тренер киркланд джеймс

No longer fighting, Wolfe has segued into training. As Kirkland's chief second, strategist and

AP Photo/Jae C. HongWorking with Ann Wolfe has helped bring out the best in James Kirkland.

John Pyle/Icon SMIOne impressive showing after another has the boxing world buzzing about Kirkland.In the world of professional pugilism, there are boxers and there are fighters.James Kirkland is a fighter.He has always been a fighter, from his earliest days, from the time when, fatherless and dirt poor, he roamed the streets of East Austin."When I was growing up, we didn't always have the best of things, so I would always get in trouble," Kirkland said. "We didn't have it, we had to take it, we sure couldn't earn it. I was always fighting … my mom put all my brothers and me into boxing."She steered him to local trainer Donald "Pops" Billingsley, who took him off the streets and into the gym, paying him $5 to spar other kids. Kirkland was just 6, but he took to Billingsley, and the sport, immediately."I just enjoyed being able to put my hands on somebody and not get in trouble about it," Kirkland said.Billingsley became, in effect, the father Kirkland had never had. And it was in his gym that the young man met someone else who would have a profound effect on his life.Ann Wolfe was homeless with two young children when she walked up to Billingsley in 1995 and said she wanted to learn to box. Billingsley was reluctant but relented; Wolfe blossomed into a powerful and feared fighter, a four-weight world champion whose 2004 one-punch knockout of Vonda Ward is a YouTube staple.

Your Web Browser is no longer supportedTo experience everything that ESPN.com has to offer, we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version of your web browser. Click the upgrade button to the right or .