KOs), but hadn’t fought in two and a half years, or since November 2003. His pro career, which had begun in 2001, had come to a grinding halt after he was convicted of armed robbery and he was given six months in prison and six months of house arrest.
In that first interview James said, “I was with the wrong crowd and already had a bad record. I couldn’t get a job and I was trying to get some money.”
It’s a sad story of the influence of life on the streets in poverty riddled communities all across the country. In that lifestyle it’s almost expected that a young man could become a thug, a nobody, wind up in prison, and abandon their responsibilities as a parent. It’s a vicious, endless circle of desperation. [details]
But life wasn’t always such for the Austin, Texas native.
This writer first interviewed Kirkland three years ago when he was 11-0 (9 KOs), but hadn’t fought in two and a half years, or since November 2003. His pro career, which had begun in 2001, had come to a grinding halt after he was convicted of armed robbery and he was given six months in prison and six months of house arrest.
In that first interview James said, “I was with the wrong crowd and already had a bad record. I couldn’t get a job and I was trying to get some money.”
It’s a sad story of the influence of life on the streets in poverty riddled communities all across the country. In that lifestyle it’s almost expected that a young man could become a thug, a nobody, wind up in prison, and abandon their responsibilities as a parent. It’s a vicious, endless circle of desperation. [details]
Comment