Jamal James
Jamal James

Jamal James

“Shango”

RECORD

28 - 2 - 0

KOs

12

Weight 147 lbs (66.82 kg)

Age 36

Home Minneapolis, Minnesota,

Complete Stats

Long and lean, Minnesota native Jamal James is a former Golden Gloves runner-up who has a world title at welterweight and remains one of the best in the talent-laden division. Read Bio

Last Fight

Win vs Alberto Palmetta

Feb 25, 2023 / The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jamal James WINS against Alberto Palmetta by UD in Round 10 of 10

Latest News

Jamal James News
Feb 26, 2023 / Matias vs Ponce, Subriel Matias, Jeremias Ponce, Jamal James, Alberto Palmetta, Elvis Rodriguez, Joseph Adorno

Subriel Matias Captures World Title in Star-Making Performance

The Puerto Rican slugger hands Jeremias Ponce his first loss and captures the IBF 140-pound World Championship in a brilliant battle of power punchers Saturday night on SHOWTIME.

Oct 31, 2021 / James vs Butaev, Jamal James, Radzhab Butaev, Jaron Ennis, Thomas Dulorme, Michel Rivera

Radzhab Butaev shocks Jamal James in Nine

The undefeated slugger dethrones James to capture a welterweight belt while Jaron Ennis and Michel Rivera show their class in dominant performances Saturday night on PBC on SHOWTIME.

Oct 29, 2021 / James vs Butaev, Jamal James

Jamal James Wants To Add His Name To This Era's Great Welters

The 147-pound world titlist says he's earned his shot at one of the other top welterweights and plans to prove it again when he faces unbeaten top contender Radzhab Butaev Saturday night in a PBC on SHOWTIME headliner.

Fights

Jamal James Fights

Win vs Alberto Palmetta 18-1-0

Feb 25, 2023 The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jamal James WINS against Alberto Palmetta by UD in Round 10 of 10

Loss vs Radzhab Butaev 15-1-0

Oct 30, 2021 Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

Jamal James LOSES to Radzhab Butaev by TD in Round 9 of 12

Win vs Thomas Dulorme 26-7-1

Aug 08, 2020 Microsoft Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Jamal James WINS against Thomas Dulorme by UD in Round of 12

Win vs Antonio DeMarco 33-9-1

Jul 13, 2019 The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jamal James WINS against Antonio DeMarco by UD in Round 10 of 10

Win vs Janer Gonzalez 19-1-1

Feb 23, 2019 Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Janer Gonzalez by RTD in Round 6 of 10

Win vs Mahonri Montes 35-7-1

Aug 24, 2018 The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jamal James WINS against Mahonri Montes by KO in Round 2 of 10

Win vs Abel Ramos 28-6-2

Apr 13, 2018 The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jamal James  WINS against Abel Ramos by MD in Round 10 of 10

Win vs Abel Ramos 28-6-2

Apr 13, 2018 Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Abel Ramos by MD in Round 10 of 10

WIN vs Diego Gabriel Chavez 30-10-1

Dec 18, 2017 Pioneer Event Center, Lancaster, California

Diego Gabriel Chavez LOSES to Jamal James by KO in Round 3 of 10

WIN vs Diego Gabriel Chaves 30-10-1

Dec 15, 2017 Pioneer Event Center, Lancaster, California, USA

Diego Gabriel Chaves LOSES to Jamal James by KO in Round 3 of 10

Win vs Ionut Dan Ion 36-5-0

Jul 15, 2017 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, USA

Jamal James WINS against Ionut Dan Ion by UD in Round 10 of 10

Loss vs Yordenis Ugas 27-6-0

Aug 12, 2016 Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York, USA

Jamal James LOSES to Yordenis Ugas by UD in Round 10 of 10

Win vs Wale Omotoso 28-5-0

Jul 16, 2016 Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Jamal James WINS against Wale Omotoso by SD in Round 10 of 10

Win vs Javier Molina 22-3-0

Jan 19, 2016 Club Nokia, Los Angeles

Jamal James WINS against Javier Molina by UD in Round 10 of 10

Win vs Juan Carlos Abreu 23-6-1

Sep 18, 2015 Full Sail Live, Winter Park, Florida

Jamal James WINS against Juan Carlos Abreu by UD in Round 10 of 10

Win vs Michael Balasi 10-6-0

Jun 27, 2015 Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Jamal James WINS against Michael Balasi by UD in Round 8 of 8

Win vs Daniel Sostre- Figueroa 13-10-1

Apr 18, 2015 Valley Forge Casino and Resort, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, USA

Jamal James WINS against Daniel Sostre- Figueroa by KO in Round 2 of 8

Win vs Daniel Sostre 13-10-1

Apr 18, 2015 Valley Forge Casino and Resort, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, USA

Jamal James WINS against Daniel Sostre by KO in Round 2 of 8

Win vs Cameron Krael 6-6-2

Nov 01, 2014 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Jamal James WINS against Cameron Krael by KO in Round 8 of 8

Win vs Cameron Kreal 6-6-2

Nov 01, 2014 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Jamal James WINS against Cameron Kreal by KO in Round 8 of 8

Win vs Wayne Martell 25-4-1

Aug 22, 2014 Grand Casino, Hinckley, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Wayne Martell by TKO in Round 1 of 10

Win vs Angel Hernandez 16-13-1

Mar 28, 2014 Grand Casino, Hinckley, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Angel Hernandez by UD in Round 8 of 8

Win vs Colby Courter 4-1-0

Jan 24, 2014 Grand Casino, Hinckley, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Colby Courter by TKO in Round 4 of 6

WIN vs Mohammed Kayongo 17-2-1

Sep 21, 2013 Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Mohammed Kayongo LOSES to Jamal James by UD in Round 8 of 8

Win vs Robert Osiobe 14-6-4

Aug 16, 2013 Grand Casino, Hinckley, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Robert Osiobe by UD in Round 8 of 8

Win vs Patrick Boozer 5-1-0

Jan 05, 2013 Hyatt Regency Hotel, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Patrick Boozer by UD in Round 6 of 6

Win vs Corey Rodriguez 6-2-2

Oct 27, 2012 Canterbury Park, Shakopee, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Corey Rodriguez by TD in Round 7 of 8

Win vs Charon Spain 0-1-0

Aug 25, 2012 Crown Plaza Hotel, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Charon Spain by TKO in Round 1 of 6

Win vs Hector Orozco 5-11-0

Jun 23, 2012 Black Bear Casino, Carlton, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Hector Orozco by UD in Round 6 of 6

Win vs Hector Orozco 3-7-0

May 20, 2011 Grand Casino, Hinckley, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Hector Orozco by UD in Round 6 of 6

Win vs Justin Danforth 6-17-0

Feb 26, 2011 Grand Casino, Hinckley, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Justin Danforth by TKO in Round 2 of 4

Win vs Ryan Gronvold 1-5-0

Dec 18, 2010 Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Ryan Gronvold by TKO in Round 1 of 4

Win vs Wes Ronchi 0-0-0

Nov 05, 2010 Scheels Arena, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Wes Ronchi by KO in Round 1 of 4

Win vs Justin Danforth 6-15-0

May 22, 2010 Shooting Star Casino, Mahnomen, Minnesota, USA

Jamal James WINS against Justin Danforth by TKO in Round 3 of 4

Stats

Jamal James “Shango”

  • WINS 28
  • LOSSES 2
  • DRAWS 0
  • KOs 12

Weight 147 lbs (66.82 kg)

Height 6'2" (1.88 m)

Reach 70" (178 cm)

  • Born

    July 27, 1988
  • Age

    36
  • Country

    USA
  • Born in

    Minneapolis, MN
  • Trains in

    Minneapolis, MN
  • Stance

  • Rounds Boxed

    192
  • KO Percentage

    42.86%
  • Boxing Hero

    Jack Johnson

Fighter data provided by BoxRec Ltd. View disclaimer

Bio

Jamal James Bio

Some of the biggest names in boxing reside in the 147-pound weight class--and some of the best fighters. That includes Minnesota's finest, former WBA World Welterweight Champion Jamal "Shango" James.

A photo posted by Jamal James (@jamalshango) on

A golden child

James began his boxing life at the age of 5, when his mother took him to the Circle of Discipline boxing gym in his native Minneapolis to gain structure and discipline.

There, he began working with the head trainer, Shankara Frazier, who would later become his stepfather and remain in James’ corner as the fighter’s career progressed.

By age 10, James launched an amateur career that would see him log more than 150 fights and eventually be ranked No. 1 by USA Boxing in the 141-pound class.

His amateur career culminated in 2009, when he took second place in the national Golden Gloves competition at 141 pounds.

James made his professional debut in May 2010, when he gained a third-round TKO against Justin Danforth in Mahnomen, Minnesota, as he began his climb toward a world title.

A photo posted by Jamal James (@jamalshango) on

The rise of ‘Shango’

James took his nickname “Shango” from his grandfather Aldric Peter Nelson, who founded the popular Minneapolis-based world-beat band Shangoya in the early ’70s. It's also the name of the African god of fire, lightning and thunder, fitting for James’ heated style in the ring.

With Frazier and stepbrother Adonis Frazier guiding his career, James made quick work of most his early opponents.

James stopped six of his first 17 opponents within two rounds, including a first-round TKO of veteran southpaw Wayne Martell in Hinckley, Minnesota, in August 2014.

James improved to 17-0 in June 2015 with a unanimous decision over Michael Balasi in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He swept two of the judges’ scorecards as he landed both jabs and power punches with virtual ease while also using his significant reach advantage to stay out of harm’s way.

“He showed some good power,” James said of Balasi afterward. “I hit him with some really good shots, but he was tough. These are the kind of fights that I need, to see where I am.”

James vs. Abreu: September 18, 2015 (PBC on Bounce)

GAINING EXPERIENCE

On September 18, 2015, James took another step up in class when he faced Juan Carlos Abreu at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Abreu dropped James in the fourth, but James returned the favor in the sixth when he floored the Dominican. James’ superior boxing and hard-punching carried him to a 10-round unanimous decision win.

 Following decision victories over Javier Molina and Wale Omotoso, James took on smooth Cuban Yordenis Ugas on August 12, 2016. “Shango” took the fight on three days’ notice after Bryant Perella, Ugas’ original opponent, pulled out with a thumb injury. 

James’ talent shone through but his lack of preparation proved to be his downfall as Ugas won a 10-round unanimous decision at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.

“I was a little too confident in myself, taking it on such short notice,” said James. “Mentally, I was in it, but my timing and everything was off. I was trying to hit him with heavy shots instead of just boxing him. It was a hard lesson but a good one.”

On July 15, 2017, James won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Ionut “JoJo” Dan ay Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. 

James vs. Chaves: December 15, 2017 (PBC on FS1)

REACHING HIGHER HEIGHTS

James followed that up with perhaps the finest performance of his career. On December 15, 2017, he notched a third-round KO over former interim welterweight world champion Diego Chaves at Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

James returned to the ring on April 13, 2018, edging a game Abel Ramos via 10-round majority decision at Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

On August 24, 2018, James flattened Mahonry Montes in two frames, also at the Minneapolis Armory.

James vs. DeMarco: July 13, 2019 (PBC on FS1)

BATTLE TESTED

On February 23, 2019, James returned to the Minneapolis Armory again, battering Janer Gonzalez and winning a six-round technical decision. 

Another large crowd turned out at the Armory on July 13, 2019 to see James square off against former world champion Antonio DeMarco. 

James prevailed by unanimous decision but faced a serious gut check as DeMarco gave as good as he got for much of the bout. The two took turns unleashing their offense, though James had the edge in punches thrown and landed. The rounds were hard to score but James did just enough to earn the support of the judges, who scored it 98-92 across the board in his favor.

"I knew coming into this fight that he was a former world champion and this would be a big step up," James said afterward. "He kept coming, but I did too. I just had to bite down and do what I know how to do. DeMarco definitely came to fight.

"I'm ready for the title fight, who's going to give me the shot? I'm ready for anyone. My time is now."

James was scheduled to face former title challenger Thomas Dulorme for the Interim WBA Welterweight Title in the FOX PBC Fight Night main event and on FOX Deportes Saturday, April 11 at The Armory in Minneapolis. But the bout was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

James vs. Dulorme: August 8, 2020 (PBC on FOX)

A New Chapter, A New Champion

On Saturday, August 8, 2020, James took on the dangerous Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBA interim world welterweight title at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. 

A decisive win would lead to a shot at one of the big name, big money bouts in the welterweight division.

With all that on the line, the 32-year-old James delivered the finest performance of his career, outboxing and, when necessary, outbrawling, Dulorme to win a 12-round unanimous decision at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. 

“I’ve been working so long for a title shot, man,” James said afterward. “So being able to get this opportunity and then actually following through and winning it just meant the world to me.

 “It’s been a crazy journey, with this with COVID-19, and then the George Floyd incident and then, you know, starting camps and then stopping and so forth.

My grandmother ended up passing away when I was in camp for this fight. So it was a lot of mixed emotions for me. It just feels good to be able to, you know, bring this back home from my city. Now we’ll see how much farther I can go.”

After a feel-out opener, both fighters dug in during a fiery second round. Toward the end of the frame, Dulorme trapped James along the ropes and landed two hard right rights. James returned to his corner pawing at his bloody nose after the round ended. 

The back and forth continued in the third, each fighter taking turns landing power punches. James went back to boxing in the fourth and the fifth, using his jab and angles to keep Dulorme off-balance.

However, a war broke out again in the sixth, the see-saw battle making the rounds difficult to score. The fight was still up for grabs heading into the second half. That’s when James found his rhythm, outboxing Dulorme from the outside. 

“I had the range and the height on him, so I just had to box,” James said. “I wanted to et my hands go a little bit more, but he had funny timing. So any time I would try to get in a longer combination, he would let something go. So I just kept boxing him, kind of pot-shotting a little bit.”

Dulorme, 30, 25-4-1 (16 KOs) continued to apply serious pressure yet struggled to land meaningful shots. James, on the other hand, began finding a home for his right hand—and a left hook behind it. Going into the 12th, Dulorme needed a knockout to win. Yet it was James who landed the heavier blows, winning on all three cards by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.

In February 2021, the WBA issued the following statement:

The World Boxing Association (WBA) named Jamal James as its Welterweight champion after enforcing the rules and considering his boxing record.

Through a resolution of the WBA Championships Committee, the body made the decision regarding James. The American won the interim title on August 8, 2020 by defeating Thomas Dulorme by unanimous decision, in Los Angeles, California.

Rule C.28 states that the President and the Championships Committee may elevate an interim champion to champion at their discretion. The WBA considers James’ outstanding record as a favorable reason to elevate him.

Unfortunately, James would suffer a loss in his next bout. On October 30, 2021, he was stopped in nine rounds by Radzhab Butaev at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, live on PBC on SHOWTIME. 

Clawing Back

On February 25, 2023,  James (28-2, 12 KOs) returned from a 16-month layoff to thrill a sold-out hometown crowd at the Armory in Minneapolis and earn a unanimous decision victory after 10-rounds against Argentine Olympian Alberto Palmetta (18-2, 13 KOs).
 
“I’m pretty sure everybody can see that layoff affected me,” said James. “I had a lot of rust in me. My legs weren’t sharp, my punches weren’t sharp, but I’m glad I was able to get in there. I liked that because it’s pushing me mentally and it made me step up to the occasion.
 
“I was trying to adapt. I definitely felt like I won the fight but I believe I could’ve done much better. I know that I’m a lot sharper. I know that my endurance is a lot stronger. I just had a lot of time off and my body is still getting back in shape. I’ll be back for sure.”
 
Palmetta had success countering James but was unable to put together enough combinations or hurt James during the action. James’ edge was reflected on the scorecards, as he out landed Palmetta 193 to 111, including a 153 to 102 edge in power punches.
 
James was also able to use a sharp body attack to keep Palmetta at bay, landing 68 throughout the fight, compared to just 20 from Palmetta. In round nine, a sharp right uppercut caused Palmetta to stumble and let to a raucous exchange that stirred James’ hometown fans.
 
The crowd again rose to their feet as James and Palmetta whipped power punches throughout the final moments of round 10. James kept his perfect record at The Armory intact by wide scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice.