James Butler (boxer) facts for kids

James Butler Jr. (born December 18, 1972) is an American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1996 to 2004. He once fought for the IBF super middleweight title in 2000. He is mostly known for a boxing match on November 23, 2001, against Richard Grant, after which he faced legal issues. Later, in 2004, Butler was involved in a serious incident concerning Sam Kellerman, which led to a long prison sentence.

James Butler Jr.'s Boxing Career

James Butler Jr. started his boxing career very well. He won 18 of his first 19 fights in the super middleweight division. This strong start led him to a big title fight against Sven Ottke. However, Ottke won the fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner.

A Difficult Boxing Match

Butler's next fight became very famous, but not for a good reason. On November 23, 2001, he fought Richard Grant. This match was part of a special event to raise money for New York police and fire department workers who helped after the September 11 attacks. Butler and Grant had fought before, in 1996, when they were new to professional boxing. Grant had won that first match.

The 2001 fight was planned for ten rounds, and it went the full distance. All three judges decided that Richard Grant was the winner.

After the Fight: An Unexpected Event

After the judges announced Grant as the winner, Butler seemed unhappy with the decision. When Grant came over to shake hands and congratulate him, Butler unexpectedly hit Grant. Grant fell to the floor and was hurt. Because of this action, Butler faced legal consequences and spent some time in jail.

Returning to Boxing

After this incident, James Butler Jr. did not box for three years. When he returned, he fought in a different weight class called light heavyweight. He had four more fights but lost two of them. His very last fight was on August 10, 2004, against Omar Sheika, which he lost by a close decision.

Later Life and Legal Issues

On October 12, 2004, a writer named Sam Kellerman was found dead in his apartment in Los Angeles. Sam Kellerman was the brother of sports analyst Max Kellerman. Butler and Kellerman had been friends for over 10 years.

Investigation and Consequences

Butler was considered a person of interest in the case. On October 20, he sought help for a health condition. On October 27, Butler was arrested in connection with Kellerman's death. Prosecutors stated that Butler had caused Kellerman's death and then tried to hide what happened by setting fire to Kellerman's apartment.

On July 8, 2005, a judge decided there was enough information for Butler to go to trial. On March 27, 2006, Butler admitted his involvement in Kellerman's death and the fire. On April 5, 2006, a judge sentenced Butler to a long time in prison.

Prosecutors believed that Butler was having problems in his life, including issues with his girlfriend and his boxing career. They thought that a disagreement happened when Kellerman asked Butler to move out, which led to the tragic event.

Professional Boxing Record

25	Loss	20–5	Omar Sheika	SD	10	August 10, 2004	Essex County College, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
24	Win	20–4	Dan Sheehan	UD	6	June 4, 2004	PromoWest Pavilion, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
23	Win	19–4	Reggie Strickland	UD	6	May 7, 2004	Farm Bureau Building, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
22	Loss	18–4	Thomas Reid	UD	8	February 27, 2004	Key Skating Center, Bronx, New York, U.S.
21	Loss	18–3	Richard Grant	UD	10	November 23, 2001	Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, U.S.
20	Loss	18–2	Sven Ottke	UD	12	September 1, 2001	Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany	For IBF super-middleweight title
19	Win	18–1	Jerry Williams	UD	8	March 24, 2001	Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
18	Win	17–1	Jose Spearman	TKO	6 (12), 0:59	September 29, 2000	Station Casino, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.	Retained USBA super middleweight title
17	Win	16–1	Arthur Allen	TKO	2 (12), 2:03	March 24, 2000	The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.	Retained USBA super middleweight title
16	Win	15–1	Bryant Brannon	KO	7 (12), 0:55	October 29, 1999	Farm Bureau Building, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.	For USBA super middleweight title
15	Win	14–1	Merqui Sosa	TKO	2 (10), 1:02	July 16, 1999	Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, U.S.
14	Win	13–1	Thomas James	TKO	2 (6)	June 24, 1999	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
13	Win	12–1	Jose Hiram Torres	TKO	7 (10)	May 15, 1999	Leominster, Massachusetts, U.S.
12	Win	11–1	Calvin Moody	KO	1 (10)	April 22, 1999	Virginia, U.S.
11	Win	10–1	Rufat Baku	UD	10	October 9, 1998	Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York, U.S.
10	Win	9–1	Hector Rosario	TKO	6 (8)	September 11, 1998	Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, U.S.
9	Win	8–1	Tim Dendy	UD	6	March 24, 1998	Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, U.S.
8	Win	7–1	Knowledge Bey	KO	3 (4)	January 24, 1998	Elks Lodge, Queens, New York, U.S.
7	Win	6–1	Malcolm Brooks	PTS	6	October 10, 1997	Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York, U.S.
6	Win	5–1	Louis March	PTS	4	September 19, 1997	Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York, U.S.
5	Win	4–1	Robert Muhammad	KO	6 (6)	June 18, 1997	Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, U.S.
4	Win	3–1	Gerald Holmes	KO	1 (4)	April 11, 1997	Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York, U.S.
3	Loss	2–1	Richard Grant	PTS	4	January 31, 1997	Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Derrick Whitley	PTS	4	November 2, 1996	Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Eddie Johnson	TKO	1 (4)	October 18, 1996	Bronx, New York, U.S.	Professional debut