Most people go their entire lives without ever having the opportunity to accomplish the dreams they set in life. But not John David Chapman. As a teen, JD knew what he wanted, and even though the journey he chose is not always the easiest course to maneuver through, he fought his way to the top while asking the question “Is that all you’ve got?”. A Mansfield, Arkansas native and graduate, Chapman started his boxing career at the age of 18 by going down to the river every day on his lunch break at college, boxing anyone willing to put the gloves on. “One day I decided I’d fight in a Toughman Contest and to prepare, I literally fought in parking lots and at parties for experience to get ready,” Chapman explained.
But it was his small-town upbringing that set John David up for greatness. “My memories growing up always revert back to my football family. We were a tight group. Being from a small town like that back then we literally spent more time together than we did our own family it seemed like. There’s something about suffering a muggy Arkansas summer full of workouts and the hardest two-a-days you could think of together that made us find strength in each other. I was blessed to have been a part of those teams back then. And when I say it takes grit and heart to box, I learned that part very well at our old practice field down by the bus barn in Mansfield. We didn’t have a well-manicured field like most. Grass didn’t stay on the field because we wore it out. We played on dirt and rocks! I think every one of us maintained a few scabs all season long because every practice it would get busted back open.”
“We were tough as hell back then because we had to be. It was demanded of us. Some of my life’s greatest memories were spent on those fields. We weren’t always perfect but we dang sure tried to be. And one thing I can honestly say, no matter the score, not one single team we ever played could out heart us. It just didn’t happen. We gave you all we had every single snap no matter what the score may have been. And it’s that mentality I learned that has taken me to the top of the boxing world and every place in between. I’ve had several coaches in my life in different sports. But coaches John Mackey, Larry Shuck, and Kenny Holcomb gave me the head start I needed, to be where I’ve been and where I plan on being again!”
Living life on the ropes, JD decided to go pro in 2002 and by the time he resolved to retire, “The Natural” Chapman held a record of 29-0 with 26 fights coming by way of knockout, multiple titles including the IBF Southern Regional title, the North American Boxing Council title, the WBC Latino title, and the Arkansas State title, and had a world rating of 4th given by the World Boxing Council and Top 15 in the other three sanctioning bodies. But retirement is not always all it’s cracked up to be and at the age of 38 and a 13-year intermission, JD was ready to get back into the “swing” of things. With his wife, Jessica, along with kids, Jadyn, Brazyn, Brooks, Gauge, and Elizabeth by his side, JD re-engaged his boxing career with the intent to compete in his second-round first match in July. But as God proved to Chapman numerous times before, his plans aren’t always the same as ours.
At 6’5 and 294 pounds, heavyweight champ Chapman has a schedule that would make the strongest of men weep. “A typical day for me at the moment is to get up about noon after driving a truck all night until 6 am, go to Family Combat to train for about 2.5 hrs, go home to rest, pick up my kids at 3:30 pm, go home to rest some more, go to Body Masters to lift at about 6:30 pm and then go back to work at 9 pm to start it all over again. I try to eat fairly clean. I actually eat Stu’s Clean Cooking for at least two meals a day and usually drink two protein shakes along with fruit to curb my appetite. Now I’m a heavyweight and always have been so the occasional pizza or Del Sol dinner is very needed!”
After only seriously training for the past month, Chapman received a call that would set his boxing career back in motion. With only a 48 hour notice, JD was invited to go head to head against Tony “Kryptonite” Lopez, who already had over 100 fights under his belt, on Saturday, June 5 at the Springdale Convention Center. Never one to back down from a fight, “The Natural” said yes and it was ON! “My wife, who is my rock and the foundation of this family, was one person who really helped make this happen. We have to get cleared on blood work before we can fight and Jessica stayed on top of the lab people to get my blood work back literally 40 minutes before my fight.”
When a boxer steps into the ring, they never really know what the judges are looking for. “Some look at aggressiveness. Some want effective aggressiveness. Punches thrown, punches landed. Ring generalship. Many factors can go into judging. It’s always best to leave it out of the judge’s hands if possible!” After all was said and done, JD “The Natural” Chapman earned his 30th career win, and his climb back to the top was underway. “Tony is a combat legend that has done it all from MMA to bare-knuckle boxing. We took the fight on a two days notice and usually when a fighter does that they’re really not expected to come away with a win. It was apparent from the start they all thought we would be the underdog. Tony was a solid opponent to come back against. He gave me four good rounds to work some ring rust off. He was tough as they come but we outboxed him. He was every bit as tall as me (which is rare) but his bare-knuckle style kinda changes the timing of everything up a bit. It made me want to counter punch more and we did a good job of it. Looking back, it can always get better, and it will. I’m solid right now. But with just a little time and some good work, I’ll get back in the Top 10 of the world. Everything is truly in God’s time. It’s his plan.”
“To those wanting to get into boxing, have a good amateur career. Get with a solid group of guys and a solid trainer who can teach you the basic fundamentals of boxing. Get a good foundation. Then, if you happen to be talented, it comes down to what type of grit and heart you have really!” Chapman is currently working with MMA and UFC legend, Brian Foster as well as promoter, Edward Mendy with Lion Heart Promotions. “Edward is the one that put the wheels in motion to get this show going again. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s doing behind the scenes for us. I’ve had some of the absolute best trainers the business has to offer earlier in my career from Michael Moorer (three-time heavyweight champ of the world), Norman Wilson (trained many champs), Anthony “Chill” Wilson (trained many champs), Jeff Mayweather (Floyd Mayweather’s uncle and many champs of his own), and John David Jackson (middleweight champion of the world). I’ve had decades and decades of boxing knowledge lead me. And I’m always continuing to learn. Brian is able to add his own expertise to what I already have. It’s just a matter of sharpening everything up and taking it to the ring. People always ask me why now? And I reply, “Because it’s just time!”
