James Broad, Heavyweight Contender.

Fringe contender at his best before balooning up.

 

I read that he became another casualty in the ranks of 80's heavyweights who met an early demise. Apparently he died destitute a few years ago, sadly.

 

Yeah it was like 20 years ago actually. Think it was a heart attack

 

Broad was on the 1980 Olympic team before the US boycotted the olympics. He beat Marvis Frazier in the amateurs but lost to him in their professional rematch. He did knockout Marvis’ brother Rodney however. His 1984 win over the undefeated Eddie Gregg for the NABF heavyweight title was a good win and one that seemed to put him back on track..... Then he was dispatched in his next fight in two rounds by Tim Witherspoon. From there his career spiraled downhill. Broad could never keep himself in good shape. In a few of his fights he showed up weighing as much as 300 lbs. I saw him lose a woeful 6 rounder to Billy Wright in the early 90s. He died about ten years later from what I believe was a heart attack.

 

Nicknamed Broad Axe, which was a good nickname until Randy Gordon at Ring Magazine used it to ridicule him and call him Broad Ass. This at a time when he was beefy but not grossly overweight. Never saw the need for it other than meaness.

 

Steeping stone fighter for an up and comer. Good choice for first/second 10 rounder.

 

Broad was a very talented fighter, but had a lot of out of ring problems such a depression, which often caused him to binge eat. I think he was more than good enough to challenge for and pick up a portion of the world title if he were able to stay in shape consistently.

My older cousin Curtis Parker, who also was a fighter knew Broad really well and used to talk about what a waste of talent Broad was.

 

Sports writers can be cruel

 

Below is James Broad’s fight with Eddie Gregg from 1984 for the NABF heavyweight title. It ended in a TKO win for Broad around the ninth round. Gregg was able steal a few rounds when Broad was being lazy ( another problem he had. )

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Broad.... oh yes, commentators would say "James Broad, who fights anywhere from 250 to 1,000 pounds...."

 

He weighed 261 against Witherspoon. He made Page and Tubbs look like body builders in comparison.

I think Witherspoon may have had a tougher time against these three if they had come in at 230 lbs. Page weighed 239.5. Tubbs was 244 and Broad the aforementioned 261. Then Tim was a blob in the second Bonecrusher fight. Its part of the reason it was refreshing to have a young and hungry (good kind) Tyson emerge on the scene and clean house.

 

Yeah Gordon was a smart a$$. So was Jeff Ryan. Steve Farhood was less so.

Jeff Ryan penned the following more or less..."How did Page train for the fight? Do a push up. Eat a ring ding. Do a situp. Eat a ho ho. Run a mile. Eat a water buffalo."

I can kind of understand the frustration watching these talented but lackadaisical hws fail to reach their potential and giving the viewer boring fights.

But, still they could kick these nerd writers a$$es without breaking a sweat.