PROVIDENCE– Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES) announced today that it has signed super middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. to an exclusive, multi-year promotional contract.
The 26-year-old McGirt (19-2-1, 9 KOs), born in Brentwood, New York and now fighting out of Vero Beach (FL), is scheduled to make his CES debut on “River Rage” on May 22 at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island. James is trained by his father, James “Buddy” McGirt, 2-time world champion and former Trainer of the Year
“CES doesn’t give-up on fighters after a loss as long as he has learned from a set-back and shown me he still has fire burning in his stomach to be a world champion,” Burchfield said. “We build champions and give personalized care to all of our fighters. I remember Scotty Pemberton getting knocked out by Hector Sanjurjo. We didn’t give up on Pemberton and he came back to be the No. 1 contender in the world and fought for the world title. It’s not always about the money; it’s about getting the job done.
“My reputation and word is my bond. James’ father Buddy was a champion – he’ll always be a champion – and he’s trained a lot of world champions. We are going to work together as a team to make James a world champion. He’s a very gifted boxer with a great pedigree. CES is a supportive team and everyone is delighted to add a talent like James to our growing stable that includes world-class fighters like Matt Godfrey, Jason Estrada and Joey Spina.”
Growing up, James used his natural athletic ability to play basketball, a sport he believes he’d be playing professionally somewhere today if he hadn’t given it up to box. McGirt’s tremendous quickness and athleticism was good enough for James, Jr. to earn a basketball scholarship to St. Petersburg Junior College, but boxing flowed through his veins and he decided to pursue boxing on a fulltime basis.
Off the hardcourt and into the four-cornered ring, James had a solid 44-4 amateur record, including gold medal performances in the Sunshine State Games and Southeast Regional, in addition to reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Championships twice and semifinals of the National PALs.
“My last name is a big part of me and my career,” James remarked. “I’m Buddy’s son. It’s in the genes. He was a great fighter and he’s one of the hottest trainers in boxing today. I’ve gained a lot of experience just being his son. The pressure is always going to be there because of who I am. I’ve been around this sport a long time and I know expectations are high.
“I’m very excited to get back in the ring. It’s been too long. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Mr. Burchfield and I’m grateful to him for giving me this great opportunity. I’m going back up to super middleweight. I had nothing left, no life after three rounds, at 160. I’m in the process of moving back up to 168, but we’re not jumping right up. This fight will be at around 164-165. I want to be a world champion.”
McGirt’s opponents always bring their A game, trying to defeat James and his famous father, which has often proven to be dangerous for James. “Yeah,” Buddy agreed, “but we have to let James’ action do the talking. The rest will take care of itself. Jimmy Burchfield is a great guy and I’m thankful for this opportunity he’s giving to my son.”
So, in many respects, it is last call for James McGirt. “It’s a new beginning,” his manager Dennis Witherow commented. “Jimmy is a straight forward guy who has been in this industry for a long time. He understands the job a promoter needs to do to take his fighter to the next level. We are all very happy that James has signed with CES.”
Go to www.cesboxcing.com for more information about Classic Entertainment and Sports.
See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1
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Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com
©®™2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Showing posts with label James McGirt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James McGirt. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
McGirt returns Nov. 11 as proven prospect
VERO BEACH, Florida – How a pro boxer responds to adversity usually separates contenders from pretenders. Highly-regarded world middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. (19-1, 9 KOs), coming off of his first career loss, passed his first major test June 25 on national television, winning a unanimous 10-round decision against former IBO and WBU middleweight champion Raymond “Hallelujah” Joval (37-5, 16 KOs).
McGirt, who returns to the ring November 11 on “Bad Boys” (Glen Johnson and Edision Miranda headline the card in separate bouts) against an opponent to be determined in Hollywood (FL), successfully bounced back from his first pro loss in April to Carlos DeLeon, Jr., serving as a valuable lesson for James who had floored DeLeon at the end of the sixth round, only to get careless going for a knockout in the seventh and consequently getting stopped himself.
McGirt has started to establish his own identity, somewhat breaking from the shadows of his father and head trainer, 2-time world champion James “Buddy” McGirt – James doesn’t use the nickname “Buddy” – with his win against Joval that catapulted him into the No. 8 spot in The Ring magazine’s ratings, as well as No. 14 in the latest World Boxing Council rankings.
“I felt better about myself after the Joval fight,” James said, “but it didn’t erase the loss (to DeLeon). But I did beat The Ring’s No. 8 rated middleweight (Joval). I beat a well experienced fighter, but I still have to whoop Carlos DeLeon so I can sleep good again at night.”
McGirt recently shifted training camp from Vero Beach to Las Vegas, where his father is preparing Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi for his November 22nd showdown against Ricky Hatton. “I’ve had a real good training camp and it’s going to get even better in Las Vegas,” James remarked. “I don’t know who I’m fighting but it doesn’t matter. Whoever it is, he’s going to have to worry about me. Paulie’s getting ready for his big fight with Hatton. My dad is his trainer, so I’m going where he is, and I respect that. I need to get away anyway. I’ve been home too long. I’ll be working harder out there and will be able to focus even more. It’s going to help get me in the right frame of mind with five weeks to go so I can go kick some butt. I can promise you this: I will be ready to fight on November 11th.”
Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1
EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine
Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
McGirt, who returns to the ring November 11 on “Bad Boys” (Glen Johnson and Edision Miranda headline the card in separate bouts) against an opponent to be determined in Hollywood (FL), successfully bounced back from his first pro loss in April to Carlos DeLeon, Jr., serving as a valuable lesson for James who had floored DeLeon at the end of the sixth round, only to get careless going for a knockout in the seventh and consequently getting stopped himself.
McGirt has started to establish his own identity, somewhat breaking from the shadows of his father and head trainer, 2-time world champion James “Buddy” McGirt – James doesn’t use the nickname “Buddy” – with his win against Joval that catapulted him into the No. 8 spot in The Ring magazine’s ratings, as well as No. 14 in the latest World Boxing Council rankings.
“I felt better about myself after the Joval fight,” James said, “but it didn’t erase the loss (to DeLeon). But I did beat The Ring’s No. 8 rated middleweight (Joval). I beat a well experienced fighter, but I still have to whoop Carlos DeLeon so I can sleep good again at night.”
McGirt recently shifted training camp from Vero Beach to Las Vegas, where his father is preparing Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi for his November 22nd showdown against Ricky Hatton. “I’ve had a real good training camp and it’s going to get even better in Las Vegas,” James remarked. “I don’t know who I’m fighting but it doesn’t matter. Whoever it is, he’s going to have to worry about me. Paulie’s getting ready for his big fight with Hatton. My dad is his trainer, so I’m going where he is, and I respect that. I need to get away anyway. I’ve been home too long. I’ll be working harder out there and will be able to focus even more. It’s going to help get me in the right frame of mind with five weeks to go so I can go kick some butt. I can promise you this: I will be ready to fight on November 11th.”
Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1
EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine
Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
James McGirt, Jr.; regroups after 1st loss, moving back to middleweight
VERO BEACH, Florida– There’s nothing more devastating in boxing that than a hot prospect’s first pro loss, especially for someone such as James McGirt, Jr. (18-1, 9 KOs), whose last name alone makes opponents perform better. McGirt suffered his first set-back April 11 when another son of a former world champion, Carlos “Baby Sugar” DeLeon, Jr. (20-2-2, 12 KOs), stopped James in the seventh round of their ShoBox co-feature.
Photo courtesy of Emily Harney
DeLeon was floored by McGirt at the end of the sixth round, but he got to his feet just before the bell sounded. “When I dropped him, instead of listening to my father (head trainer “Buddy” McGirt), I got careless,” James explained. “I had him but dropped my right hand and got caught. My legs were a little wobbly, but I was more embarrassed than anything having been knocked down for the first time in my career. I thought that I could deal with it but got hit with an uppercut. I tried to wait it out, hoping he’d gotten tired punching, but I wasn’t punching back and the ref stopped the fight.
Buddy Mc Girt
“The hardest thing in the world is to take your first loss. I still know that I’m going to be a world champion someday. This is part of the learning experience. No excuses. I should have listened and boxed. It’s a hard pill to shallow. I want a rematch, but I know it won’t happen right away. I won’t be able to sleep at night unless I fight him one more time.”
McGirt’s father, 2-time world champion “Buddy,” suffered his first pro loss in his 30th fight, as the No. 1 contender in the world, to Frankie Warren by 10-round decision. “I warned James last year that he was dropping his right hand too much,” Buddy noted. “You can’t take anything for granted. Once he knocked the other guy down, James thought that he had him, but he got caught by that left hook. It’s a great learning experience. I was talking to Roy Jones. He said at least it happened now or he would have kept doing it and now he’ll listen. James can’t have a flamboyant, relaxed attitude like he did in basketball. On the court he could be nonchalant, flashy, but you can’t do that in the ring. They’re always trying to beat Buddy McGirt’s son and Buddy McGirt. In a way I’m glad it happened. It’s going to be a good learning experience for James. I told him he should thank DeLeon for the wake-up call because he got lazy.
“Sure, it’s a hard pill to swallow. I saw the punch hit him and I can still visualize it like a picture in my mind. That night, James became a man, and not just in the ring. Taking nothing away from DeLeon, James had the fight and should have won. Now he has to put it behind him and move forward. After a first loss, you either become a better fighter, or get out of the game. James’ eyes were opened. You can’t do what he did in basketball, not in this business, and now he understands. What he does from here on will determine what he is in boxing.”
McGirt may have been more comfortable making weight and fighting as a super middleweight, but the plan is for him to slowly move back to the middleweight division. “His opponents at super middleweight are too big,” McGirt’s manager Dennis Witherow explained. “I talked with Buddy after the fight and we agree that James needs to fight as a middleweight. They weighed-in the same weight but, in the fight, the difference in their weight made a big difference. He’ll fight at 162-163 in his next fight, hopefully in July. We’re going forward, not looking backwards. The loss is part of the learning process, a bump in the road. He got caught and that’s just part of the game.”
Buddy added, “The last two days (prior to the fight) James just shadow-boxed. He didn’t run or train, ate right before the weigh in, and came in at 166. He won’t have a problem making 163. We saw how small James (166-167 lbs. in the fight) was in comparison to DeLeon (between 180-185 lbs) and even (Jason) Naugler. James will be fighting as a middleweight.”
-JM-
CONTACT:
Bob Trieger
Full Court Press
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
Photo courtesy of Emily Harney
DeLeon was floored by McGirt at the end of the sixth round, but he got to his feet just before the bell sounded. “When I dropped him, instead of listening to my father (head trainer “Buddy” McGirt), I got careless,” James explained. “I had him but dropped my right hand and got caught. My legs were a little wobbly, but I was more embarrassed than anything having been knocked down for the first time in my career. I thought that I could deal with it but got hit with an uppercut. I tried to wait it out, hoping he’d gotten tired punching, but I wasn’t punching back and the ref stopped the fight.
Buddy Mc Girt
“The hardest thing in the world is to take your first loss. I still know that I’m going to be a world champion someday. This is part of the learning experience. No excuses. I should have listened and boxed. It’s a hard pill to shallow. I want a rematch, but I know it won’t happen right away. I won’t be able to sleep at night unless I fight him one more time.”
McGirt’s father, 2-time world champion “Buddy,” suffered his first pro loss in his 30th fight, as the No. 1 contender in the world, to Frankie Warren by 10-round decision. “I warned James last year that he was dropping his right hand too much,” Buddy noted. “You can’t take anything for granted. Once he knocked the other guy down, James thought that he had him, but he got caught by that left hook. It’s a great learning experience. I was talking to Roy Jones. He said at least it happened now or he would have kept doing it and now he’ll listen. James can’t have a flamboyant, relaxed attitude like he did in basketball. On the court he could be nonchalant, flashy, but you can’t do that in the ring. They’re always trying to beat Buddy McGirt’s son and Buddy McGirt. In a way I’m glad it happened. It’s going to be a good learning experience for James. I told him he should thank DeLeon for the wake-up call because he got lazy.
“Sure, it’s a hard pill to swallow. I saw the punch hit him and I can still visualize it like a picture in my mind. That night, James became a man, and not just in the ring. Taking nothing away from DeLeon, James had the fight and should have won. Now he has to put it behind him and move forward. After a first loss, you either become a better fighter, or get out of the game. James’ eyes were opened. You can’t do what he did in basketball, not in this business, and now he understands. What he does from here on will determine what he is in boxing.”
McGirt may have been more comfortable making weight and fighting as a super middleweight, but the plan is for him to slowly move back to the middleweight division. “His opponents at super middleweight are too big,” McGirt’s manager Dennis Witherow explained. “I talked with Buddy after the fight and we agree that James needs to fight as a middleweight. They weighed-in the same weight but, in the fight, the difference in their weight made a big difference. He’ll fight at 162-163 in his next fight, hopefully in July. We’re going forward, not looking backwards. The loss is part of the learning process, a bump in the road. He got caught and that’s just part of the game.”
Buddy added, “The last two days (prior to the fight) James just shadow-boxed. He didn’t run or train, ate right before the weigh in, and came in at 166. He won’t have a problem making 163. We saw how small James (166-167 lbs. in the fight) was in comparison to DeLeon (between 180-185 lbs) and even (Jason) Naugler. James will be fighting as a middleweight.”
-JM-
CONTACT:
Bob Trieger
Full Court Press
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt Jr. fighting on ShoBox April 11 vs. Carlos DeLeon, Jr.
VERO BEACH, Florida– Unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. (18-0, 9 KOs) squares-off with another son of a former world champion, Carlos “Baby Sugar” DeLeon, Jr. (19-2-2, 12 KOs), April 11 in the 10-round co-feature on ShoBox, live from Miccosukee Resort in Miami.
“Fighting on ShoBox means everything to me,” McGirt said. “It’s a stepping stone for my career and I’m very excited. I fought on ShoBox one other time, when I defeated Aaron Pryor’s son, Stephan. Every fight is a new chapter in my career, each one the biggest of my life. I know DeLeon is going to bring his ‘A’ game. I’ve got to be better than him, smarter than him in the ring. I know my father will be telling me to keep my right hand up.
“I’ve been working very hard, so going the distance (in his first scheduled 10 round fight) won’t be a problem, if I need to. It’s his first 10-round fight, too. My weight is right on and I’ve never been this close to the contracted weight so far out from a fight. I’ve been in the gym for so long, waiting for a fight since October, working regularly since right before New Years. For the past 2 ½ months I’ve been on a strength program, lifting weights, and I’ve bulked up a little. I’ve found a home at super middleweight.”
The fathers of McGirt and DeLeon were world champions at the same time in 1988. James “Buddy” McGirt, St., who had a 73-6-1 (48 KOs) record as a pro, was a 2-time world champion in two weight classes (IBF light welterweight 1988, WBC welterweight 1991-93). Carlos “Sugar” DeLeon, Sr., 52-8-1 (32 KOs) as a pro, was a 4-time WBC cruiserweight champion (1980-82, 1983-85, 1986-88, 1989).
“James is ready to take it to the next level,” McGirt's manager, Dennis Witherow, remarked. “We’ve had him on a strength-and-conditioning program. We saw a small difference in his last fight against (Jason) Naugler, but he had only been on the program for 30 days. This fight we expect to see a substantial difference. I think some people are going to be surprised by James’ strength. His boxing skills continue to get better, too. ‘Buddy’ knows boxing so well that he can even pick-out James’ natural skills and still make them better. He’s constantly on James to improve.
“We’re all excited about James fighting again on ShoBox. A win can get James a top 10 fighter next. He’s willing and deserves that, too. You can count on one hand the number of rounds James has lost. He wants to prove that he’s a premier fighter making a name for himself, not the son of a great fighter being protected. As James’ opponents are better, he gets better.”
McGirt, rated No. 26 by the WBC, is a southpaw originally from Brentwood, New York, now living and fighting out of Vero Beach, Florida. DeLeon, rated No. 31 by the WBC, is the reigning USNBC champion from Puerto Rico.
The McGirts are on a mission to become the first family in boxing to feature father-son world champions with the former working his natural son’s corner as head trainer when the latter captures a major world title.
“Fighting on ShoBox means everything to me,” McGirt said. “It’s a stepping stone for my career and I’m very excited. I fought on ShoBox one other time, when I defeated Aaron Pryor’s son, Stephan. Every fight is a new chapter in my career, each one the biggest of my life. I know DeLeon is going to bring his ‘A’ game. I’ve got to be better than him, smarter than him in the ring. I know my father will be telling me to keep my right hand up.
“I’ve been working very hard, so going the distance (in his first scheduled 10 round fight) won’t be a problem, if I need to. It’s his first 10-round fight, too. My weight is right on and I’ve never been this close to the contracted weight so far out from a fight. I’ve been in the gym for so long, waiting for a fight since October, working regularly since right before New Years. For the past 2 ½ months I’ve been on a strength program, lifting weights, and I’ve bulked up a little. I’ve found a home at super middleweight.”
The fathers of McGirt and DeLeon were world champions at the same time in 1988. James “Buddy” McGirt, St., who had a 73-6-1 (48 KOs) record as a pro, was a 2-time world champion in two weight classes (IBF light welterweight 1988, WBC welterweight 1991-93). Carlos “Sugar” DeLeon, Sr., 52-8-1 (32 KOs) as a pro, was a 4-time WBC cruiserweight champion (1980-82, 1983-85, 1986-88, 1989).
“James is ready to take it to the next level,” McGirt's manager, Dennis Witherow, remarked. “We’ve had him on a strength-and-conditioning program. We saw a small difference in his last fight against (Jason) Naugler, but he had only been on the program for 30 days. This fight we expect to see a substantial difference. I think some people are going to be surprised by James’ strength. His boxing skills continue to get better, too. ‘Buddy’ knows boxing so well that he can even pick-out James’ natural skills and still make them better. He’s constantly on James to improve.
“We’re all excited about James fighting again on ShoBox. A win can get James a top 10 fighter next. He’s willing and deserves that, too. You can count on one hand the number of rounds James has lost. He wants to prove that he’s a premier fighter making a name for himself, not the son of a great fighter being protected. As James’ opponents are better, he gets better.”
McGirt, rated No. 26 by the WBC, is a southpaw originally from Brentwood, New York, now living and fighting out of Vero Beach, Florida. DeLeon, rated No. 31 by the WBC, is the reigning USNBC champion from Puerto Rico.
The McGirts are on a mission to become the first family in boxing to feature father-son world champions with the former working his natural son’s corner as head trainer when the latter captures a major world title.
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