“My current mission is to surpass the record of the great Bernard Hopkins and become the oldest to win a boxing world title at 48 years-plus. “I feel as though I have unfinished business,” he said. Despite being 48, he still has one final goal. His last fight was in 2008 when he outpointed the late Julio Gonzalez. That victory brought a fight with Antonio Tarver, who won a split decision over Johnson. Johnson fought sparingly over the better part of the next decade, even winning the NABF title, outpointing well-regarded Canadian Chris Johnson. I knew because of the nature of the business, we’d always cross paths.” “Reggie clocked him and I told people, ‘I told you Reggie could punch.’ People had Reggie highly underestimated but I’ve known him because he trained with my father. I didn’t want to deal both with him and his loud mouth. He knocked William Guthrie out cold, saved me the job! So I was glad he did that ’cause I’d have had to deal with Guthrie. “He’s as tough as hell he can knock people out. You won’t find a better person than Reggie Johnson in boxing,” said the former four-division world champion. “Reggie was one of the best boxers and one of the nicest people you ever meet in boxing. Jones had some kind words to say about his old rival. Johnson successful defended his title twice, once in Italy, outpointing Ole Klemetsen and then Will Taylor, earning him the unification match with Roy Jones Jr.Īlthough he would lose a shut-out decision, he showed heart and courage to last the distance with a prime Roy Jones Jr., something not many can say. It’s super special when you later realize that only seven other men in the history of this sport have won world titles at middleweight and light heavyweight.” He calls it his best win: “When you do the so-called impossible and defy the odds, I was a 7-1 underdog against Guthrie. The underdog landed a devastating right hook to score the picture perfect knockout. Johnson was seen as cannon fodder for the hard-punching Guthrie who was supposed to impressively handle the Texan en route to setting up a unification with Roy Jones Jr. A warm-up set him up for a fight with William Guthrie at light heavyweight for the IBF title in February of 1998. Managerial problems left Johnson on the shelf for the much of the next two-and-a-half years. Johnson refers to both as “political losses.” Nearly a year later, the rematch took place, again in Argentina, Castro prevailed by split decision. Johnson boxed well but was up against it on the road, losing a split decision. Jackson was stripped of the title in spurious circumstances in May ’94, so Johnson met Jorge Castro for the vacant belt in August of that year. The two fought on even terms however, the three judges all narrowly voted for Jackson. ![]() ![]() In the fall of ’93 he packed his bags and traveled to Argentina to meet fellow American John David Johnson. A stoppage of Korean Ki-Yun Song and a wide points win over Wayne Harris followed over the next seven months. In his first defense, Johnson took the unbeaten record of Lamar Parks in front of his home fans by unanimous decision. ![]() Johnson regrouped and, nearly 10 months later, became the first Houston-born world champion, winning a majority decision over future two-division titlist Steve Collins. After 12 nip-and-tuck rounds – Toney was on the canvas in the second round – the reigning champion was able to eke out a razor-thin split decision. His opportunity finally came in the summer of 1991 when he challenged newly-minted IBF boss James Toney. “Sweet” Reggie Johnson, a distant relative of former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, was amongst the group vying for supremacy. He did so winning the USBA title three successful defenses primed him for a world title shot.Īfter the Fab Four (Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Hearns) exited the middleweight class in the late-’80s, it was time for a new wave a talent to make names for themselves in one of boxing’s glamour divisions. The Texan went 18-1-1 in the first five years of his career he decided to move to Los Angeles to further his career. He enjoyed a strong amateur career, winning the King’s Cup as a 16-year-old in Thailand, later losing at the quarterfinal stage of the Olympic trials, leaving the amateur scene with a record of 96-12.
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