James Pritchard, was a heavyweight

Heavyweight

Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...

 professional boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 who won the USBA

USBA

USBA may refer to:* United States Basketball Academy* United States Boxing Association, the predecessor of the International Boxing Federation* United States Boomerang Association* United States Bicycle Motocross Association...

 heavyweight title and challenged for the IBF

IBF

IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...

 world title.

Amateur

Pritchard had a stellar amateur career, becoming the 1985 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion.

Professional career

Pritchard turned pro in 1985 and went undefeated in 17 bouts, including a draw with Mike 'The Bounty' Hunter, before facing ex-world heavyweight champion Mike Weaver in a crossroads fight. Pritchard was stopped by the big punching Weaver on his feet in six, but returned to win three fights in a row before meeting another former world champion, this time Michael Dokes

Michael Dokes

Michael Marshall Dokes is a former American boxer in the heavyweight division, nicknamed "Dynamite."-Amateur career:...

. Pritchard was stopped in seven, but gained a reputation for toughness as Dokes, like Weaver, could not drop Pritchard.

Pritchard travelled to apartheid South Africa for several fights, boxing to a controversial draw with Johnny DuPlooy

Johnny DuPlooy

- Boxing career :The tall 6`3 South African boxer started his career in 1985 and beat 17 opponents. He then was stopped cold after losing to ex-champ Mike Weaver by 7th round KO...

 when he had apparently got the better of DuPlooy. He was stopped in 10 in a rematch, then stopped in eight by DuPlooy's rival Pierre Coetzer

Pierre Coetzer

Pierre Coetzer is a former Heavyweight boxer from Pretoria, South Africa. Coetzer’s most notable fights were probably those against Johnny DuPlooy, Riddick Bowe, Frank Bruno and George Foreman....

. Pritchard returned to the States where he was a chief sparring partner of Frank Bruno

Frank Bruno

Franklin Roy Bruno MBE is an English former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC Heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests...

 prior to his Tyson fight. He also put together a string of wins including a kayo of novice Lionel Butler. A trip to England to face world ranked Gary Mason resulted in a 9th rd stoppage loss, although yet again Pritchard gained respect for his durability - no one could knock him down.

World title fight

Having been relegated to opponent status in the heavyweights, the 26-5-2 Pritchard moved down to the Cruiserweight division. He beat two-time world title challenger Siza Makathini in his debut winning an IBF Intercontinental title, but in his 1991 fight with James Warring

James Warring

James Warring is an American boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He won world titles in both boxing and kickboxing.- Career :*Kickboxing**US kickboxing champion**KICK World Cruiserweight Champion...

 for the vacant IBF

IBF

IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...

 world cruiserweight title he was shockingly dropped for the first time in his career and stopped in 36 seconds, a record for a world title fight.

Journeyman

Pritchard returned to the heavyweights after his cruiserweight title disaster, but was relegated to journeyman status. He knocked out undefeated West Turner to win the USBA

USBA

USBA may refer to:* United States Basketball Academy* United States Boxing Association, the predecessor of the International Boxing Federation* United States Boomerang Association* United States Bicycle Motocross Association...

 heavyweight title, but lost to the likes of Tim Witherspoon

Tim Witherspoon

"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon is an American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion.-Early career:Witherspoon had eight and a half amateur bouts, losing one to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down....

, Orlin Norris

Orlin Norris

Orlin Levance Norris, born October 4, 1965 in Lubbock, TX, is an American boxer who held the WBA cruiserweight title and fought in several noteworthy boxing matches in the 1980s and 1990s...

, Michael Moorer

Michael Moorer

Michael Lee Moorer is a retired American boxer who is a former light heavyweight and heavyweight World Champion.-Biography:Moorer is a native of Monessen, Pennsylvania, which is in Southwestern Pennsylvania.-Professional career:...

 and Herbie Hide

Herbie Hide

Herbie Hide is a British boxer of Nigerian heritage from Norwich currently fighting in the cruiserweight class...

.

By the mid to late 90's he was an aged heavyweight and not much more than cannon fodder for Corrie Sanders

Corrie Sanders

Cornelius "Corrie" Johannes Sanders is a South African former professional boxer. In 2003 he became the WBO heavyweight champion by defeating Wladimir Klitschko via a second-round knock out that is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history and won Ring Magazine upset of...

, Brian Nielsen and Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion...

. He retired in 1997 with a respectable record of 30-18-2 (25 KO's).