Crazy talk and nasty accusations tend not to shock you too much when you’ve followed boxing long enough– mostly because crazy things do happen with frightening regularity in the fight game. However, if James Kirkland’s recent accusations are correct to any degree, the sport may have reached yet another all-time low.
During an interview with ThaBoxingVoice.com’s radio show, the highly-ranked junior middleweight leveled the following accusation regarding last March’s bout with Carlos Molina:
“When I fought Carlos Molina I was offered two black pills in the fight. They said ‘Kirkland, take these 2 black pills.’ I took them because you’re thinking that your coach and your manager got your best interests at heart. As soon as I took those pills, maybe 10 minutes into preparing for that fight, I felt like I was high as a kite…I was so delirious and so messed up that I couldn’t even put forth any effort into pressing because my timing was off, my equilibrium was off, my movement is off pace. I couldn’t perform like I needed to perform…After all that hard work of pressing and pressing I either sweat that stuff out or it worked through my system. Then, I was able to punch the way I can punch and boom, I dropped him.”
As fans may remember, the tenth round knockdown put events into motion that would lead to Molina’s controversial disqualification when a Molina corner man accidentally walked into the ring prior to the official end of the round. Referee Jon Schorle, who could’ve looked the other way on the minor, harmless infraction, instead opted for the DQ, killing a probable victory for Molina, who was leading on two of the three judges’ scorecards prior to the knockdown.
Up until the recent Kirkland interview, the DQ was the controversy raging from Kirkland-Molina. But this one, if it picks up any steam or momentum with fans and media, could turn the sport upside down.
There are so many unresolved questions from Kirkland’s accusation that a follow-up should be a top priority. If he’s telling the truth, a major investigation should be conducted to get to the bottom of what really happened and, maybe just as importantly, why the Texas State Commission was clueless in both their post-fight drug testing and pre-fight supervision of the fighters.
Kirkland would also need to be disciplined for willingly taking this substance, even if given to him by members of his own team.
Of course, this could all be the paranoid rambling of a man on the verge of a psychological collapse. According to reports, Kirkland has been running with a different crew of people and has been harder to do business with lately, recently turning down a Saul Alvarez fight for monetary reasons.
Whatever the case, Kirkland has made major changes in his team as a result of what happened before, during, and after the Molina fight.
“I don’t know if everybody knows, but I fired everybody in my team just recently,” Kirkland said. Aside from the drugging accusations, the fighter claimed that his people just didn’t seem to have his best interests at heart. Kirkland did leave the door open to working with trainer Ann Wolfe, though, but said that he wouldn’t sign any binding contract with her.
So, hold on tight and stay tuned. We’re either seeing the beginning of a major controversy or the beginning of a complete mental breakdown. Both are possible and equally as likely in the crazy world of big time prizefighting.
