Jimmy Dupree facts for kids

James Walter Dupree (born April 27, 1936 – died January 25, 2014) was a talented American professional boxer. He competed in the sport from 1961 to 1974. A big moment in his career was in 1971 when he fought for the World Boxing Association (WBA) light-heavyweight title.

Boxing Career

Starting Strong: Early Fights

James Dupree began his boxing journey in 1961. He quickly won his first seven matches. His first loss came against Paul Johnson by knockout. After a draw and another loss, he started another winning streak. This streak ended in 1965 when he lost to Johnny Persol.

Dupree continued to fight, winning most of his matches. From 1968 to 1971, he had a very impressive three-year winning streak. This amazing run made him a top contender for the light-heavyweight titles. These titles were held by a famous boxer named Bob Foster.

Fighting for a World Title

Bob Foster did not seem ready to fight Jimmy Dupree or the second-ranked boxer, Vicente Rondón. Because of this, the WBA light-heavyweight title was made available. Jimmy Dupree and Vicente Rondón then fought for this important championship.

The fight was very close, with the scores being almost even. However, Jimmy Dupree lost the match by knockout in the sixth round. Even though he didn't win the title, fighting for a world championship was a huge achievement in his career.

The Road Continues: Later Fights

After his title fight, James Dupree did not reach that level of success again. He won two more matches. Then he lost to Mike Quarry. He also fought Eddie Owens twice, winning one and losing one.

Dupree won their third match, which is sometimes called a "rubber match." He then had three fights with Bobby Cassidy, getting one draw and one loss. After these matches, James Dupree decided to retire from boxing.