Local 13-year-old is star on the rise
James Bragg has won 15 of 17 tournaments
On Friday, 13-year-old James Bragg III leaves for his 18th national boxing championship event.
Bragg has become a rising star in the sport, competing in four national tournaments a year, and winning 15 of the 17 in which he’s competed so far.
“I got him in the gym at 6,” said Bragg’s stepfather, Devon Foster. “He’s been No. 1 in the country since he was 8.”
What is the secret to his strength?
“I would say the genetics,” said Roshawn Jones, a co-founder and coach at Soul City Gym, where young Bragg trains.
“His father, who passed away, was a phenomenal boxer, and he had tremendous power, as well.”
James Bragg II, young Bragg’s father, was a known Toledo boxer before he was killed in a shooting in 2013, leaving behind then 2-year-old James Bragg III.
“He had a heart this big,” Anthony Hines, a coach at Soul City Gym, said about James Bragg II with his arms spread wide, “and a body this little,” he said, shrinking his hands down. “Very tough.”
Competition for the USA Boxing Junior Olympics and Summer Festival will take place Monday to June 29 in Wichita.
The event, which features the nation’s best up-and-coming boxers, has helped produce numerous Olympic medalists, including Toledo’s Oshae Jones.
In a crowded upstairs room at Soul City Gym with about 50 other kids in 90-plus degree temperatures, young Bragg led cardio exercises, sweating during an hourlong conditioning session.
“I don’t like to lose,” Bragg said, and recounted the two national tournaments he didn’t win. “That was a while ago. I’m not letting nobody down.”
Part of the reason Bragg started fighting was because of his dad.
“People be like, ‘You boxing just like your dad,’” Foster said of his stepson.
And, no doubt, the sacrifices Bragg has made, practicing every day, watching his diet, and dedicating so much time to the sport, have given him success so far in the youth boxing realm.
“I’m very proud of him,” Foster said, as he explained how his stepson’s discipline helped improve his grades in school and his behavior.
Bragg has undeniable talent, according to his coaches.
“The reason why he is so successful in the sport of boxing in his age group is because he has tremendous punching power, unreal, punching power,” Jones said.
“I’ve coached 2,000 kids all around the world. This 13-year-old kid has more power than any 13-year-old kid I’ve ever seen.”
A former professional fighter and trainer of two Olympians, Jones thinks Bragg has the potential to be a world-class fighter — starting with this week’s championship tournament.
Bragg is trying to raise $2,000 to cover the cost of going to Wichita with his stepfather. He and his family have sold T-shirts and put together dinners for fund-raisers in the past.
“I think he’s gonna win every match,” Jones said. “It’s not gonna be easy. Every time you get older, it’s stronger people. Everything that he’s done in the past, it does not matter. Things can change at any given time in boxing.”
Contact Stephen Zenner at szenner@theblade.com