Like a soldier pounding through the trenches, Glen Johnson never lets up. He's the Road Warrior. He's the consumate veteran. He's worked for and earned every inch he's gained in the boxing world. And he's back baby!
February 5th 2010 has seen the rebirth, rejuvenation, and revitilization of Glen Johnson as a title contender. In a small town called Davie in South Florida, the 41 year old Johnson took it to the house against the favored Yusaf Mack, knocking him down 3 times in the sixth round to earn an unexpected technical decision. The referee waved it off, Mack had no complaint, and Johnson's hands were raised in victory. It was a thrilling return to form for the man who knocked Roy Jones Jr out in devastating fashion 5 years ago. And it means one more title shot for the hard-scrabble man born in Jamaica, who now calls Florida home.
The fight started as most of us expected it would. Glen applied pressure from the start, working inside and throwing constant punches. But Mack had a plan for Johnson's aggression, and worked the outside scoring on jabs and blocking many of Glen's shots. By round two the men had settled into a rhythm. Johnson landed a surprising number of jabs, rocking Mack's head back. But it was Yusaf who landed the flashier shots and seemed to have the fresher legs, the quicker hands. Teddy Atlas certainly had Mack in mind as the likely winner as he downplayed Johnson's efforts and lauded Mack's.
But the Mack Attack faltered in round three. Glen landed successive hooks to Mack's face, left and right. Yusaf responded by sticking his tongue out and smiling to the announcer's table. Tessitore and Atlas ate it up but even Teddy had to give Johnson the round. In the fourth round Mack did just a little more than Glen did. He was still backing up but his defense was better and all playing was done. The men had a vicious exchange in the center of the ring with both trying to obliterate the other. It was Mack's last winning round.
In the fifth round Glen Johnson took it to another level. There may never have been more of a pressure fighter than Glen Johnson. This writer counted times when Johnson threw 12-15 unanswered punches. Up to that point, Mack was probably leading on the cards. He'd thrown a few more punches and they seemed more impressive. But Johnson was working the body. He constantly thumped Mack in the heart like he was trying to itch Yusaf's spine; and you could tell it was working. Mack often didn't even try to move out of the way.
Finally the sixth round came. Mack got tricky right off the bat and came out in southpaw
stance for the first 30 seconds. The men exchanged even numbers of blows, but it
was Johnson's that landed with "oomph". Yusaf was forced to change back to orthodox
stance but Johnson hounded back onto the ropes and caught him with a short hook,
a glancing blow. But it was enough to unsettle Mack's balance and he tasted canvas.
Johnson came on again, fighting smart, not wearing himself out. He kept his own hands up high with a strong defense and waited for his openings. Atlas decried Glen for not going for it... and then Glen dimmed Mack's lights and the younger man went down hard. It looked like he was still with it, but Glen wasn't going to settle with a good round. He wanted a severe exclamation point. So he went and got one... he went and worked for one... yet again he went and earned what he deserved. Glen Johnson blasted Mack again in a solid exchange that crumpled Yusaf to his knees ending it all. Eyes dazed and legs like rubber, that was Yusaf Mack. Raw, unadulterated radiance, that was Johnson.
All rounds lead to title shots, at least when you're winning. And now Glen has set himself up for what should be a substantial showdown against another reigning light-heavyweight champ in Tavaris Cloud. Cloud is hungry like a leopard in the wild, like a bird of prey, like a man on a mission. But tonight was Glen Johnson's night, and the savvy veteran proved his stamina and power yet again. And there is no doubt he savors the chance to upset the odds yet again against young Cloud. He might be dreaming, but if so... don't wake him up - he's certainly one of a kind and I, for one, can't wait to see him barrel forth again.
And boxing fans that's not all. Friday Night Fights was in rare form this week. Before
the Johnson fight, Cuban defector super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux needed
to land only two shots to score his 5th professional win.
He jabbed and landed a head shot that rattled his opponent. Then he jabbed a couple more times and followed up with a left to the solar plexus of Adolfo Landeros that left him on the canvas for at least 5 minutes, face crunched and writhing in pain. Needless to say he was counted out and Rigondeaux had the resounding win.
Next was the Glen Johnson performance already related here. And then that inspiring performance gave way to a possible KO of the year.
Ed Paredes and Joey Hernandez had a grudge to settle in a rematch. Hernandez body slammed Paredes in their first encounter, which ended in a draw. But Paredes certainly paid him back, and with interest!
Paredes hit Hernadez with a short left roundhouse to the jaw that whipped Joey's head around like he'd just been rear-ended by a tractor trailer. Hernandez didn't even seem to know where he was as he made it halfway to his knees by the count of 9 and then it was all over. Paredes by vicious KO - see it if you get the chance!
By UPPERCUTTER
