Kirkland And Angulo Are Destined To Collide
Posted by Igor Frank on 03.11.2009
411’s Igor Frank is back to discuss Kirkland's spectacular performance this past Saturday night and looks into the future for a possible match up with Alfredo El Perro Angulo! Check out the full column for all the details!
Photos by Laura De La Torre / 411mania.com
Rising super welterweight prospect James Kirkland thrilled over 6700 fans in attendance at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California last Saturday as he crushed the toughest foe of his career Joel Julio in six brutal rounds. Kirkland stormed out of his corner as if he was a starving dog unleashed in front of food; he attacked a very dangerous puncher, Julio with reckless abandon and ferocity beyond comparisons. Julio's strategy to box and move and counter punch proved to be futile in the end because aside from being unnatural, moving back did not allow him to set up his power punches. Kirkland's relentless aggression and willingness to go through hell and fire to unleash his furious offence was the deciding factor in this bout. After the third round, the most productive for Julio, who at times planted his feet and engaged in some furious exchanges and landed quite a few very hard right hands, Kirkland took over the fight and demoralized his opponent by taking his best shots and continuing to apply tremendous pressure. Julio, who was cut by a short left hand in the very first round, started to look like a beaten man in the fifth; he ran more and fired less and his face was becoming grotesque. Referee Raul Caiz Jr, who deserves praise for doing a great job and not disrupting the rhythm of the fight, came into Julio's corner at the conclusion of 6th and decided that he had seen enough. Neither Joel Julio nor anybody else in the arena had any complains about the stoppage: the fight was over and the spirit was beaten out of the Colombian puncher. Single mindedness of purpose, intensity and uncompromising aggression is what makes Kirkland a must see TV and one of the most exciting prospect of today. He is a rare fighter who is willing to lay it all out in the ring. At twenty four years old and still learning the sweet science, Kirkland is a force to reckon with at 154 pound division.
Ringside, watching the action next to his trainer and confidant Clemente Medina was another hot light middleweight prospect, Mexican Olympian, Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo, who is creating a buzz of his own among the boxing fans and media. Fans swarmed Angulo after the fight looking for pictures and autographs. They used to confuse him with Margarito, but they know who he is now. I met Angulo in January of 2007 at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood when he was sparring with Roman Karmazin and giving a veteran fighter all he could handle. I decided then that Angulo was a prospect to watch. Aside from his aggressive style and ability to put together punches in bunches, he moved around the ring as if he owned it and there wasn't anything anybody could do in there to surprise him. Since then Angulo, whose popularity has grown leaps and bounds have knocked out every opponent that was put in front of him. Promoter Gary Shaw sent El Perro four tickets and hotel accommodations to attend the fight. Is it to scope a future opponent? Many in attendance wondered along the same lines.
A member of the media asked James about a possible match up with Angulo at the post fight press conference. "I know Angulio," mispronounced Kirkland, probably on purpose, just to agitate his adversary:" I know what do with him in the ring."
I asked El Perro about facing the Mandingo Warrior. "You know me," replied smiling Angulo:" I will fight anybody, anytime."
Just thinking about these two meeting inside the squared circle, makes my blood pressure rise beyond acceptable levels. They are both young and supremely well conditioned offensive machines. I have been watching Angulo train for the past two years. He takes his craft very seriously and his sparring sessions are more exciting than most heavyweight fights of today. Angulo is always in the gym, as a matter of fact, he was doing a full work out on New Years Eve. I have not seen Kirkland in the gym, but what he does in the ring suggests tremendous preparation."I don't know if you could believe this," said Anne Wolfe, who trains Kirkland in Austin, Texas, after I congratulated her on a brilliant performance: "But this fight is nothing compared to what I do to him in training." She tortures her young charge in training, going by the law of the land that says that only the strong will survive and get stronger and the weak one will die.
Both fighters are unstoppable forces in the ring; they come out fast and hard, throw about hundred punches per round with power and apply intense pressure in order to submit their opponents. Even though most ringside observers predict a short career for both warriors because of their lack of defense, it is their uncompromising aggression, which does leave openings for their opponents, that makes them very special fighters. Angulo has more amateur experience and seems to be fundamentally a better boxer while Kirkland seems faster and more intense.
So, what would happen when two unstoppable forces meet in the ring, simultaneous combustion? Are we ready for that? In the words of a hall of fame promoter Bob Arum:"Let this fight bake a little." Both young guns are on the verge of a title shot. Let them both win a title and defend it a few of times and get more TV exposure. Then, hopefully sometime next year, they could unify the titles in what is sure to become an instant classic, that I have goose bumps just thinking about.
A member of the media asked James about a possible match up with Angulo at the post fight press conference. "I know Angulio," mispronounced Kirkland, probably on purpose, just to agitate his adversary:" I know what do with him in the ring."
