James (Buddy) McGirt

IBHoF Bio

Name: Buddy McGirt
Alias: Buddy
Birth Name: James Walter McGirt
Hometown: Brentwood, New York, USA
Birthplace: Brentwood, New York, USA
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 169cm
Reach: 178cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record

• Trainer: Al Certo
• Manager: Al Certo
• James (Buddy) McGirt Gallery

Professional Record

Championship Record

• Record in world title fights: 5-3-0 (2 KOs).
• Record against former, current and future world titlists: 6-3-0 (1 KO)
  • Won against Saoul Mamby, Joe Manley, Simon Brown, Patrizio Oliva, Genaro Léon & Livingstone Bramble.
  • Lost against Meldrick Taylor & Pernell Whitaker (twice).

Variant Records

• Has a record of 3-2-0 in lineal title fights.
• Defeated 3 undefeated opponents with ten or more bouts: Vincent Releford, Frankie Warren & Jose Leonardo Bermudez.

Regional & Minor Titles

• WBC Continental Americas super lightweight title (1985-1986, 1987)
• IBC junior middleweight title (1996)

Trainer

McGirt and his son, James McGirt Jr.

Since his retirement as a boxer, McGirt has become a highly regarded trainer.

He was named 2002 Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Trains/Trained:

• Dan Azeez
• Maxim Dadashev
• Janibek Alimkhanuly
• Lamon Brewster
• Nate Campbell
• J.C. Candelo
• Joel Casamayor
• Dereck Chisora
• Marianne Chubirka
• Allen Conyers
• Vernon Forrest
• Arturo Gatti
• Michael Grant
• Troy Harden
• Kelsey Jeffries
• Joel Julio
• Cem Kilic
• Ievgen Khytrov
• Sergey Kovalev
• Jimmy Lange
• Sergey Lipinets
• Jason Litzau (assistant)
• Matthew Macklin
• Paul Malignaggi
• James McGirt Jr.
• Hasim Rahman
• Paul Smith
• Paul Spadafora (assistant)
• Antonio Tarver
• Sherman Williams
• Dillian Whyte

Notes

• Amateur record: 54-9.
• Inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.
• Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2019.

Preceded by: Terry Marsh Retired	IBF Light Welterweight Champion 1988 Feb 14 – 1988 Sep 3	Succeeded by: Meldrick Taylor
Preceded by: Simon Brown	WBC Welterweight Champion 1991 Nov 29 – 1993 Mar 6	Succeeded by: Pernell Whitaker