Contender Star Jimmy Lange: Preparing for Wreckage

Exclusive Interview by Marc Anthony

“The majority of my fights are wars… you are going to see blood, you are going to see wreckage.” – Jimmy Lange

As a contestant, Jimmy Lange, 34-4-2, 24 KO’s, in the first season of “The Contender” reality TV show, he lost in the first round of the tournament. He was voted back onto the show as the “fan favorite” beating Tarick Salmaci by decision. That was the beginning of the Jimmy Lange franchise in Virginia.

If you go to YouTube and type “Jimmy Lange,” one thing you will notice is that he packs the house. There are plenty of videos out there with his entrance song and fans screaming in support. His entrances are electric. How much do the fans love him? Enough for him to have his own “Jimmy Lange sandwich” found at Celebrity Delly in Falls Church.

With thirteen years as a pro Jimmy has won the WBE Light Middleweight Title defeating Perry Ballard by TKO in the 4th round, WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight title winning by TKO against Fontaine Cabell, WBC USNBC super welterweight title and most recently the NABA U.S. Super Welterweight Title in November 6th, 2010, by knocking out Joe Wyatt.

Jimmy Lange is set to Face Jimmy “The Fighting School Teacher” Holmes in Main Event Showdown, March 12th, at the Patriot Center

Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $75, $125, $200, $300 and $500 (plus applicable service charges), can be bought through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via phone charge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT and 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035.

MA: My Publisher “Bad” Brad first saw you fight at Michael’s Eighth Avenue many years ago and the place was a very exciting venue for fight fans. What are your recollections of fighting at the Ballroom?

The best thing about that place is that it was small and loud and just very intimate and I became a fan favorite there because of my fights. Coincidently, how the fights got matched every fight that I was in there was exciting as hell. They actually voted one of my fights there: “the best fight ever at the ballroom” and that was against James Johnson. It was starting to become a staple. It was wild. It was a great time. I am not sure they still have fights there, which is a real shame, but I think it was because you put enough years in and you end up in a place like the Blue Horizon or something like that.

These little club shows around the US, if they are in the right atmosphere and the right matches and the right fans, it all has to come together, you have exciting fights and the Ballroom was a place it did.

MA: I’ve seen quite a few YouTube videos of you fighting at the Patriot Center from fans and you pack the house. You have a very strong following, how do you do it?

I tell you, I think it is luck. Modesty is not one of my strong points… I put on a hell of a show! Every fighter is going have blowouts or easy fights but the majority of my fights are wars… you are going to see blood, you are going to see wreckage. For the most part, my fights, win or lose, are very action packed and destructive fights. People like that. They like a guy who they can shake hands with. I am personable…I am not one of these guys who think they are some kind of superstar. As far as I am concerned, I am just like anybody else and that comes off in my personality. You want to cheer for a guy like that. I have a good team behind me putting on great shows. We have done it in Virginia, you have a better chance of doing it on Mars then in Virginia.

MA: Is boxing your full-time gig?

Yes it is.

MA: Was the Contender really proactive for you guys after the show or was it just in front of the TV?

I was putting 2500-3500 before I did The Contender… after I did The Contender I am putting 7500-8000 in an arena. For boxing, you don’t get much better than that, of course, unless you are looking at a Manny Pacquiao type of venue. It was very good, it was a great experience. It made a lot of great memories for me.

Was it a realistic show? No, it was a reality show that was very unrealistic when it comes to boxing. That’s no secret. When was the last time you heard of a guy who, unless he was a fill in, doesn’t know who he is fighting until the morning of the fight? When is the last time you heard sixteen guys living together all with the possibility of fighting each other? It was just not realistic. I don’t think the best guy won and I think the guy that won will be the first one to tell you that. Sergio is a great guy but I don’t think that the best guy necessarily won the whole tournament. We were out in another planet. We were all very awe stricken. It was a hell of an experience though.

MA: Jimmy Holmes is your next opponent on March 12th at the Patriot center. What do you have to watch out for him?

He has a quite a few knockouts; I think he carries a club in his back pocket. Honestly, I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about the guy. I am working on getting some film on him. But that’s really not my job. My job is to listen to what the trainers tell me on what to work on…listen to what the trainers tell me to what to watch out for. I am not out scouting, finding and looking for different opponents. Let them do that and I will do the work in the gym.

MA: Where is your training camp going be?

Jimmy Glenn has been training me and I will go up to New York for the next four weeks or so, and then I will come back here, two weeks before the fight. We will go to Gleason’s to Kings Way back and forth; there are several gyms we kind of go back and forth with.

MA: You have said when you get into that zone, you get very edgy… that you hate being around you when you’re like that. What do you mean?

I didn’t say around myself. I hate being around other people. I love myself… I am terrific. We are going into a fight and you don’t go to war with peace on your mind. You have to get nasty… have to get ready to do battle and that’s what I do.

Getting into the zone is kind of an overused catch phrase but it’s something I am able to do. The more experience I have, the easier I can do it. I have done it forty times now as a pro. If you look at the yesteryears the Jake Lamotta types and those guys they were in the zone all the time because those guys fought every week… every two weeks. They were just nasty and horrible human beings. At least when I am not fighting, I can be a dad… I can be a husband…I can be a halfway normal guy. When I say horrible human beings, they did what they had to do. I don’t mean they were bad people. I just mean that when you are fighting every ten days, two weeks, or three weeks, you don’t have time to really come off that “edge”.

MA: Are you a football fan? I noticed you don’t like to make predictions on your fights so I thought I would ask on the Super Bowl. What is your Super Bowl prediction?

I think Green Bay is going win. I like their Quarterback! My dad took my son to Heinz field to see the Baltimore’s play, I am a Baltimore fan. You talk about two teams that did their best to lose. They both tried to give that game away. I think Green Bay looks really tough.

MA: Good luck…any final words?

Everybody come out and have fun. It will be a big party: I will be there; I won’t be taking part of the festivities. As usual it will be a great atmosphere… it will be a great night of boxing and I am looking forward to taking care of business.

(CEO/Publisher Note: I would like to thank Brian Bishop of BWF for helping set up this interview.)

Jimmy Lange
Division: Light Middleweight
Professional Record: 34- 4- 2, 24 KO’s

2010-11-06 Joe Wyatt Fairfax, Virginia, W KO 10 10
Vacant NABA USA light middleweight title
2010-08-20 Mike McFail Greensboro, North Carolina W UD 6 6
2010-07-10 Jimmy LeBlanc Fairfax, Virginia W TKO 2 10
2010-03-06 Chase Shields Fairfax, Virginia L UD 12 12
WBC USNBC light middleweight title

2009-09-26 Jonathan Reid Fairfax, Virginia, W RTD 9 12
WBC USNBC light middleweight title
2009-05-02 Frank Houghtaling Fairfax, Virginia W RTD 5 10
Vacant WBC USNBC light middleweight title

2008-11-01 Grover Wiley Fairfax, Virginia, W UD 10 10

2007-05-12 Fontaine Cabell Fairfax, Virginia W TKO 8 12
Vacant WBC Continental Americas light middleweight title

2006-12-09 Fontaine Cabell Fairfax, Virginia D SD 12 12
Vacant WBC Continental Americas light middleweight title
2006-10-07 Thomas Wilt Fairfax, Virginia W TKO 10 10
2006-02-18 Joey Gilbert Fairfax, Virginia L TKO 3 12
Vacant WBO NABO middleweight title

2005-09-17 Perry Ballard Fairfax, Virginia W TKO 4 12
WBE Light Middleweight Title
2005-05-24 Tarick Salmaci Las Vegas, Nevada W MD 5 5

2004-09-07 Joey Gilbert Pasadena, California L UD 5 5
2004-05-01 Sammy Sparkman Washington, DC W SD 10 10
2004-02-28 Gabriel Rodriguez Washington, DC W TKO 7 10

2003-12-13 Joshua Smith Washington, DC W UD 10 10
2003-09-16 Homer Gibbins Lake Charles, Louisiana W TKO 3 10
2003-05-10 Chad Greenleaf Washington, DC W UD 8 8
2003-03-15 Charles Clark Washington, DC W UD 8 8

2002-03-28 Gerald Reed Washington, DC W MD 8 8
2002-01-17 Vincent White Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 5 8

2001-11-15 Alex Perez Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 1 8
2001-08-31 Samuel Harvey Baltimore, Maryland W TKO 2 6
2001-05-10 James Johnson Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 5 8

2000-11-16 Ed Goins Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 2 6
2000-09-21 Kevin Carter Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 3 6
2000-03-12 Donnie Parker Washington, DC W PTS 6 6

1999-11-18 Benji Singleton Glen Burnie, Maryland W UD 6 6
1999-09-30 Drew Hayes Glen Burnie, Maryland W KO 5 6
1999-08-27 Dewayne Holland Annandale, Virginia W KO 1
1999-07-23 Jason Floss Washington, DC W TKO 2
1999-05-13 James Johnson Glen Burnie, Maryland D PTS 4 4
1999-03-25 Andre Gaskins Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 4 4
1999-02-28 Travis Clybourn Alexandria, Virginia W KO 1
1999-01-28 Matt Hill Glen Burnie, Maryland W TKO 1 4

1998-11-24 Anthony Boykin Washington, DC W TKO 1
1998-03-27 Kevin Collins Westbury, New York L MD 4 4
1998-03-14 Scott Mitchell Lima, Ohio W TKO 1
1998-02-22 Robert Hunt Washington, DC W TKO 1 4