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Understanding James Kirkland, Mandingo Fought Canelo Without A Wolfe of a Chance
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Most boxing fans like James Kirkland. The mystery with James Kirkland is not knowing which James Kirkland will show up to fight. Thus far, the Ann Wolfe version of James Kirkland is undefeated. The other version of James Kirkland has been knocked out twice.
Somehow, the week after Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao, the diehard boxing fans knew Mandingo Kirkland versus Saul Canelo Alvarez would be an action packed thriller for as long as it lasted. Without Ann Wolfe, the key to the Canelo corner was overwhelming knowledge of Kirkland’s bad habits. In the same way Max Schmeling, ‘The Black Uhlan’, studied old fight reels to time the Joe Louis low left coming back with the overhand right, Canelo threw uppercuts under the Kirkland jab. Canelo waited for Kirkland to square up in error as he did with Nobuhiro Ishida. Despite this fatal flaw, boxing fans expected a better and longer slugfast than Canelo versus Kirkland produced. However, nobody felt cheated in Mexico, where Canelo still rules in popularity.
When Kirkland finally made the critical mistake, he did not have a ‘wolf of a chance’ as longtime trainer Ann Wolfe was not in his corner. Who knows Kirkland’s reasoning. Canelo feigned low, then came high and knocked out Kirkland with a countering right as Kirkland was throwing a left hook and facing Canelo squarely. Kirkland fell as quickly as he came in the third round, but the Canelo versus Kirkland action was action packed and memorable.
Canelo’s lone loss was to Floyd. Kirkland’s issue is he is to Ann Wolfe what Kevin Rooney Sr. was to Iron Mike Tyson. The Kirkland and Wolfe training formula works. Kirkland cannot train with others. Wolfe does not make any mistakes in the way she trains fighters.
Kirkland thinks he knows everything, but he does not. Kirkland’s fatal flaw is he is an offensive style fighter prone to power hitting slugfests. As a technical fighter he has skills, but he has to know how to move and to defend. He did it against Alfredo Angulo. Beyond heart, Kirkland keeps making the same mistake…….squaring up against opponents and standing in front of them where he will get hit.For Kirkland, nothing short of a world class former world champion like Ann Wolfe training him will do. Kirkland’s electric offensive style is a junior middleweight Ron Lyle, but he has to know how to use what he has and not make mistakes. Without Ann Wolfe, Kirkland’s career, for all purposes, is over. You cannot separate Muhammad Ali from Angelo Dundee and Bundini Brown. Kirkland is losing to himself, but still has world championship potential if he can see ‘the who’ and ‘the why’. Understanding the training regimen and the corner is part of the sweet science.
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