By James Slater: A most interesting light-middleweight clash is in the works and very close to being signed, with bombers James Kirkland, 29-1(26) and Alfredo Angulo, 20-1(17) in negotiations to fight in Mexico on November 5th. Needless to say, this fight has “action” written all over it.
Upon reading that the fight was in the works, I called up 27-year-old Kirkland’s trainer, Ann Wolfe. Ann told me that as far as her side is concerned, the fight is “done.”
Very kindly taking the time to speak with me last night UK time, Ann had the following things to say:
James Slater: Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me, Anne. It’s on certain sites on the net that James Kirkland will be fighting Alfredo Angulo on November 5th in Mexico. Is this a done deal on your side?
Anne Wolfe: Yeah, it’s just about signed. We’ve had no paper work yet, but it’s a done deal as far as we’re concerned. They offered us this fight and I think James should definitely take it. He has to prove himself in this fight; prove that he is a fighter.
J.S: This looks a dangerous fight – for both guys!
A.W: The way I look at it: any fight is a dangerous fight! One punch is all it takes for any fighter – I don’t care how good you are or how good you think you are – to get knocked out! Nobody in a million years felt [Nobuhiro] Ishida was a dangerous fight at all for James. But I wasn’t in the corner with James for that fight.
J.S: I know you weren’t, and that’s why James lost. Everybody said that. Will the Angulo fight be fought at 154 or at 160?
A.W: 154.
J.S: Is this a 50-50 fight in your opinion?
A.W: In my view – I wasn’t going to give any interviews ahead of this fight, and I’ve told James not to give any – It don’t matter what I say or what James says before this fight; it’s all about James proving himself in the fight. You know as well as I do, that every person, behind closed doors, will say that James gets knocked out in this fight. That’s what they’ll all say; because we know Angulo has tremendous power. So James has to prove himself and then he can give interviews after the fight. James has to prove what he can do in this fight. But James has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this fight – because no-one is giving him a chance. Angulo has it all to lose! People will say that a snowman fighting in hell would have more of a chance than James does in this fight!
J.S: You’ve seen a lot of Angulo?
A.W: I’ve seen Angulo, yes. A lot of people don’t know, but James and Angulo sparred once, they sparred one round.
J.S: Both guys deserve a ton of credit for taking this fight! Do you see it as power Vs. power?
A.W: Of course. And we all know James can punch, that we don’t have to prove! And Angulo has never boxed a lefthander before. Angulo had better know he has to be able to take James’ power. He [Angulo] had better hope he wins this in the first-round. Of course this fight is power Vs. power, no-one will say it’s chin Vs. chin, but everyone knows they can both punch. Angulo has never been hit as hard as he will get hit on November 5th, and from the left side. Angulo has never faced anyone with James’ speed and pressure, either.
J.S: The winner of this one more than deserves a title shot, no doubt?
A.W: That’s what I say. But let James prove himself in this fight first. We can’t say shit until this fight is done. We can do interviews after this fight is over with.