#PHILLY 🥊🥊 #PhillyFighters 💪🏿👊🥊 James Shuler Memorial gym Fixture in West Philadelphia today.

He really seemed like a great guy raised by some good parents .Evan in a tough drug infested nieborehood he rose above it all and was a champion ..That just showes having good parents produce good young men .God bless

The Philly street fighters were legendary

Thanks Rich. Masterful documentary and narration of the James Shuler story. May he rest in peace.

Wow it brings back memories.I was there that night.I had the pleasure of talking to him that night at the after party.All he talked about was getting back in the gym.We took a photo and I told him he'll be back.I'm scared of motorcycles till this day.

I thought Shuler may have eventually won the title when Hagler and Leonard left the sport. Such a tragic ending for young Shuler. Thanks for another great mini-documentary Rich.

The shoutout to all the other Philly legends who inspired him is chilling. The respect to the people who paved the road before is almost lost. 🙏

I loved playing ball with James @ the Salvation Army! Cool dude

Another great post ! We all remember James...Thank you so much, Rich !

You will always be one of Philly’s best. I am glad I got a chance to holla at you on Broad & Cecil B. Moore Ave. before you fought Tommy Hearns. When Philly lost you we lost a good brother. We lost a gem.

Awesome Rich, James Shuler was and still is well respected in Philly. Thank you!

Shuler vs. Seales was a great fight. This was a great story, with a sad ending. It's tough to see a guy checkout so early when he has so much to live for. R.I.P. James ✝🥊 Thanks again, Rich.

I remember watching James he was strong never gave up. Rest in peace champ

Thanks Rich. If it wasn't for your videos a lot of really good fighters from back in the day would be all but forgotten. Thanks again

What a gift this channel is. All I ever knew bout James was the hearns fight. The man was so much more. When you think of what Duran achieved after hearns ko'd him ain't no reason to think this man wouldn't of became a champ

🥊R.I. Power James Shuler, and may our creator grant you heavenly paradise.🥊💯✊🏿🖤✊🏿⚔️

Tough to keep dry eyes at the end of this one. Seemed like a thoroughly decent man. His boxing career was sadly overshadowed by the disastrous defeat to Hearns. However, he was a talented and hard-working middleweight. with a nice ability to switch stances. Very touching that Hearns wanted to have the belt buried with Schuler.

Excellent documentary.

I was a stable mate of James Schuler, Marty and Chauncey. Willie Folk was our trainer. A great all around guy.

Another great Philly fighter under the radar. Great job again Amateur boxing was huge in 70’s and early 80’s …. So many that never turned Pro

might have been a true great; wasn't ready for Hearns. He was rushed.

Hearns' KO of Shuler was one of his greatest performances. That was vintage Hearns that was reminiscent of his first fight against Sugar Ray Leonard.

Another tragic story beautifully told, thank you sir. ❤

Another awesome video Rich 😉💯🦾

Another great documentary about a pal of mines Rich. James was like an elder brother, we train at the same gym (Champs's Gym, owned by Quinzell McCall, trainer of Bennie Brisco and Dwight Muhammad Qwai and brother of Pa. State Athletic Commissioner Howard McCall) and attended the same high school (Ben Franklin- Shuler class of 1980, me class of 1986). I was the 1st recipient of the James "Black Gold" Shuler good citizenship award when I graduated. You been bringing back some great memories, keep up the good work!

Thank you Rich for this documentary on James Shuler. I felt he would have won a world title had he lived

Thanks so much for making this Rich. It's a real shame people don't know just how talented he was. He was right on the cusp of greatness when Hearns knocked him out. That fight was stunning, but credit Hearns at the pinnacle of his career, and one of the hardest single punches in boxing history. Had Schuler lived on, he likely would have been one of the top fighters to eventually replace Marvin Hagler.

God bless james shuler!! Great guy who always treated me with respect @joe fraziers gym.He would even stop by the gym at temple university and give me pointers and advice when i boxed at temple.There are 3 guys i wish i could have thanked for all their kindness in the philly warzone from back in those days.That would be james shuler..jerome artis and jimmy salerno.May they rest in peace!!

What a shame too young. Great video once again, keep em coming.

Glad you included the gesture from Hearns (something I remember from years ago). Both Schuler and Hearns were classy guys. RIP James.

James "Big Daddy" Schuler was a fan favorite.

Great representation of Shuler’s life.

What a class act young janes was , his family too. And Hearns too , that’s a famous story in boxing - the hitman who had levelled their son 2,weeks before now emotional at his gravesite wanting to gift Hanes the belt. Fighters are emotionally complex people fir sure. What a sad tragedy 😞

Tragic story, a young fighter with so much potential.

Another excellent documentary class

I remember when the NABA and regional or Continent titles meant something. Thomas Hearns gesture to the family shows the class he has frequently shown and the Shuler family response show their class too. I do believe he would have won a world title had his career not been cut short. Rich as always you presented this as a great piece of history of a painful sport.

Had tears at the end.

Thanks Rich. Wonderful story.

Good old days when respect was number one. Love the fact Hearn wanted to give away his belts says a lot

Thanks Rich! We aim to keep his legacy alive!

Love these Videos and listening to the boxing commentators back in the day-- great stuff..

This was a tough fighter and seemed like a solid man. Much respect to him and his legacy. Much respect to the great Tommy Hearns who was willing to allow Mr. Shuler to be buried in the belt that Hearns won from him just a week before. No doubt that had this tragic accident not occurred, he would have came back fighting to gain back what he lost.

Beautiful story and tribute to a great great fighter ! Thank you .

Keep it coming I like your channel your old school now that New era Boxing casual fans UP Town Philly 96 Olympics Boxing 🥊🥊💯

Class act! Fly high King.🕊

What a good guy & a shame he didn't reach his potential. Nice gesture by Tommy Hearns. Great vid 👌

Another great upload, thanks so much for this one. I remember James Shuler well. His fights with Sugar Ray Seales and James Kinchen in particular. I was at Parris Island when he fought Tommy Hearns. Such a terrible loss.

Thank you again Sir. I'm so glad for people like you who keep these great fighters in our minds with your channel. RIP black gold 🙏

Remember Shuler well,didn’t know about the tragic way he passed away though, sad loss of life. Great boxer and I’m sure he may of picked up a belt at some point. Hearns is a class act and a wonderful person to offer Shulers family his belt. Thanks Rich🥊

I remember him. Gone too soon. RIP

He was a very very good fighter could switch up from both sides so sad what happened to him may God bless him with love forever and ever, and also a beautiful job again Rich!!

Great work again. Going through some dark times right now, your videos help me keeping my head up and inspire not to go down without putting up a fight! Hard to put in words but it helps me a lot. God bless you. Much love.

When the NABF Title meant something. Shuler was a brilliant little fighter I think. Unlucky to run in to a peak Hearns and get caught cold. Absolutely no shame in that and I believe he wpuld have rebounded from that loss. The Kinchen win shows his ability. A sad end for him ……. Keep em coming RTFH. Brilliant 🥊🥊🥊🥊💥💥💥🥊🥊🥊🥊

Another compelling piece of work. I didn't remember he had beaten Kinchen, who was a really tough out in 84-85. Kinchen's old manager always told me Hagler ducked him. Not sure I bought that. But I remember getting ready to go to high school and hearing about Shuler on Good Morning America and it was really hard news to take. It would have been interesting to see how he fit in that post-Hagler era. I could see him beating guys like Tate, Olajide, and Barkley, maybe not Kalambay and Nunn. Thanks, Rich!

My hero from my part of town.... north Philly in the building

Excellent epilogue, Rich. Highly uplifting. Perhaps Mr Hand (jr) will weigh in down the line on here.

I enjoyed this documentary. Your documentary of Sugar Ray Seales however makes me wonder how well Seales could even see Shuler back then. I remember before the Hearns fight, Shuler threatened to pull out on fight day over a dispute about hand wraps. I also remember how frustrated Shuler's camp was after the Hearns fight, saying that inactivity was the reason for Shuler's defeat.

RIP James Schuler Keith Davis UP Town Philly 96 Olympics Boxing 🥊🥊💯

I didn't know how fluid James was at switching from Orthodox to left. He did it several times during this documentary.

Thomas Hearns was P4P one of the hardest punchers in history of the sport. No shame in getting whacked out by him..

Great story. Really sad ending.RIP James.

That was beautiful! Thank you!

Rest in Peace James 🥊

Great Sad video coverage Rich his Camp should have advised him against getting the motorcycle... Damn!

Another great video. Thank you.

Love his combinations

Thanks again Rich. I only knew Shuler from his win over Kinchen & his poleaxing by Hearns. I never knew of his tragic demise. Appreciated. Bless up bro 👊

Man that was one of the worst low blows I've ever seen in my life. Such a Heartbreaking story! with such a tragic end of a young man career, you can tell his family were really devastated from the lost of their Son life, sometimes parents never recover from such a horrible loss. I know my brother lost his son him and his wife have never gotten over the loss.

Tragic end to such a promising fighter

Thanks for another great video Rich!! The way that you end them always has a lingering effect on me. Whether it be through my own personal recollections, or a deeper understanding of a fighter's life, I always spend some time deep in thought. I remember a couple of other fights on that rainy night of his fight with Hearn's were especially violent. The Hagler fight against Mugabi and Gabby Canizales against Richie Sandoval where Sandoval had to be rushed to the hospital for life-saving brain surgery. For a few tense moments after Shuler got knocked out by Hearn's, I feared for his life. I remembered that Hearn's had offered the belt that he won that night to the Shuler family, but didn't know that they didn't accept it. It's great to hear that his legacy continues to live on through the gym. Thanks again Rich!!

Beautiful documentary

Great documentary, thanks Rich. His career/life reminded me of Davey Moore. They died way too young.

In 1988 another prominent Philadelphia Boxer Andre Prophet died in a motorcycle accident. Philly streets are plagued by out of control motorcycles and atv’s.

Damn these are great. How do more people not see these wow keep then up ty I remember Shuler but only from hearts 1 rd fight. Didn't realize what an amateur record he held.

Looks like Chris Ubanks senior long lost brother. R.I.P Mr Shuler Sir.

Thanks for the amazing video Rich

I remember watching him beat the great Tacoma fighter Suger Ray Seales on national TV. I watched the Hearns fight several times, actually watched it live on TV! It was definitely a shoot out. It's easy to look back and say that he should have waited for bit longer to fight Hearns? Or at least not go toe to toe with Thomas? I'm sure he would have rebounded nicely and maybe even won a world title? It's to bad that he wasn't a little more experienced of a rider! I'm sure he would have gotten really good at riding his motorcycle. RIP James✌❤🙏🏍

Awesome video thanks! 🥊🥊

Died in his prime " was on his way to becoming an all time great.

I always look forward to a new video. Thanks for your dedication Rich. 🙏🏻

Great documentary about a fine man, thank you

Awesome vid as always mate. Steve Robinson would be a great candidate for one of you documentaries. British journeyman at the time when he got a call to fight for the world title on 2 days notice and won. I don't know much about him myself other than that, thought he did defend the belt numerous times, but i guess that is why we are blessed to have you to tell us these great mens stories lol Edit - if you've already done it, i apologise.

Well done!

Another excellent story

Another interesting video - thanks Rich!

I remember as a kid watching the whole great Showtime card he was on--with Gaby Canizales-Richie Sandoval, Tommy Hearns-James Shuler, and then Marvelous Marvin Hagler-John Mugabi. Unfortunately, it didn't go Shuler's way that night. But he was a great Philly fighter.

Thanks for a great documentary. The only time I saw Schuler fight was against Tommy Hearns and he got blown out in the first round. Before the fight people were saying how good he was but he never really got a chance to show what he could do and I thought what was so good about him? But now I see that he could fight and simply got caught cold by Hearns who could blast anyone out with his right hand if he caught them right.

Another brilliant documentary Rich. I certainly felt those two low blows just watching them! I couldn't believe the ending but then again in boxing nothing is a given. Such a tragic ending and more so for what Shuler had achieved for his very young, yet successful years. Thanks for sharing!

What a story!

one of Norf Philly finest

I remember after Hearns lost to Hagler, he chose the unbeaten Shuler as his opponent. I could not believe that Hearns would choose Shuler. He beat Shuler in 1 round which was an incredible win for Hearns as Shuler was a VERY good boxer.

That Hearns' fight was a hurt piece. James had sold his title shot to John Mugabi for $500K (or at least that's what I heard. He died not too long after. I remember seeing Heans, from the back, entering the funeral (Broad and popular at a place that's currently the Met Theater).

Dam, these videos should be on TV really well put together. Introding boxers I never knew existed. What a fight he had with Seals. RIP 🙏Subbed 4 life 😎🥊🥊🥊

Great video on the late James Shuler. We don't know in the "What If?" had Shuler lived. Shuler did the switch stance like his rival Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Had Shuler lived and challenged Hagler who KO Mugabi would be a little too much for Shuler to handle as Hagler would stop him in the late rounds. I believe Shuler would have won one of the alphabet middleweight titles and would beat guys like Frank Tate, Iran "The Blade" Barkley, John "The Beast" Mugabi, Michael Olajide, Mustafa Hamsho, Wilford Scypion, Juan Roldan, Robbie Sims (Hagler's half-brother) and guys who jump from the junior middleweight division like Ayub Kalule. He would have a 50/50 fight with Herol Graham, Reggie Johnson and the another legend in "The Hands of Stone" Roberto Duran. Shuler may lose to Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr., James "Lights Out" Toney, Michael "Second Too" Nunn, Sumbu Kalambay, Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and guys who jumped from the junior middleweight division like Mike "The Bodysnatcher" McCallum and maybe Julian" The Hawk" Jackson, whose devastating right hand would knock Shuler out cold if he caught him like Hearns did. Anyways, great video Rich.

Another beauty, Rich. I’ve written you before about my experiences as an amateur boxer on Long Island in the 70’s and 80’s. I relocated to Philly 20 years ago (I’m 62), to the Frankford section ( a bullet away from Kensington where most of Rocky was filmed, lol ) and it seems that nothings changed here. Outside my back door is a very busy Kingdom Boxing. Down Torresdale Ave is 215 Boxing. Joe Hands Gym in Fishtown. There’s even Ministry Boxing to get guys clean and off the street and into fitness and perhaps leading a scripturally based austere lifestyle. I returned to Long Island several years ago to visit Westbury PBC, where I had trained intermittently (and had the honor of sparring with hulking Lenny LaPaglia)- only to be informed by a condescending school marm “there’s no more boxing here... now the children do finger painting.” Anyhow... All is well here in Philly ( don’t believe the popinjay press). People pay cash on the barrel-head here, and I’ve even seen old bums throw proper stiff jabs. P.S. great amateur footage of Schiller, too!

I remember when Shuler decided against fighting Hagler.....That was a smart mover, no way he was going to beat Hagler. Of course, it didn't work out any better against Hearns. For some reason, he just never seemed the same after he took that almost-year lay-off.....It seemed like he lost something. Anyway, really liked this one Rich...as always......I love when I see a new one posted, its the first thing I watch every time!

Imagine thinking that Hearns would be an easier fight. That's one trainer I'd ditch in a heartbeat! Sad story, though. The kid had real talent, and i hate seeing decent people go out early like that. Thanks again, Rich.

Another great one. I always felt bad for Shuler. Everything Ive read said how great a guy he was. Most of your docs unfortunately end in death. But usually because a fighter turned back to the streets or drugs. But to die so young like that. If I am not mistaken, the crash occurred a week or two after the Hearns fight. On a sidenote. Its pretty ridiculous how well Seales fought considering he was legally blind by this point in his career. I mean I can see and still cant weave under some of the punches Sugar did!

Great job rich ! Hearns was deadly early, nearly cried when he got Duran !

James Schuler after Hearns would have been Bhop of the 80s