ژوئن 4, 2021, فورت اسمیت, Arkansas—In a year of surprising boxing returns, nothing is more surprising than the return of retired heavyweight contender JD “The Natural” Chapman (29-0).

Born John David Chapman in March of 1983, Chapman did not fight as an amateur. در عوض, he started fighting in Toughman Contest competitions before he turned pro in 2002. He chose the name “طبیعی” as Chapman hails from Arkansas, “حالت طبیعی”.

JD did many of his early professional fights close to home, namely as part of the Slugout Series promoted by Stacy “Goodnight” Goodson. Goodson and Scott Hirsch, who were managing Chapman, built Chapman into a heavyweight contender.

In the process, Chapaman accumulated 29 برنده و 26 knockouts به. He beat several notable contenders and gatekeepers. مهمترین مخالفانش ادوارد گوتیرز ساکن شیکاگو بود 15-0-1 وارد شدن در مسابقه, New York veteran John Carlo who possessed a 14-1 رکورد, and fellow undefeated Mid-West prospect Matt Hicks 7-0.

Chapman also captured several regional heavyweight titles including the IBF Southern Regional title, عنوان شورای بوکس آمریکای شمالی, عنوان WBC Latino و عنوان ایالت آرکانزاس. درست زمانی که به نظر می رسید چاپمن در آستانه ستاره شدن است, همه را قطع کرد و سوار غروب شد.

At the time of his retirement Chapman was an up and coming contender, and a darling of the boxing press. He received tremendous coverage and exposure in the boxing press as a heavyweight prospect, and was featured on national television. بیشتر, Chapman was rated by just about every major sanctioning body including the lineal sanction body, WBC, which gave him a World Rating of 14.

Chapman will return on an untelevised club show this Saturday, ژوئن 5, 2021, and in a fight close to where it all begun in his home state of Arkansas. Chapman was called in as a last minute replacement opponent to fight Tony “Kryptonite” Lopez at the Springdale Convention Center.
It will be a clash of big men. Chapman weighed in at 294 پوند, while his opponent Lopez weighed in at 259. It will be a battle of big men as Chapman is 6’5” while Lopez is 6’6”.

Although he has had only two professional boxing fights, Lopez is a veteran pugilist with nearly a 100 زیر کمربندش می جنگد, spanning multiple combat sports disciplines, مخلوط هنرهای رزمی, kickboxing and bare knuckle fighting.

Said JD, “I was only offered the fight on Thursday but decided to take it anyway. Even though I’ve been off for so long, I was already training for a July event, and I think I’m ready enough. I accepted the fight with such short notice because I just could not pass on the opportunity to get back in the ring. I did not realize how much I missed fighting.”

In his prime, Chapman had some high profile trainers, محتوی مایکل Moorer, جف می ویدر and Norman Wilson. در حال حاضر, he is trained by former MMA fighter Brian Foster and Chapman’s return is being guided by Edward Mendy of Lion Heart Boxing Productions.