By Matt Stein: Unbeaten junior middleweight James Kirkland (25-0, 22 KO’s) will be making his first appearance in over a year when he steps in the ring on November 6th at the Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey. Kirkland, 26, still doesn’t have an opponent for that date, but that really doesn’t matter right now. It’s not going to be anyone great, says Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.

He plans on starting Kirkland out slow, as he’s been in an Austin, Texas prison for the past year due to an arrest for a weapons violation. At the time of his arrest, Kirkland was thought to be one of the best fighters in the junior middleweight division. Kirkland has kept in good shape while in prison and is reported to be weighing 170, which is very close to his 154 pound junior middleweight fighting weight.

If Kirkland can resume where he left off a year ago in blasting out all his opponents, then he could be the number #1 fighter in the division in no time flat. He’ll be number #1, but likely be unable to get fights against guys like Manny Pacquiao, Vanes Martirosyan, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. I doubt that any of those guys will be willing to take on Kirkland and risk getting beaten up and knocked out.

Kirkland will likely have to be satisfied with facing guys like Alfredo Angulo, Sergeii Dzinziruk, and Kermit Cintron. Kirkland, if he’s able to get back his old form, will likely knockout all of those fighters and quickl make it to the top of the junior middleweight division. Besides Cotto, Margarito and Pacquiao, there really isn’t any competition for Kirkland. I see him destroying Angulo without any problems and taking apart Cintron and Martirosyan. I also think Kirkland would be far too big and powerful for Pacquiao and Margarito.