How good was James Walden in his prime?

T

the Professor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been reading threads about specific players/stories etc… and was wondering how people on this forum would rate James in his prime. I've watched him play several times and I'm guessing he played top pro speed…. especially for the money.

opinion/stories??
 
the Professor said:
I have been reading threads about specific players/stories etc… and was wondering how people on this forum would rate James in his prime. I've watched him play several times and I'm guessing he played top pro speed…. especially for the money.

opinion/stories??
Click to expand...
At the derby city classic, a room was named after him and a california gentleman after their classic one pocket match up. James plays Jam up!
 
the Professor said:
I have been reading threads about specific players/stories etc… and was wondering how people on this forum would rate James in his prime. I've watched him play several times and I'm guessing he played top pro speed…. especially for the money.

opinion/stories??
Click to expand...

Top is pushing it.....
 
Its not even close!!!!!!

(((Satori))) said:
Would you say he was about as close to the top as Chip and Joey are today?

I think that is a pretty fair comparison.
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In his prime James would spot both Joey and Chip, its not even close!!! James played all the top players and played them even. He played for way more money then Chip or Joey and held up like a trooper.

I watched him play Rafael Martinez in his prime, dead even 9 ball at Bogies in Houston for BIG CASH, they played all night and broke even. They were in Vegas the following week and played for 2 days before Rafael won, but it was close. James was a Player!!!

I say was, but truth be told if he ever gets himself back in shape, he could be dangerous even now, like Keith M.
 
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(((Satori))) said:
Would you say he was about as close to the top as Chip and Joey are today?

I think that is a pretty fair comparison.
Click to expand...


Only watched Chip once and Joey I haven't seen. But during his prime, the top pros were, Buddy, Rempe, Sigel, Median, Varner, Hubbard, Boom Boom, etc. I put James the next level down compared to this group. He did pick his spots wisely, and played better for cash than tournaments.
 
I agree..,

Island Drive said:
Only watched Chip once and Joey I haven't seen. But during his prime, the top pros were, Buddy, Rempe, Sigel, Median, Varner, Hubbard, Boom Boom, etc. I put James the next level down compared to this group. He did pick his spots wisely, and played better for cash than tournaments.
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I wouldn't say he played as good as the best pro's of that period, but he played all of them close and was a true money, BIG Money player.
 
How good was James Walden? Answer - Real Good! It took a champion to beat him and it wasn't going to be easy. For the money he was considered one of the absolute best. Most of the top players would avoid gambling with him! Very few guys went looking for James, and he would play anyone who crossed his path. What does that tell you?
 
In the times I saw him play his best,if the opponent wasn't capable of playing Johnny Archer EVEN,he had almost no chance.

I was at a tournament in Memphis one time when he offered Bobby Pickle the 7-8,as long as Pickle could bet 20k. I asked James about giving that game up and he said if the bet was right he felt confident he had 60/40 maybe 70/30 the best of it.

If any of you knew Pickle,you know how hard that game would have been to back up,so that should give you a solid indicator of just how strong James really was at his best. I'd say there might not have been 10 players in America that could have beaten him with any regularity. Tommy D.
 
Yep!

jay helfert said:
How good was James Walden? Answer - Real Good! It took a champion to beat him and it wasn't going to be easy. For the money he was considered one of the absolute best. Most of the top players would avoid gambling with him! Very few guys went looking for James, and he would play anyone who crossed his path. What does that tell you?
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I think he was the best player to come out of this region, Oklahoma, although some people think it was Randy.
 
King T said:
I think he was the best player to come out of this region, Oklahoma, although some people think it was Randy.
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Are you talking about "Fat Randy", if so, i had him underclocked.

How would JW and GABE have matched up when both were playing?
 
ribdoner said:
Are you talking about "Fat Randy", if so, i had him underclocked.

How would JW and GABE have matched up when both were playing?
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They would have to play even and I doubt Gabe wanted to gamble as high as James back then. I wouldn't be surprised if they had played though. Fat Randy was a good gambler, but not in Walden's class as a player. JMHO as always.
 
I was at a pro event in Tulsa (I think) back in the late 90s (Buddy Hall beat Danny Harriman in the finals if I recall) , and Allan Hopkins was there with a small crowd around him discussing the days events. James Waldon walked up and asked him to play some 10k sets and Allen wanted no part of it.
I realize that Allen wasn't at full speed in the late 90's but it let me know real quick that JW was at the very least no pushover to a former world champion.
 
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ribdoner said:
Are you talking about "Fat Randy", if so, i had him underclocked.

How would JW and GABE have matched up when both were playing?
Click to expand...


We took Tito to Oklahoma City during the early leg of that fateful road trip to see if he could match up with James cheap(1997). Walden walked into the pool room and sauntered up to us and said in his typical polite, smiling manner " Tito, man I hear you are hitting them pretty darn good these days. I don't think I could play you unless we freeze up at least 10,000".

He knew he had the better of it, and he knew that letting us take $500 set shots at him wasn't worth the hassle. We left Oklahoma without playing any pool. Ironically, had Walden taken Tito up on some "cheap" $500-$1000 sets, we might have went bust early on, and that trip may have turned out very differently.

Chris
 
jay helfert said:
They would have to play even and I doubt Gabe wanted to gamble as high as James back then. I wouldn't be surprised if they had played though. Fat Randy was a good gambler, but not in Walden's class as a player. JMHO as always.
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We think alike, i watched FR play "ALLEY-OOP" some high $$$ 8 ball on a bar table and they were dead even after several hours, so, i had him ranked as a TOP level short-stop but a solid level below guys like Walden, Christpher, Pierce, etc.

Al was a very smart, solid plater
 
CJRackley said:
We took Tito to Oklahoma City during the early leg of that fateful road trip to see if he could match up with James cheap(1997). Walden walked into the pool room and sauntered up to us and said in his typical polite, smiling manner " Tito, man I hear you are hitting them pretty darn good these days. I don't think I could play you unless we freeze up at least 10,000".

He knew he had the better of it, and he knew that letting us take $500 set shots at him wasn't worth the hassle. We left Oklahoma without playing any pool. Ironically, had Walden taken Tito up on some "cheap" $500-$1000 sets, we might have went bust early on, and that trip may have turned out very differently.

Chris
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C,

Good to see you posting.

That fatefull trip changed the landscape of pool action in this area for quite some time. Besides losing Tito we also lost John R

Sad day...
 
ribdoner said:
C,

Good to see you posting.

That fatefull trip changed the landscape of pool action in this area for quite some time. Besides losing Tito we also lost John R

Sad day...
Click to expand...

Can one of you please elaborate? Sounds like the kind of story that makes going to the pool room and just chatting worthwhile.:)
 
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