Welterweight contender Jamal James, 34-years-old, is currently preparing for his next fight, which is tentatively scheduled for February at The Armory in Minneapolis.

James has been out of the ring since October of 2021 in Las Vegas, when he suffered a stoppage loss at the hands of Radzhab Butaev. At the time of the stoppage, James was up one card and down on two others. His record dropped to 27-2, with 12 knockouts.

He was scheduled to return to action earlier this year at The Armory, but the comeback was delayed when James contracted COVID-19.

A lot has changed for James in the last year. The boxer has gotten married, became a father and bought a house.

James has also continued his work at Circle of Discipline (COD), a gym that doubles as a center for troubled youths.

He hopes to get himself back in the title mix in 2023. 

"I can't wait for February,'' James told the Star Tribune. "I'm itching to get back in the ring.

"I do love it. Boxing is the great truth-teller. You can't cheat. You can't cheat yourself, and you can't cheat the game. It's a great sport, and it's great to be able to go out and put on a show.

"It's also a great way to set an example for the kids we work with at COD. Boxing really is a discipline. It's nice to have the acclaim and say I'm the champ, and go places and get recognized, but the real reason I do this is for the kids down here. This is what I believe in. This is my passion — working for this organization and in this community. Boxing gives me the platform and the resources we need to do things at a much higher level.''