Career
McGirt’s aspirations of becoming a professional boxer existed at a young age."They said I was too small," McGirt says now. "They said I couldn"t do lieutenant I said I could. In his second defense, he lost the title to Meldrick Taylor.
Buddy was a scrappy, talented fighter who had an outstanding career in the ring.
He defeated men such as Simon Brown, Livingstone Bramble, Saoul Mamby, Edwin Curet, Howard Davis, Frankie Warren, Tony Baltazar, Gennaro Leon, Patrizio Oliva, Gary Jacobs, Tommy Ayers, Willie Rodriguez, Ralph Twinning, Buck Smith, Kevin Pompey, Rafael Williams, John Senegal, Eric Martin, Joe Manley, Tyrone Moore, Nick Rupa, Joe Gatti and George Heckley. At the beginning of 1993, McGirt was the world"s top-ranked 147-pound boxer, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
But in the first week starting off the year he tore up his left shoulder while training. Without his money punch, the left hook, he had to box virtually one-handed for a total of 24 rounds in two championship fights.
McGirt lost the title to Pernell Whitaker in 1993.
The following year, he again lost to Whitaker in an attempt to regain the title. In 1997, he retired with a record of 73-6-1 (48 KOs). Following his retirement from the ring, "Buddy" worked with up-and-coming young fighters as a trainer.
Scheduled a six days after becoming his coach, was the fight against Manny Siacca for WBA title.
The fight ended with a hook to the body followed with a quick hook to the head, knocking Siacca out. McGirt was a full-time trainer and was committed to the challenge of preparing others to step into the ring.
"Anybody can train but not many people can teach," McGirt said. "And that"s what boxing is missing now, teachers.
There are not many old-school trainers around.".
McGirt"s son, James McGirt Junior., is also a professional boxer. McGirt also trained Kurt Pellegrino"s boxing, his first venture into Mobile Marketing Association , and trained heavyweight boxer Taishan Dong. Buddy was trained and managed by First Rate (at Lloyd's) Certo and Stuart Weiner.
McGirt, and some of the fighters he trained are documented in the book "Bring it to the Ring: A Boxing Yearbook and Inspirational Message to Today"s Youths." The book was published in 2005.