By Chris Williams: James Kirkland (32-1, 28 KO’s) dealt Top Rank a crushing blow on Saturday night in stopping their fighter #10 IBF Glen Tapia (20-1, 12 KO’s) in the 6th round at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Kirkland gave Tapia a terrible beating in this fight. Tapia was no match for Kirkland’s high volume punch onslaught, and he couldn’t deal with his nonstop pressure.
Kirkland, who is promoted by SMS Promotions, came into the card as the opponent for Tapia. Kirkland hadn’t fought in close to 2 years, and it looks like they were counting on the rust being enough for him to lose the fight to their young would be star.
However, Kirkland showed that even in his rusty state, he was still far too good for the likes of Tapia. Kirkland went after Tapia early, taking some big shots in the 1st round in chasing him around the ring.
Tapia looked pretty good in that round, and if he could have kept fighting like that then there’s little doubt that he would have boxed Kirkland’s ears off. But Tapia didn’t have the stamina to move after the 1st round, and he quickly found himself taking major punishment against the ropes, a place where he didn’t have the skills to be fighting. With Tapia willingly letting himself get trapped against the ropes in each round, Kirkland nailed him with some punishing blows in each round. Kirkland looked exhausted himself, and he lost a lot of the power on his shots as he punched himself out. But he was somehow able to keep throwing shots, and landing to the head of Tapia.
The sheer accumulation of blows that Tapia absorbed had him too beaten up by the 5th round to mount an attack on Kirkland. If Tapia could have turned the tables and attacked Kirkland back, he probably would have stopped him because Kirkland was sloppy tired by the 5th. But Tapia must have been punch drunk by that point and he couldn’t do anything other than continue to take big shots. Referee Steve Smoger stepped finally in the 6th round and halted the fight to save Tapia from more punishment.
Tapia took a lot of shots in this fight, and it wasn’t the type of fight where it’s easy to rebound from. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not the same after this beating. If Tapia is Top Rank’s answer to Erislandy Lara and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, then I think they need to keep searching because I don’t see Tapia as having the kind of talent to compete with those guys. I don’t put him in the same class as some of the other junior middleweights either, especially after this beating.
Kirkland did a good job in the fight, but I don’t think he’s in the class of the better junior middleweights like Lara and Canelo. Those guys would likely beat him if given the chance.
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