What version of Kirkland will return on December 26?
Well it looks like James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (34-2, 30 KO’s) is set to make his next ring appearance. On December 26, Kirkland will face the challenge of Mark “Madman” Hernandez (14-3-1, 3 KO’s) on Fox Sport 1. At one point in his career, the Mandingo Warrior was one of the most exciting fighters in the sports. His straight forward, take no prisoners style of combat virtually insured an all-action bout.
Along with his entertaining prizefights, Kirkland was well-known for being trained by the infamous Ann Wolfe. Being a former hard-charging fighter herself, Wolfe had garnered a seriously respected reputation in her own right. She was most known for chasing an unrealized fight with Laila Ali and her near decapitation knockout of Vonda Ward in 2004.
As a trainer, Wolfe earned a fierce reputation as a savage task master. Her training camp exercises often times came off like ways a James Bond villain might force a confession. Regardless of her rigorous and unorthodox methods, she and Kirkland made for a fantastic team.
Yet, despite their obvious in-ring results, Kirkland split with her more than once. In fact, both of his losses, by knockout, came at a time that Wolfe was not his chief second. His second knockout loss, to WBA super world middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KO’s), is just as notorious as Wolfe’s obliteration of Vonda Ward.
It will be interesting to see what version of the Mandingo Warrior steps in the ring on December 26. In 2019, he fought two little-known fighters, but prior to those dust-ups, Kirkland had not competed professionally for four straight years. This is why the smart money will bet on him to be a shadow of his former self on fight night.
By: Bakari Simpson
