By Mohamed Horomtallah: Just like Hercules, Derrick James is facing monumental challenges.
The reigning trainer of the year has a stable of elite pugilists who are about to embark on a perilous journey toward glory—or a big disappointment.
Five men. Five battles. Five outcomes.
FRANK MARTIN
This talented prospect is on track to become a world champion in the not-so-distant future. He’s a pure product of James, who molded him, and should he become what many expect him to become, it would be a great achievement, old school style. Think Cus D’Amato and Mike Tyson.
However, prospects are like popcorn: when the heat is at its maximum, some pop, some don’t.
RYAN GARCIA
This has to be a personal and exciting challenge for the Texan trainer. Taking a flawed raw talent like Garcia and “fixing” him will be legendary.
Derrick’s goal with young Ryan is to install real discipline in him and work on his weaknesses. Should he succeed, he will morph him into a deadly elite, exciting fighter and will have himself a young PPV star with the potential to sell 1 million buys each time he fights. Exciting indeed. And lucrative.
ANTHONY JOSHUA
England’s megastar is in dire need of reinventing himself. To accomplish that, James needs to work on his game, but, and this is probably the most important part, he will also need to restore his mental strength.
By doing so, he will give Joshua his confidence back. An improved and confident Joshua will go back to being the exciting fighter he was a few years ago but on the elite level this time around.
An impressive win against Wilder in December will put him back in the driver’s seat and will earn his new trainer the gratitude and admiration of an entire nation.
JERMELL CHARLO
The undisputed light middleweight champion is living proof that James is an elite trainer. Look no further than Charlo’s controversial loss to Harrison and draw against Castaño.
He erased those two blemishes on his record in a convincing and spectacular fashion by making the necessary adjustments and getting the stoppage in both rematches.
However, Charlo is facing a different animal on September 30th in Canelo.
It’s an uphill battle due to the weight and activity differences, but it’s not an impossible task. Charlo has elite skills, athleticism, and ring IQ.
Should Jermell conquer Canelo, it will be an all-time achievement and will put him on top of the pound-for-pound list, hands down.
ERROL SPENCE
This is the crown jewel of James’ stable. This is the prospect that popped and kept on popping, becoming a world champion in hostile territory and then unifying the division in a dominant fashion.
But this is also the fighter who faces the biggest risk in his next bout.
Spence will be stepping in the ring with the distinguished and very mean mister Crawford.
The best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound, causes a major dilemma for his opponents: either they get outboxed and outclassed, or they try to hold their own and hurt him, and they get stopped.
These are the undesirable choices that mister Crawford brings to the table. Choose your poison! Option one or option two?
Can Spence offer a third option? Of course, but this writer wouldn’t bet the house on it.
Should Spence have his hands raised at the end of the fight, that would equate to a career-defining win for him and his trainer.
It will be very interesting to see how James handles all his labors. Will he be able to produce a Herculean effort?
We are all witnesses to borrowing a slogan from a past Nike advertising campaign, even though this writer would humbly suggest that Adidas team up with James -should he accomplish his missions- and put him on a poster with their slogan: impossible is nothing.
That would fit so well.