James Shuler
James Shuler (May 29, 1959 – March 17, 1986) was a U.S. Olympic and professional boxer from Philadelphia known as "Black Gold."
| James Shuler | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Real name | James Shuler | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Black Gold | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | Middleweight | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 78 in (198 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 May 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | March 17, 1986 (aged 26) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Total fights | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Amateur career
Shuler was trained by Joe Frazier.[1]
Shuler was the 1979 and 1980 National Golden Gloves Light Middleweight Champion. He qualified at 156 pounds and was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boxing team that perished in an air crash in Warsaw, Poland, on March 14, 1980.[2] Shuler was not with the team, however, as he had stayed in America due to injury.[3] The team was en route to Warsaw, Poland for the USA vs. Poland Box-off as part of "USA vs. the World." event. Among the USA Boxing teammates who were killed in the plane crash were Lemuel Steeples from St. Louis; Calvin Anderson from Connecticut; Paul Palomino - the brother of Carlos Palomino ; George Pimentel, and Olympic Coach, Sarge Johnson. Members of the team who were also not aboard included Bobby Czyz and Alex Ramos .
Shuler did not participate in the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott.[4] In 2007, he posthumously received one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[5]
Highlights
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Pan Am Trials (156 lbs), Toledo, Ohio, May–June 1979:
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Frazier–Ali teams match-up (156 lbs) Houston, Texas, February 1980:
Olympic Trials (156 lbs), Atlanta, Georgia, June 1980:
USA–USSR Duals (156 lbs), Showboat Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 1977:
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Shuler finished his amateur career with a record of 165–8.[1]
Professional career
Shuler began his professional boxing career as a middleweight on September 12, 1980, with a second-round knockout of Chris Rogers in Philadelphia. During his five years as a pro, he won the NABF, national Middleweight championship with a win over Sugar Ray Seales. He had a 22–1 record with sixteen knockouts. His first and only professional loss came on March 10, 1986, to Thomas Hearns when he was knocked out in the first round.
Death
Shuler died in a motorcycle accident in Philadelphia on 17 March 1986, just one week after his last fight.[6][7]
Memory and tribute
Bob Arum, the promoter of Shuler's last fight, said that the boxer came to Arum's room a day after the Hearns fight and thanked him for promoting it. Arum, who had promoted many bouts, said that Shuler was the only fighter who had ever done that, adding, "He was a decent, decent young man."[8]
In 1995, his close friend Percy Custus opened the 'James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym' in Shuler's native Philadelphia in honor of the fallen fighter. Custus met Shuler in the 1970s at the Joe Frazier Gym where they trained together and remained close friends for the rest of James’ life.[4][9]
References
- Sports, Pacific Stars And Stripes, September 15, 1980, p. 21.
- "RingSide Report :: View topic - Boxing Looks Back at James "Black Gold" Shuler". ringsidereport.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- "James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym - Philadelphia, PA".
- Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
- http://articles.philly.com/1986-03-28/sports/26085097_1_james-shuler-bumper-sanctuary%7C"Boxer's Requiem: Shuler's Corner Is Empty Now", by Sarajane Freligh, Inquirer Staff Writer, posted on 28 March 1986.
- http://articles.philly.com/1986-04-01/news/26079096_1_streets-james-shuler-bike%7C"Requiem For A Middleweight On A North Phila Street", by George Azar, April 1986.
- http://articles.philly.com/1986-03-25/news/26084136_1_untimely-death-professional-defeat-hearns-fight%7C"James Shuler, Champion", 1986.
- "Max Boxing - News - Remembering a True Champion: James "Black Gold" Shuler". Archived from the original on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
- http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=3132&cat=boxer
External links
- Boxing record for James Shuler from BoxRec (registration required)