James Shuler (May 29, 1959 – March 17, 1986) was a U.S. Olympic and professional boxer from

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

known as "Black Gold."

Amateur career

Shuler was trained by

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was known for ...

.Sports
''Pacific Stars And Stripes'', September 15, 1980, p. 21. Shuler was the 1979 and 1980 National Golden Gloves Light Middleweight Champion. He qualified at 156 pounds and was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boxing team that perished in an air crash in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, on March 14, 1980. Shuler was not with the team, however, as he had stayed in America due to injury. The team was en route to Warsaw, Poland for the USA vs. Poland Box-off as part of "USA vs. the World." event. Among the USA Boxing teammates who were killed in the plane crash were Lemuel Steeples from St. Louis; Kelvin Anderson from Connecticut; Paul Palomino - the brother of Carlos Palomino; George Pimentel, and Olympic Coach, Sarge Johnson. Members of the team who were also not aboard included Bobby Czyz and

Alex Ramos Alex Ramos (born January 17, 1961) is a former middleweight boxer from the 1980s. A native of Manhattan, New York, whose parents were from Puerto Rico, Ramos won four Golden Gloves titles in New York City in the late 1970s (1977–1980) and wa ...

RBF. Shuler did not participate in the 1980 Olympics due to the

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...

. In 2007, he posthumously received one of 461

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...

s created especially for the spurned athletes.

Highlights

National Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

(156 lbs),

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, March 1979: *1/2: Defeated Alfred Mayes by decision *Finals: Defeated Randy Smith by decision Pan Am Trials (156 lbs),

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, May–June 1979: *1/2: Defeated James Rayford by decision *Finals: Defeated Alfred Mayes by decision

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

(156 lbs),

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...

, July 1979: *1/4: Defeated Luis Felipe Martínez (Cuba) by split decision, 3–2 *1/2: Defeated Jorge Amparo (Dominican Republic) by decision *Finals: Lost to José Molina (Puerto Rico) RSC 2

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

(156 lbs),

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, October 1979: *1/4: Defeated Jim Spencer (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0 *1/2: Defeated Khamzat Dzhabrailov (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0 *Finals: Defeated Park Il Chun (South Korea) by unanimous decision, 5–0 Frazier–Ali teams match-up (156 lbs)

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, February 1980: *Lost to Jeff Stoudemire by decision

(156 lbs), Hirsch Memorial Coliseum,

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

, March 1980: *1/8: Defeated Shane Hoose by decision *1/4: Defeated Roy Sapp by decision *1/2: Defeated Charles Garner RSC 2 *Finals: Defeated Donald Bowers by decision Olympic Trials (156 lbs),

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, June 1980: *1/4: Defeated Alfred Mayes by unanimous decision, 5–0 *1/2: Defeated Donald Bowers by decision *Finals: Defeated Kenneth Styles RSC 2 USA–USSR Duals (156 lbs), Showboat Hotel,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, January 1977: *Lost to

Alexander Koshkin Aleksandr Nikolayevich Koshkin (; 13 June 1959 – 16 October 2012) was a Russian amateur light-middleweight boxer. After placing second at the 1980 Summer Olympics, he won a European title in 1981 and a world title in 1982. Koshkin typically ke ...

(Soviet Union) KO 1 Shuler finished his amateur career with a record of 165–8.

Professional career

Shuler began his professional boxing career as a middleweight on September 12, 1980, with a second-round knockout of Chris Rogers in Philadelphia. During his five years as a pro, he won the NABF, national Middleweight championship with a win over

Sugar Ray Seales "Sugar" Ray Seales, (born September 4, 1952) is an American former Boxing, boxer. He was the only American boxer to win a gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he fought middleweight champion Marvin Hagler three times. He i ...

. He had a 22–1 record with sixteen knockouts. His first and only professional loss came on March 10, 1986, to

Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Detroit, Motor City Cobra", and more famously "the Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and long arms and shoulders al ...

when he was knocked out in the first round.

Death

Shuler died in a motorcycle accident in Philadelphia on 17 March 1986, just one week after his last fight against

Memory and tribute

Bob Arum Robert Arum (born December 8, 1931) is an American lawyer and boxing promoter. He is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. Prior to becoming a boxing promoter, Arum was employed as an attorn ...

, the promoter of Shuler's last fight, said that the boxer came to Arum's room a day after the Hearns fight and thanked him for promoting it. Arum, who had promoted many bouts, said that Shuler was the only fighter who had ever done that, adding, "He was a decent, decent young man." In 1995, his close friend Percy Custus opened the 'James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym' in Shuler's native Philadelphia in honor of the fallen fighter. Custus met Shuler in the 1970s at the

Gym where they trained together and remained close friends for the rest of James’ life.

Professional boxing record

, - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 22 Wins (16 knockouts, 6 decisions), 1 Loss (1 knockout)Boxer
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, KO , 1 , 10/03/1986 , align=left,

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesar ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jerry Holly , UD , 10 , 04/07/1985 , align=left,

Resorts Casino Hotel Resorts Casino Hotel is a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Resorts brought gaming to Atlantic City in 1978 as the first American casino outside Nevada when it opened in 1978. The resort completed an expansion in 2004, adding the ...

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, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, James Kinchen , SD , 12 , 16/02/1985 , align=left, The Sands,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

Kenny Bristol Kenny Bristol (born March 9, 1952) is a Guyanese people, Guyanese professional light middleweight, light middle/middleweight Boxing, boxer of the 1970s and '80s who won the List of Commonwealth Boxing Council Champions#light middleweight, Commo ...

, UD , 10 , 25/02/1984 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Clint Jackson , PTS , 12 , 17/01/1984 , align=left, Pennsylvania Hall,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Leroy Green, Jr. , KO , 1 , 25/11/1983 , align=left,

Pacific Coliseum Pacific Coliseum, locally known as The Coliseum or the Rink on Renfrew, is an indoor arena located at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its main use has been for ice hockey and the arena has been the home for several ice hockey tea ...

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wilbur Henderson , KO , 3 , 28/09/1983 , align=left,

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, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Norberto Sabater , KO , 2 , 17/09/1983 , align=left, The Sands,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wilfredo Acosta , KO , 1 , 14/06/1983 , align=left,

Philadelphia Civic Center The Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center, commonly known simply as the Philadelphia Civic Center, was a convention center complex located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It developed out of a series of buildings dedicated to expanding ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Inocencio De la Rosa , KO , 4 , 18/03/1983 , align=left, Atlantic City Convention Center,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ray Seales , UD , 12 , 23/10/1982 , align=left, Great Gorge Resort, McAfee, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Dario De Asa , KO , 2 , 18/09/1982 , align=left, The Sands,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Collin Keller , KO , 2 , 12/06/1982 , align=left, Playboy Hotel and Casino,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ricky Sheppard , KO , 4 , 11/04/1982 , align=left, Playboy Hotel and Casino,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jesus Castro , KO , 4 , 13/02/1982 , align=left, Playboy Hotel and Casino,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wyatt Simpkins , KO , 4 , 07/11/1981 , align=left, Playboy Hotel and Casino,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Kenny Hodges , KO , 3 , 18/07/1981 , align=left, Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Willard Nance , KO , 4 , 17/06/1981 , align=left, Martin Luther King Arena,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Vincent Evans , TKO , 1 , 11/04/1981 , align=left,

Concord Resort Hotel The Concord Resort Hotel (pronounced KAHN-cord, ()) was a resort in the Borscht Belt of the Catskills, known for its large resort industry in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Located in Kiamesha Lake, New York (state), New York, United States, the Co ...

, Kiamesha Lake, New York , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Robert Gregory Dean Thomas , TKO , 5 , 28/03/1981 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Charlie Hecker , TKO , 3 , 28/11/1980 , align=left,

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, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jamal Arbubakar , UD , 4 , 10/10/1980 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Chris Rogers , TKO , 2 , 12/09/1980 , align=left,

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shuler, James 1959 births 1986 deaths African-American boxers Welterweight boxers Middleweight boxers National Golden Gloves champions American male boxers Boxers at the 1979 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in boxing Congressional Gold Medal recipients Road incident deaths in Pennsylvania Motorcycle road incident deaths Boxers from Philadelphia Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games 20th-century African-American sportsmen