By Michael Swann

James Kirkland, 25-0 (22 KOs), a southpaw junior middleweight, turned 25 years of age this past Thursday, firmly established now as one of the premier young fighters in the game. His fan friendly, all out offensive show of tracking down his opponents as he walks through their punches has made him a can’t miss attraction. HBO loves him.

But life wasn’t always such for the Austin, Texas native.

This writer first interviewed Kirkland three years ago when he was 11-0 (9 KOs), but hadn’t fought in two and a half years, or since November 2003. His pro career, which had begun in 2001, had come to a grinding halt after he was convicted of armed robbery and he was given six months in prison and six months of house arrest.

In that first interview James said, “I was with the wrong crowd and already had a bad record. I couldn’t get a job and I was trying to get some money.”

It’s a sad story of the influence of life on the streets in poverty riddled communities all across the country. In that lifestyle it’s almost expected that a young man could become a thug, a nobody, wind up in prison, and abandon their responsibilities as a parent. It’s a vicious, endless circle of desperation.

James started life with a strike on him. He never knew his father. Kirkland’s challenge was basically to change history.  He had to step up and become a real man to take care of his family, and most importantly, his two sons.

“I just want to make it so my people don’t have to suffer no more,” Kirkland said then. “My mom was shopping pantry food [food and essentials provided free by charities to the neediest citizens]. Oh man, we were on it all, food stamps and all that.”

Despite his raw talent, upon his release young James found that he was also beset with management/promotional problems. James discovered that his old manager decided it was a better use of his time and money on another fighter. James didn’t know what he could do legally so he decided to wait it out to get out of the contract.

In a timely bit of overdue good fortune, last year’s Boxing Writers Association of America Manager of the Year, Cameron Dunkin, along with attorney Michael Miller came along and negotiated a buyout of Kirkland’s contract with the previous management.

Father figure Don “Pops” Billingsley, who had worked with James since he was 15 resumed training duties for Kirkland upon his release, along with Ann Wolfe, one of the premier female fighters in the game before she literally ran out of opponents willing to get into the ring with her.

Wolfe’s life had not been a day at the Carnival either and she identified closely with the young fighter. Before her success in boxing Ann lived as a homeless person. Once she stashed some crackers in her jacket and while sleeping on the ground outside awakened, itching all over with ants crawling on her.

Wolfe once told me that, “Boxing saved my life and now it’s doing the same for James Kirkland.”

Gary Shaw became Kirkland’s promoter without drawing any competition, developed the young slugger, and got him TV dates, including his first fight with HBO.

The pieces were all in place. After that first HBO appearance Kirkland left Shaw in an acrimonious breakup and soon after opted for Golden Boy.

Manager Dunkin says that Kirkland “drives him crazy” in that he leaves himself so dangerously wide open for punches as he aggressively executes his offense.

But it seems here as if it’s all part of the show, part of what makes a Kirkland fight compelling viewing. The harder that James gets hit the more determined he seems to become. Against Allen Conyers in November 2007, Kirkland was floored early in round one, ate another flush shot that did some damage, and then snapped back to form to track down Conyers and stop him at 2:56 of round one.

In his last fight with Joel Julio earlier this month, Kirkland took the best that Julio, a big puncher himself, had to offer while administering a methodical beating that forced Julio to quit after six furious rounds.

Shades of Arturo Gatti -- no wonder HBO loves him!

Dunkin says, “He [Julio] can punch. Looking back at it I’m sure they wish that he had just stood and thrown instead of boxing. He would either win by knockout or just go out in a blaze of glory.”

Blaze of glory or just down in flames, the fact is that Julio’s big punches couldn’t back up Kirkland.

In any event, Dunkin asked Kirkland about the big shots he took from Julio and said that James casually replied, “Yeah he punches pretty good.”

Dunkin said that he told Kirkland that he could either get him on the undercard of the May 2 Pacquiao-Hatton PPV event or a shot at WBO belt holder Sergei Dzindziruk, 36-0 (22 KOs), on June 27.

Kirkland told his manager to get him both.

Michael Walker, 19-1 (12 KOs), is the designated victim for the May PPV.  He’s a cream puff who is designed to give James some work in a high profile setting, although Dunkin charitably calls him “a tough guy.”

The fight that matters is Dzindziruk, whose people have reached a verbal agreement with Golden Boy to be on HBO. He’s a 33 year old, six foot southpaw, skillful and smart in the traditional European straight up style. But it should be noted that the same Julio who was blasted out by Kirkland went 12 rounds with Sergei in a losing cause last November.

“I don’t think a jab is going to keep Kirkland off,” Dunkin said. “And if Kirkland gets close to him…”

Looking ahead, very possibly the 2010 Fight of the Year is in the pot seasoning now. Everyone wants to see Kirkland against fellow 154 pounder Alfredo Angullo, 15-0 (12 KOs). Both are power punching brawlers who come forward, and, you have the built in revenge factor as Angullo is promoted by Shaw.

Right now insiders on both sides look for each man to fight for a belt this year, fight 3-4 fights to build interest and assuming that they keep winning, meet on HBO World Championship Boxing sometime next year.

Cameron Dunkin’s prediction?

“Call 911,” he says with a laugh.

Dunkin says that what he is most impressed by Kirkland is the man he has become.

“Certain kids deserve it,” Cameron said. “He’s yes m’aam, no m’aam. He’s religious and listens to Gospel music. He plays with his two boys on the floor, takes care of them and saves his money.

“He’s in the gym all the time. Some guys get a break finally and they mess it up, but not this guy. He says, ‘I’ve worked too hard. My kids deserve better.’”