James Broad facts for kids

James Broad (January 27, 1958 – November 20, 2001) was an American boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. He was a big star as an amateur boxer. He was even chosen to represent the United States in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. However, the U.S. decided not to send its athletes to those games. As a professional, James Broad won the NABF heavyweight title. He also often trained with the famous boxer Mike Tyson.

Starting in the Army

James Broad started boxing while he was serving in the U.S. Army. He was a Specialist 4th class and was stationed at Fort Ord. This is where he first discovered his talent for boxing in 1976.

Amateur Boxing Success

Broad quickly became a top amateur boxer. In 1980, he won against Chris McDonald and even knocked out Marvis Frazier in the Olympic Trials finals. This win earned him a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Boxing team. Sadly, the U.S. government decided to boycott the Olympics that year. This meant James Broad and other athletes could not compete.

Despite the boycott, Broad continued to show his skill. He won the Interserivce Boxing Championships in North Carolina in 1980. He also won the U.S. All-Army Championships that same year. He had impressive wins in dual matches against boxers from West Germany. In 1980, he won the Gold Cup in Kenya. He also defeated a Hungarian boxer in 1981.

Professional Boxing Career

James Broad was known as "Broad-Axe" when he became a professional boxer in 1981. He started his pro career with 12 wins in a row. One of these wins was a knockout victory over James "Bonecrusher" Smith, who later became a heavyweight champion.

Broad faced Marvis Frazier again in a professional fight. Even though Broad had knocked Frazier out as an amateur, he lost this time. Frazier outworked him over 10 rounds.

In 1983, Broad bounced back with a win against Larry Alexander. Then, in 1984, he won the NABF heavyweight title by knocking out Eddie Gregg. For his first title defense in 1985, he faced Tim Witherspoon. Broad lost the fight by knockout in the second round.

Later Fights

After losing his title, James Broad found it hard to get back to his best form. He fought many strong opponents. In 1986, he lost a 12-round fight to Tony Tucker, who would also become a world champion. In 1987, he lost to Francesco Damiani in Italy and then to former world champion Greg Page.

Broad did win against Patrick Lumumba. However, he then traveled to South Africa and was knocked out by Johnny DuPlooy. In his next fight, he was stopped by the rising boxer Donovan "Razor" Ruddock. During these years, Broad was also a regular training partner for Mike Tyson. This meant he took many punches in the gym.

Later Life and Passing

In 1992, there were reports that James Broad wanted to return to boxing. However, he had health issues that prevented him from fighting in places like Nevada and California. He still managed to have four more fights, but he lost three of them. James Broad passed away in 2001 at the age of 43.