kirkland334 By Sevak Sarkisian: On December 7th, James Kirkland (31-1 27KO’s) will make his long awaited return to the ring to take on New Jersey’s Glen Tapia (20-0 12KO’s). The bout will be televised live on HBO and will take place at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ.

Back in 2009, Kirkland was a high profile prospect being showcased on HBO. He was quickly becoming a fan favorite with his high tempo violent style. However, his momentum came to an abrupt end when he ended up having to serve tine for gun charges. For 2 years Kirkland remained inactive. He made his return back to the sport in March of 2011 but a knockout loss and another two years off due to promotional issues put another wrench in the progression of his career.

December 7th will mark Kirkland’s first return to the ring since his controversial win against Carlos Molina. Kirkland is looking to make a big statement and doesn’t want to waste anytime getting back into the Jr. Middleweight title mix. Not only does Kirkland offer an entertaining style to watch with his relentlessness and punching power but he also has the potential in my opinion to become a dominant titlist in the Jr. Middleweight division.

As for Glen Tapia, he is a young 23 year old undefeated prospect in the Jr. Middleweight division much like Kirkland was back in 2009. He seems like a confident young fighter and has made it clear that he isn’t afraid of Kirkland. However, Tapia has been facing weak opposition and is clearly taking a huge step up against Kirkland. Top Rank seems to be confident in Tapia’s abilities and potential because they are putting him in with a top level guy for his 21st pro fight where as it took them eight years to do the same with another one of there Jr. Middleweights in Vanes Martirosyan. I haven’t seen much of Tapia but from what I’ve seen he is physically strong and has decent punching power with average hand speed. However one thing is for sure, it will be a good scrap for however long it lasts.

This writer can be reached on Twitter @Sev_S7