James McGirt Jr.: “Expect great things from James McGirt in the future”
 By Benny Henderson Jr, AKA Big Dog (March 6, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
James McGirt Jr. 14-0 (8), son of former world champion James ‘Buddy’ McGirt, has taken center stage in the bang for your buck business as one of the top rising prospects, with the fame name and skill in his game this highly touted one has big shoes to fill, and he’s doing just that.
In just a tad over two years the twenty-four year old middleweight prospect has pounded out an unblemished record of fourteen wins, stopping eight via knockout. In his last outing the stinging southpaw dismantled the twelve fight veteran Anthony Little with a fourth round TKO. He carries wins over Stephan Pryor (UD 8), Dennis Sharpe (UD 8) and Robert Rice (KO 1) and looks to continue his wining ways. Although the unbeaten pugilist comes from an immense boxing background and lives in his father’s shadow, the youngster is looking to make a name for him self in the fight world, and thus far is making good on his
journey. See what the rising star had to say on his career, as well as his thoughts on his dad and his future, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: My first question, and of course it is one you are probably tired of hearing but I have to ask, how is it being the son of James ‘Buddy’ McGirt, it has to have some positives as well as maybe a negative or two.
James McGirt: It is both, a positive in being Buddy McGirt’s son is absorbing all the boxing knowledge from him with him being my father, and the negatives is that everybody I fight is trying to knock me out and take me apart, everybody wants to be the first person to beat Buddy McGirt’s son, and I can’t let that happen. I am trying to create my own legacy as well.
BH: With your last name being McGirt do you think most fans coming to your fights are expecting something big from you each time?
JM: Oh yes with out a doubt, and I am definitely going to put on a show regardless, even if I had a different last name. Being my name is McGirt people are coming to see a great show and a great performance, they expect that, high expectations as you just said.
BH: How would you sum up your stint this far in the fight world, and what have you learned about the business thus far?
JM: I definitely learned that it is a business, watching behind the scenes, and I have grown so much in the ring just being in camp with different fighters and sparring and getting them rounds in and understanding. Before I was an amateur I never stepped foot in the ring, I am very new to this sport but have been around it my whole life, I just never had the experience of actually doing it.
BH: What do you feel are your greatest strengths, and being totally honest what do you see in yourself that needs work?
JM: Right now being a natural right-hand fighting southpaw I rely on my right hook too much, I get away from throwing my left hand, even though I know it is a very good left hand because I have knocked out four or five people out with it so far in my young career. I just don’t feel the same power so I have been getting away from throwing my left hand. But we have been working on it day in and day out just to try to use it more to set up the right hook.
BH: Your strengths?
JM: I am a very hard worker and I have a lot of knowledge of the sport. I only have fourteen fights but being around the sport for so long and being in different camps with big name fighters and being in the ring with them I have absorbed the knowledge from them and I know more than the average fighter who has thirteen or fourteen fights.
BH: In your opinion what separates you from the other prospects in your division?
JM: To be honest with you I am not going to say that anything separates us because we are all trying to be world champions so I mean if we cross paths I have to take it to them, no hard feelings you know.
BH: You’ve won all your fights thus far, eight via knock out and the rest unanimously, so it is hard to say that you have had a rough fight, but this far who has been the toughest challenge or hardest fight?
JM: Believe it or not but I fought this guy who was 4-12 and he did not fight me like he was 4-12, (Laughs) it was my first six rounder and I might have won every round unanimously but he was definitely one of my hardest opponents. He was ready to fight and he was coming to fight and I just had to step it up a notch. But like I said before everybody that I fight regardless of their record just because of who I am they are trying to impress everybody and trying to take it to me even more just because of my last name.
BH: Does that make you work harder?
JM: Oh definitely, it makes me work a whole lot harder; I mean you have to come to expect that. I cannot take anybody for granted; I mean you are not supposed to anyway, I have to look at them a little more different now.
BH: Anything in closing?
JM: No sir, by far I am not a talker, I am not a cocky person I just let my hands and by boxing skills take care of the rest.
I would like to thank Bob Trieger for setting up another great interview, and thanks goes out to James for his time and thoughts.
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