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

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

known as "Black Gold."

Amateur career

Shuler was trained by Joe Frazier.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 ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, 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 Lemuel is a Hebrew name, meaning "devoted to God", which may refer to: In religion * Lemuel (biblical king), mentioned in the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 * Lemuel (Book of Mormon), the second eldest of Lehi's sons and the brother of Laman, Sam, ...

from St. Louis; Calvin 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 Robert Edward Czyz ( ; born February 10, 1962) is an American retired boxer and commentator. Czyz was a two-division world titlist at light heavyweight and cruiserweight. Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey. He grew up in Wanaque, New Jersey a ...

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 ...

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Shuler did not participate in the 1980 Olympics due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, boycott. In 2007, he posthumously received one of 461

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

s created especially for the spurned athletes.

Highlights

National Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...

(156 lbs),

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, 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 and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, May–June 1979: *1/2: Defeated James Rayford by decision *Finals: Defeated Alfred Mayes by decision Pan American Games (156 lbs),

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

, 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 concept i ...

(156 lbs),

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, 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, February 1980: *Lost to Jeff Stoudemire by decision

(156 lbs), Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana, 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 capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, 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 (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, January 1977: *Lost to Alexander Koshkin (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. 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 "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowe ...

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.

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 Joe Frazier 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) http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=3132&cat=boxer , - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Result , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opp Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Round , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - , Loss , , align=left,

, KO , 1 , 10/03/1986 , align=left, Caesars Palace,

, 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 was the first casino hotel in Atlantic City, becoming the first legal casino outside of Nevada in the United States, when it opened on May 26, 1978. The resort com ...

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, James Kinchen , SD , 12 , 16/02/1985 , align=left,

The Sands The Sands Hotel and Casino was a historic American hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, United States, that operated from 1952 to 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, with a prominent high sign, the Sands was the sevent ...

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Kenny Bristol Kenny Bristol (born March 9, 1952) is a Guyanese professional light middle/middleweight boxer of the 1970s and '80s who won the Commonwealth light middleweight title, his professional fighting weight varied from , i.e. light middleweight to ...

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

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

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

Pacific Coliseum Pacific Coliseum, known to locals 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 hock ...

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

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

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

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

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wilfredo Acosta , KO , 1 , 14/06/1983 , align=left,

Philadelphia Civic Center The Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center – more 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 ...

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

Atlantic City Convention Center The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large convention center located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened on May 1, 1997, the center includes of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with of space, a garage with 1,400 parking sp ...

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , 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,

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Collin Keller , KO , 2 , 12/06/1982 , align=left,

Playboy Hotel and Casino Trump World's Fair at Trump Plaza was a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey that occupied 280 feet (85.3 m) of the Atlantic City boardwalk and was 21 floors in height. It had 500 guest rooms. It opened on April 14, 1981 as the Playboy ...

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ricky Sheppard , KO , 4 , 11/04/1982 , align=left,

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jesus Castro , KO , 4 , 13/02/1982 , align=left,

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wyatt Simpkins , KO , 4 , 07/11/1981 , align=left,

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Kenny Hodges , KO , 3 , 18/07/1981 , align=left,

Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino The Linq (formerly Flamingo Capri, Imperial Palace and The Quad) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It opened as the Flamingo Capri in 1959, on property located directly ...

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

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Vincent Evans Sir William Vincent John Evans (20 October 1915 – 18 May 2007) was a British diplomat and international lawyer, who served as Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1991. Early life Evans wa ...

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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, United States, the Concord was the larges ...

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

, Atlantic City, New Jersey , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Charlie Hecker , TKO , 3 , 28/11/1980 , align=left,

Felt Forum The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is a theater located in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It seats between 2,000 and 5,600, and is used for concerts, shows, sports, meetings, and other events. It is located beneath the main Madiso ...

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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 Pan American Games medalists 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 sportspeople