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Texan James Kirkland was released from prison to a half-way house last week. He was arrested for arms possession as a felon in April of 2009. Kirkland had served two years for an armed robbery conviction in 2003, before he was released on parole, then violating it last April.
Kirkland had gone to a gun show and tried to purchase a firearm, when undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms appeared. In Texas, a felon in possession of a firearm warrants a ten year sentence. According to Kirkland, the agents allowed him to leave the show, only to follow him and arrest him. On September 30th, 2009, Kirkland was sentenced to an additional 18 months in the Bathrop Federal Prison.
Much to the chagrin of his promoters, last week Kirkland received a reduced sentence to be completed at a half-way house, which will allow him to train and fight as early as this November.
In an interview with Gabriel Montoya, Kirkland also explained that he had been robbed at gunpoint previously.
Oscar De la Hoya explained to the press, “I know how hard he works and he’s been waiting for this moment to prove to the world that he shouldn’t be judged by his mistakes in the past, but how he fixes those mistakes and becomes a role model for young men and women everywhere.”
Among Kirkland´s character witnesses at the trial were Ann Wolfe, former woman’s light heavyweight champ, currently Kirkland’s trainer, as well as¨Golden Boy¨ Oscar de La Hoya, who told the judge that Kirkland might have purchased the gun after word had gotten around East Austin he had been making big money with HBO fights.
Kirkland (25-0) a junior middleweight, is often compared to a smaller version of Mike Tyson, in part because of punching power and ferocity. He brags some 22 knockouts in 25 professional bouts.
However, his steely trainer Ann Wolfe should be partly credited for Kirkland’s abilities. Last year HBO showed training footage from their modest gym in Austin formerly run by old-timer ¨Pops¨ Bilingsley. Not only does it show that Ann “Brown Sugar” Wolfe is as strong as Kirkland, it makes other training regiments look flat out soft. Hitting a heavy bag, while running backwards from an advancing pickup truck? Getting punched in the stomach while holding up a truck tire?
The big question on everyone’s mind is who will Kirkland take on? Sure he’s got an impressive record, but his biggest challenge up to this point was last March against Colombian Joel Julio, who pales in comparison to others in the division; Julio lost to the collared pressure fighter Angel “Perro” Angulo. Kirkland will probably make his return to the ring with an easy fight, after which he’ll have a whole host of fighters to pick from the 154lb. division including Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Anthony Mundine, all of whom need to keep their rep up after recent big losses.
In the meantime, I would stay away from Ann’s gym in Austin. There’s going to be a lot of tires, a lot of hammers, and certainly sweat, if not blood. Just thinking about it makes me want to retire.
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....it'd be a good test or a tune up for him!
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