Thread: Is James Kirkland the dumbest boxer ever?

He is 30 years old, has very good talent, but he has made some fucking boneheaded decisions in his career. There was the gun incident where he wound up back in jail, there was the split with his trainer, but the worse has been his recent bailing on winnable fights on big cards.

Kirkland-Rosado was supposed to happen on the Hopkins-Kovalev undercard. Kirkland was set for a career high payday and he fucking bailed.

Kirkland had a chance to fight Canelo Alvarez when Paul Williams was paralyzed in his motorcycle crash. And had he won that fight he could have legitimately been staring down a GIGANTIC payday vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. but he fucking bailed out on that too!

James Kirkland hasn't fought in a year and passing on the Rosado fight and payday isn't going to win him any fans at all.

30 years old...time is ticking on him

I can not figure out Kirkland for the life of me. I like to watch the guy fight but he hardly ever does.

Originally Posted by walrus

I can not figure out Kirkland for the life of me. I like to watch the guy fight but he hardly ever does.

No doubt, he really should be the "next Tyson" his style, his attitude, his speed and power.....but the guy has made some fucking stupid moves in his career. If he made the right decisions he'd be making MILLIONS per fight, possibly be a PPV player, and everyone everywhere would know about the guy.....fucking ridiculous how his career has gone.

He could have EASILY been in the running to fight Floyd or Pac, EASILY!!!!

Yes, the fights he does make are some of the more exciting to see. He is an electrifying boxer ans oddly enough does some very good interviews. The guy is not an idiot. I also always thought he had potential superstar status, I'm glad you feel the same. I'd love to see in depth interview with him where he explains what the he'll is going through his mind.

I actually saw him get arrested on a TV show called cops where a TV crew follows police around filming them. He got pulled over with Ann Wolfe in the car. He was driving and got arrested for unregistered vehicle and outstanding warrants. The car was a piece of junk. I almost couldn't believe my eyes watching the episode.

Even his manager and lawyers have come out and said he's fucking up I think.

Maybe he doesn't want those fights because he doesn't think he'd win? He's obviously a really athletic, powerful guy, but he can't box and doesn't have a chin, no matter how cold or ill prepared you want to believe he was for the following




Alvarez would kill him, that would be cashing out for Kirkland. Not that he maybe wouldn't be wise to do it anyways, I dunno.

Originally Posted by El Kabong

Originally Posted by walrus

I can not figure out Kirkland for the life of me. I like to watch the guy fight but he hardly ever does.

No doubt, he really should be the "next Tyson" his style, his attitude, his speed and power.....but the guy has made some fucking stupid moves in his career. If he made the right decisions he'd be making MILLIONS per fight, possibly be a PPV player, and everyone everywhere would know about the guy.....fucking ridiculous how his career has gone.

He could have EASILY been in the running to fight Floyd or Pac, EASILY!!!!

He really brings it and he is fearsome, but he will never be the next Tyson.

Kirkland has a glass jaw and very poor defense.

Well he's not making money NOT fighting so why not fight Canelo? Why not fight anyone else out there? Sure Kirkland got shocked by Ishida but he came back and just smacked the crap out of Angulo and Tapia and basically everyone since Ishida. Kirkland has that shock & awe of speed and power where he can on any given night just demolish an opponent no matter who it is.

He could make a lot more money than what he's making doing nothing...and getting in trouble as well.

Originally Posted by p4pking

Maybe he doesn't want those fights because he doesn't think he'd win? He's obviously a really athletic, powerful guy, but he can't box and doesn't have a chin, no matter how cold or ill prepared you want to believe he was for the following




Alvarez would kill him, that would be cashing out for Kirkland. Not that he maybe wouldn't be wise to do it anyways, I dunno.

Still maybe the biggest WTF moments in boxing, moreso than Morrison/Bentt probably.

First round KO'd by a unheralded Japanese guy who can't punch... yikes.

Tough to beat Quillin right now, but Kirkland is pretty dumb.

I watched the Ishida fight live.

Kirkland has a paper chin, he gets away with it because he is tough and can recover.

If he fights anyone that can land powerful, accurate punches a few times a round, it's over.

I mean Floyd has as much to more power than Ishida, Pacman would kill him, Matthysse? Garcia? Maidana? If he stepped up Golovkin? Kirkland has nowhere to go.

I like him but I'm afraid that the first knockdown punch from Ishida changed / ruined his career.

He certainly must have some mental frailties, how could you not after a featherfisted guy bombs you out in a round?

Originally Posted by Vendettos

I watched the Ishida fight live.

Kirkland has a paper chin, he gets away with it because he is tough and can recover.

If he fights anyone that can land powerful, accurate punches a few times a round, it's over.

I mean Floyd has as much to more power than Ishida, Pacman would kill him, Matthysse? Garcia? Maidana? If he stepped up Golovkin? Kirkland has nowhere to go.

I like him but I'm afraid that the first knockdown punch from Ishida changed / ruined his career.

He certainly must have some mental frailties, how could you not after a featherfisted guy bombs you out in a round?

Tapia and Angulo hit harder than Ishida, so it wasn't just that, tho he does have a glass chin.


Kirkland was completely out of shape with a half ass trainer or at least Kirkland was half assing it in training going into the Ishida fight.


Matthysse and Maidana are badasses, but very small when compared to James Kirkland.


I suspect they would be intimidated seeing as he outweighs them by a good 15-20 lbs easily and rushes people like a lunatic.


One of them might get him, but they might get run over too due to the huge size difference.

Kirkland has a chin made of Rice Krispies and no defense. The guy is more hurt by fast accurate power than slow bombs, he literally short circuits like someone tossed a toaster into his bathtub. The guy is exciting but he ain't beating Alvarez and surely would never find himself in the same ring with Mayweather. He's not some lost what is story, he simply lives career and business as he fights. Strictly in the moment, chin first and a bit wreckless.

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Kirkland has a chin made of Rice Krispies and no defense. The guy is more hurt by fast accurate power than slow bombs, he literally short circuits like someone tossed a toaster into his bathtub. The guy is exciting but he ain't beating Alvarez and surely would never find himself in the same ring with Mayweather. He's not some lost what is story, he simply lives career and business as he fights. Strictly in the moment, chin first and a bit wreckless.

No doubt but he seems only half interested in boxing. I don't think he takes training or anything else seriously. If he was the type of guy that worked full time on the craft and dedicated himself to boxing as he should have I really do believe he could be in with the big names, legitimately. I really would have liked to have seen that. If he were going to try to change it up he would have to do it tomorrow or better yet today. I'm a Kirkland fan but he seems to get lost in himself.

It just seems to me that he has multiple losses and then I realize that ishida is his only loss. He should have lost to Molina if it weren't for the ref.