After scoring two spectacular knockout wins in his return to the ring following a nearly two year absence, James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland has picked up where he left off…dominating his opponents. On the April 9 “Action Heroes” pay-per-view event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the knockout artist will continue his highly anticipated comeback against former Junior Middleweight World Champion Nobuhiro Ishida.
When James Kirkland (27-0, 24 KO’s) is on a fight card, boxing fans know what they’re in for, and it’s usually a spectacular knockout. That’s what they got on March 5 of this year when the Austin, Texas native who now lives and trains in Las Vegas returned to the ring and stopped Ashandi Gibbs in just 34 seconds. Just 13 days later, Kirkland struck again, this time dispatching Jhon Berrio in less than two rounds. The 27-year-old southpaw expects to get more work against Ishida, but with the dynamite Kirkland packs in his fists, it’s advisable to stay in your seat for this one.
Owner of the interim WBA Junior Middleweight World Title for over a year from 2009 to 2010, 35-year-old Nobuhiro Ishida (22-6-2, 7 KO’s) is a veteran who has the ability to show a young fighter like Kirkland some things he’s never seen in the ring before. The Osaka, Japan native is a proud warrior who has never been stopped in his nearly 11-year professional career and is unbeaten in 12 of his last 13 bouts. In his last fight, Ishida lost a narrow split decision in a tough battle with Rigoberto “El Espanol” Alvarez, Canelo Alvarez’s brother, and is looking forward to getting back on track in his United States debut on April 9.
“Action Heroes,” featuresErik Morales vs. Marcos Maidana in a 12-round junior welterweight bout, Robert Guerrero vs. Michael Katsidis in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBA and WBO Interim Lightweight Championships, James Kirkland vs. Nobuhiro Ishida in an 8-round middleweight bout and Paul Malignaggi vs. Jose Miguel Cotto in a 10-round welterweight bout.
