James Broad
James Broad (January 27, 1958 – November 20, 2001) was an American heavyweight boxer who was a Notable Contender throughout the 1980s, who beat Future World Champion James Smith and gave Heavyweight Champion Greg Page a very tough fight only losing by Majority Decision. He won the NABF heavyweight title and was a regular sparring partner of a peak Mike Tyson. He fought the likes of James Smith, Razor Ruddock, Tony Tucker, Tim Witherspoon, Johnny du Plooy, Francesco Damiani, and Greg Page.
| James Broad | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | James W. Broad |
| Nickname(s) | Broad Axe |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | January 27, 1958 Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Died | November 20, 2001 (aged 43) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 33 |
| Wins | 23 |
| Wins by KO | 15 |
| Losses | 10 |
Military service
James Broad took up boxing while serving in the U.S. Army, being a Specialist 4th class stationed at Fort Ord.
Amateur career
Broad took up boxing when he joined the army in 1976. He beat Chris McDonald on points, and scored a first-round-knockout victory over Marvis Frazier in the 1980 Olympic Trials finals,[1] where he qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Boxing team which ultimately did not compete due to President Jimmy Carter's order to boycott the Olympics. He also lost a decision to Tony Tubbs.
Highlights
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U.S. Olympic Trials, Atlanta, Georgia, June 1980:
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FRG–USA Duals, West Berlin, West Germany, July 1980:
USA–Hungary Duals, Rapid City, South Dakota, February 1981:
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Professional career
Nicknamed "Broad-Axe", Broad turned pro in 1981 and put together 12 wins, including a 4th-round knockout of future Heavyweight Champ James "Bonecrusher" Smith. His weight was already a problem at this early stage of his career, but Broad worked down to 228 for his first big fight, against fellow undefeated prospect Marvis Frazier. Broad rocked Frazier with his signature uppercuts but was unable to replicate his knockout victory in the amateurs, and he was outworked over 10 rounds.
Broad bounced back to outpoint Larry Alexander over 12 rounds in 1983 then knockout contender Eddie Gregg in 8 rounds to win the NABF title in 1984. For his first title defense Broad scaled a whopping 261 lbs and was knocked out in 2 rounds by once and future world champion Tim Witherspoon in 1985.
Later years
Broad was unable to get back into serious shape for the remainder of his career, and his results suffered. He lost a 12-round decision to top contender and future world champion Tony Tucker for the USBA title in 1986, and in 1987 was twice outpointed over 10 rounds, by Francesco Damiani in Italy and then by ex-world champ Greg Page, in a fight where both men were down.
Broad outpointed future cruiserweight world title-challenger Patrick Lumumba but went to South Africa and was poleaxed in 4 rounds by Johnny DuPlooy. In his next fight he was stopped on his feet, in questionable circumstances, by rising contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock. During all this time Broad was a sparring partner for a peak Mike Tyson and took many punches in the gym.
Death
In 1992 Boxing Illustrated reported that Broad intended to make a comeback and wanted to be world champion, despite the fact he was banned in Nevada and California both for failing a neurological exam and testing positive for Hepatitis. He somehow managed to get 4 more fights, losing 3 of them. By 2000 Broad was said to be homeless in Las Vegas and badly brain damaged, and James died in 2001 aged only 43.
References
- James Broad Amateur Record at the BoxingRecords. Last updated: April 12, 2006.
- Frazier advances at Olympic Boxing Trials (Associated Press), Havre Daily News, Jun 17, 1980, p. 7.
- SPORTS NEWS BRIEFS; Jersey Suspends Boxer For Quitting in Bout. The New York Times.
External links
- Boxing record for James Broad from BoxRec (registration required)
- Olympic team 1980 Archived 2006-05-22 at the Wayback Machine