Bizarre Comeback Tonight of 29-0 Heavyweight J.D. Chapman After 13 Year Absence
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Little Rock, AK (June 5th, 2021)– When a heavyweight goes to 29-0 with 26 knockouts, and then disappears from the map as if he never existed, one would never expect the fighter to return. In the case of J.D. “The Natural” Chapman, the rumor some years ago, still unproven, was he did not want to step up and fight a main event fighter. The USA Arkansas Heavyweight champion, Chapman also held the World Boxing Council Latino Heavyweight title, and the NABC title as well.
In a bizarre twist of events worse than fate, Chapman, aged 38, who last fought in 2008 at age 24, will return to the ring on Saturday night, June 5, 2021, in his home state of Arkansas, as a last minute substitute opponent at The Northwest Arkansas Springdale Convention Center / Holiday Inn in Springdale, Arkansas, to fight Tony “Kryptonite” Lopez of Yucaipa, California, whose MMA record is 64-32 with one No Contest. Lopez is 47 years old, though, and his pro boxing record raises questions. Lopez is 1-3 as kickboxer, and 1-1 as a pro boxer. His debut was a first round TKO over winless Billy Martin in June 2019. Lopez lost a four round decision to 4-0 Billy Martin in December 2019.
BoxRec lists no fight card in Arkansas yet for Saturday night. Promoter Marc Abrams released the press release on Chapman versus Lopez via Yvonne Mercado, Vice-President of Public Relations for Lion Heart Productions. The 6’5″ Chapman, who weighed 230 to 258 pounds in his prime, weighed in at a massive 294 pounds. Lopez, 6’6″, weighed in at 259 pounds.
In retrospect, Chapman’s bizarre comeback attempt is not in the same vein as a Jack Johnson, James Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield or Jerry Quarry. Chapman was never a big name, but he was ranked as high as fourteenth in the world by the World Boxing Council. Like Bronco Billy Wright, also world ranked by the WBC, Chapman built his record and reputation on fighting stiffs and a few padded record pretenders. “The Great Pretender”, it is not known if Chapman has actually done any training for this bout. His MMA opponent is experienced but old. Only in Arkansas during a pandemic could a 47-year-old heavyweight journeyman be approved to fight at 29-0 opponent inactive opponent for thirteen years. For as many rounds as it lasts, the result, when this bout ends, will surely not be pretty.
COMMENTS
English