James Pritchard (boxer)
James Pritchard, (born April 28, 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky), was a heavyweight professional boxer who won the USBA heavyweight title and challenged for the IBF world title.
Amateur
Pritchard had a stellar amateur career, becoming the 1985 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion.
Professional career
Pritchard turned pro in 1985 and went undefeated in 17 bouts, including a draw with Mike 'The Bounty' Hunter, before facing ex-world heavyweight champion Mike Weaver in a crossroads fight. Pritchard was stopped by the big punching Weaver on his feet in six, but returned to win three fights in a row before meeting another former world champion, this time Michael Dokes. Pritchard was stopped in seven, but gained a reputation for toughness as Dokes, like Weaver, could not drop Pritchard.
Pritchard travelled to apartheid South Africa for several fights, boxing to a controversial draw with Johnny DuPlooy when he had apparently got the better of DuPlooy. He was stopped in 10 in a rematch, then stopped in eight by DuPlooy's rival Pierre Coetzer. Pritchard returned to the States where he was a chief sparring partner of Frank Bruno prior to his Tyson fight. He also put together a string of wins including a kayo of novice Lionel Butler. A trip to England to face world ranked Gary Mason resulted in a 9th rd stoppage loss, although yet again Pritchard gained respect for his durability - no one could knock him down.
World title fight
Having been relegated to opponent status in the heavyweights, the 26-5-2 Pritchard moved down to the Cruiserweight division. He beat two-time world title challenger Siza Makathini in his debut winning an IBF Intercontinental title, but in his 1991 fight with James Warring for the vacant IBF world cruiserweight title he was dropped for the first time in his career and stopped in 36 seconds, a record for a world title fight.
Journeyman
Pritchard returned to the heavyweights after his cruiserweight title disaster, but was relegated to journeyman status. He knocked out undefeated West Turner to win the USBA heavyweight title, but lost to the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Orlin Norris, Michael Moorer and Herbie Hide.
By the mid to late 90's he was an aged heavyweight and not much more than cannon fodder for Corrie Sanders, Brian Nielsen and Wladimir Klitschko. He retired in 1997 with a respectable record of 30-18-2 (25 KO's).
Professional boxing record
| 30 Wins (25 knockouts, 5 decisions), 18 Losses (12 knockouts, 6 decisions), 2 Draws [1] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 19-1-2 |  Darroll "Doin' Damage" Wilson |
TKO | 2 | 29/11/1997 |  Vineland, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 11-0 |  Wladimir "Dr. Steel Hammer" Klitschko |
TKO | 3 | 20/09/1997 |  Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany |
|
| Loss | 18-1 | "Dangerous" Damon Reed |
UD | 10 | 11/08/1997 |  Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
|
| Loss | 34-0 |  "Super" Brian Neilsen |
KO | 3 | 13/06/1997 | Slagelse, Denmark |
|
| Win | 12-0 | Greg Suttington |
TKO | 4 | 13/05/1996 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:14 of the fourth round. |
| Loss | 26-1 |  Corrie "The Sniper" Sanders |
TKO | 1 | 05/08/1995 |  Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
|
| Loss | 3-18-1 | Brian Morgan |
SD | 8 | 20/03/1995 |  Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 0-1 | Ralph Jackson |
TKO | 3 | 13/02/1995 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Loss | 11-0 |  Zeljko "Zed" Mavrovic |
UD | 10 | 18/06/1994 |  Chicago, Illinois, United States |
|
| Loss | 24-0 | Kenny "The Emmett Eliminator" Keene |
PTS | 10 | 05/12/1993 |  Caldwell, Idaho, United States |
|
| Loss | 32-0 | Michael "Double M" Moorer |
TKO | 3 | 22/06/1993 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 18-0 |  Herbie "Dancing Destroyer" Hide |
TKO | 2 | 12/12/1992 | Muswell Hill, London, England, United Kingdom |
|
| Win | 14-0 | West Turner |
TKO | 3 | 10/07/1992 |  Ringgold Township, Pennsylvania, United States |
USBA Heavyweight Title. |
| Loss | 36-3 | "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon |
UD | 10 | 23/03/1992 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
90-100, 90-100, 90-100. |
| Loss | 30-3 | Orlin "The Juice" Norris |
PTS | 8 | 13/12/1991 |  Bercy, France |
|
| Loss | 11-1 | James Warring |
KO | 1 | 07/09/1991 |  Salemi, Sicilia, Italy |
IBF World Cruiserweight Title. Pritchard knocked out at 0:36 of the first round. |
| Win | 16-4 | .svg.png){kind=small} Siza Makathini |
DQ | 6 | 06/04/1991 | Darlington, County Durham, United Kingdom |
IBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight Title. Makathini disqualified for low blows. |
| Loss | 34-0 | Gary Mason |
TKO | 9 | 12/12/1990 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:09 of the ninth round. |
| Win | 21-19-1 | Rick Enis |
TKO | 8 | 28/07/1990 |  Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States |
|
| Win | 18-19 | Lorenzo Boyd |
KO | 4 | 01/06/1990 |  Biloxi, Mississippi, United States |
|
| Win | 21-10 |  Ladislao "Ruso" Mijangos |
TKO | 6 | 08/05/1990 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 0-2 | Lee Moore |
TKO | 2 | 02/03/1990 | Jackson, Mississippi, United States |
|
| Win | 1-3 | Lionel "The Train" Butler |
TKO | 6 | 09/12/1989 | Biloxi, Mississippi, United States |
|
| Win | 0-2 | Rodney Bolden |
KO | 1 | 26/08/1989 | Murray, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 3-28 | Larry Givens |
TKO | 2 | 25/05/1989 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 0-3 | Mike Russell |
KO | 5 | 25/04/1989 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Loss | 26-2 | Pierre Coetzer |
TKO | 8 | 18/03/1989 | Johannesburg, South Africa |
|
| Loss | 19-2-1 | Johnny DuPlooy |
TKO | 10 | 22/10/1988 |  Sun City, Bophuthatswana |
|
| Draw | 19-1 | Johnny DuPlooy |
PTS | 10 | 02/07/1988 | Sun City, Bophuthatswana |
|
| Loss | 32-1-2 | Michael "Dynamite" Dokes |
TKO | 7 | 28/04/1988 |  New York City, United States |
WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title. |
| Win | 25-15 | Steve Zouski |
TKO | 4 | 25/03/1988 | Melrose Park, Illinois, United States |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:28 of the fourth round. |
| Win | 23-12 | Mike Cohen |
KO | 3 | 21/02/1988 | Frankfort, Kentucky, United States |
Cohen knocked out at 2:28 of the third round. |
| Win | 3-5-1 | Bruce Johnson |
KO | 5 | 05/01/1988 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
Johnson knocked out at 2:09 of the fifth round. |
| Loss | 29-13-1 | Mike "Hercules" Weaver |
TKO | 6 | 24/08/1987 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:30 of the sixth round. |
| Win | 9-21-1 | Frankie Hines |
KO | 2 | 28/07/1987 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
Hines knocked out at 2:08 of the second round. |
| Win | 1-1 | Kevin Casimier |
TKO | 7 | 20/04/1987 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 7-2 | Darryl Peppers |
TKO | 2 | 17/03/1987 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:20 of the second round. |
| Win | 8-6 | Larry Phelps |
TKO | 2 | 24/02/1987 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:09 of the second round. |
| Win | 6-0-1 | Mike "The Bounty" Hunter |
PTS | 6 | 20/02/1987 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Win | 26-10-1 | Bobby Crabtree |
TKO | 2 | 25/11/1986 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 2-1 | Warren "Chico" Thompson |
PTS | 6 | 31/10/1986 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Win | 11-6 | Michael "Jack" Johnson |
KO | 1 | 03/10/1986 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 6-9-3 | Robert Evans |
PTS | 6 | 28/08/1986 | New York City, United States |
|
| Win | 12-12-1 | Melvin Epps |
UD | 6 | 29/07/1986 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 0-1 | Louis Brooks | TKO | 1 | 10/07/1986 |  Houston, Texas, United States |
|
| Win | 2-20 | Tim Miller |
KO | 2 | 24/06/1986 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | -- | John "Big Red" Morton |
TKO | 1 | 25/04/1986 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|
| Win | 4-2 | Allen Hudson |
KO | 4 | 22/03/1986 |  Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
Hudson knocked out at 1:03 of the fourth round. |
| Win | -- | Jack Jackson |
UD | 4 | 17/01/1986 | .svg.png){kind=small} Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
|
| Win | 1-2 | Vince Parker |
KO | 2 | 21/09/1985 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
|
Criminal record
Pritchard has been imprisoned on two separate occasions in the Kentucky state prison system, both times for robbery. He was sentenced to 10 years in 1982, paroled the following year, and released from parole in 1991. He was sentenced to 20 years in 2003 and released on parole in 2009. As of January 5, 2012 he was back in jail for parole violations following a guilty plea to a theft case to which a relative, Glenn Pritchard, was a co-defendant.