July 11, 2021.  Three years ago, Miami’s Marlon Kelly was the Sugar Bert National Champion, the #1 amateur in the country. In 2019, he was a semi-finalist in the Olympic Trials. He trains at KOFitness in Hialeah, alongside another former top-ranked amateur turned pro, Aaron Aponte. Last night, Kelly scored his third technical knockout of his professional career, keeping his record a perfect 3-0, with 3 KOs.  The bout also marked his second appearance with Road Warrior Promotions, the South Florida based promotion headed by former world champion Glen Johnson.

Kelly shared the card with other South Florida favorites including cruiserweight Isaiah “Night Knight” Thompson, known for knocking out opponents as an amateur in the Golden Gloves as well as the professional ranks. Night Knight devastated Leroy Jones in the first round forcing a TKO stoppage, bringing his record to 5-0, 4 KOs.  

Featherweight Daniel Bailey also won several titles as an amateur and competed in his seventh professional event this evening. Bailey displayed an impressive skillset-speed, technique, defense and dominated his opponent Mike Fowler to retain his undefeated record.

Manuel “Sweet Dreams” Correa (9-0, 6 KOs) brought a large following to the Miami Airport Convention Center last night, as did “Gorgeous” Alvin Davie (6-2, 5 KOs) and both men added a W to their resumes via TKO in their respective bouts.

Super featherweight Malik Lewis could be considered Glen Johnson’s “protégée,” as it was the 26-year old former mixed-martial artist who convinced the Road Warrior to become a trainer. Johnson has taken Lewis to a PAL championship as an amateur and now a 4-0 (3 KOs) professional who continues to improve with each fight.

Ermal “The Sniper” Hadribeaj (9-0-1), training out of The World Famous 5th Street Gym, also known as the “Albanian Lomachenko,” and well known for his victory back flips, continued his tradition of bringing fans and excitement to the venue. With a background in parkour and training partners such as Jeison Rpasrio, The Sniper is one to look out for in the future.

Veteran Heavyweight Carlos Negron (24-3, 19 KOs) was a surprise on this card. Negron scored a devastating knockout with a body to head combination that stopped pponent Antwaun Tubbs in his tracks.

The star of the promotion is Nigerian-born heavyweight Raphael Akpejiori. Akpejiori is a gifted athlete who came to the United States on a basketball scholarship to the University of Miami. He went on to play football for them as well and was later scouted by the Miami Dolphins. Now he has found his calling as a pugilist and has shown remarkable knockout power. His record stands at a perfect 12-0 with 12 KOs. Akpejiori continues to improve under the tutelage of Glen Johnson. And yes, he did call out Tyson Fury.  

Fast rising light heavyweight prospect Avni Yildirim scored another impressive quick TKO victory over German journeyman Steve Kroekel on Tuesday night in Dusseldorf, Germany. Kroekel tried to put pressure on the 23 year old Turk but Yildirim fought back and dropped his opponent twice with hard body shots forcing referee Arnold Golger to stop the fight. It was the fifth win in as many fights for the former amateur standout who will face the biggest challenge of his pro career so far on August 15th when he travels to Miami to take on veteran Glen Johnson for the WBC Silver International Light Heavyweight Championship.

“Avni is an outstanding talent”, says promoter Ahmet Oner. “I am sure that he will be World Champion. 175 lbs. is a very exciting division at the moment and Avni got what it takes to play with the big boys.”

Erik Skoglund (22-0, 11 KOs) took another step towards a world title challenge with a unanimous points victory over Jamaican veteran Glen Johnson (54-20-2, 37 KOs) on Saturday night at the Albertslund MusikTeatret in Copenhagen.

The rising Swedish star proved too much for the former IBF World Light Heavyweight Champion, and after ten rounds of action the judges scored the fight 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93.

‘I was pleased with my performance,’’ said Skoglund. ‘It might sound cocky to say, but I felt I was the better boxer on the night. I was one step ahead of him in everything I did. I’ve proved I’m ready for a world level opposition. I want to challenge for a world title in 2015!’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’This was another fantastic performance by Erik. It was a great fight, in which Glen more than played his part. We now look to the future, and for Erik that is a shot at one of the division’s champions next year.’’

Danish middleweight Patrick Nielsen (23-1, 11 KOs) returned to winning ways in front of his home fans in the Copenhagen suburb. Nielsen outpointed Polish contender Lukasz Wawrzyczek (20-4-2, 3 KOs) to claim his twenty-third professional victory.

‘’This fight was all about rebuilding,’’ said Nielsen. ‘’Mentally, it’s been difficult to get back on track following my loss in Moscow, but I did it and I’m very happy to get the win.

‘’Wawrzyczek was a tricky opponent. It was hard to get close to him, so I didn’t get the knockout that I was looking for. But the important thing is I’m back, and back with a victory. 2014 was not the best year for me, but 2015 will definitely be my year.’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’There was a lot of pressure on Patrick tonight. Not only was he coming back from a loss, he was fighting in his hometown. He did what he needed to do. He got the win against a tough opponent. We can move on from here and start looking at bigger fights next year.’’

Younger brother Micki Nielsen (16-0, 12 KOs) put in a career best performance to dominate former world title challenger Gusmyr Perdomo (21-5, 14 KOs). After ten entertaining rounds the judges scored the fight 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91 in favour of the Danish cruiserweight.

‘’I would have like to have knocked him out, but it wasn’t to be,’’ said Nielsen. ‘’Perdomo is an experienced fighter. He knew what he had to do to survive. We had a plan to push forward and break him down, and the plan worked. It was the biggest fight of my career and this was a very good win for me.’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’Micki showed a real maturity in his performance tonight. He proved he is more than just a knock out artist. He outboxed Perdomo from the first bell to the last. At 21 years old, he has only just started to show his true potential, He is an extremely talented boxer with a very bright future ahead of him.’’

It will be youth versus experience on Saturday night in Copenhagen when rising Swedish star Erik Skoglund (21-0, 11 KOs) takes on legendary Jamaican boxer Glen Johnson (54-19-2, 37 KOs) at the Alberstlund MusikTeatret. Despite their difference in age, both men share a common goal.

‘’This will be the biggest challenge of my career,’’ admits the 23 year-old Skoglund at a press conference today in Stockholm. ‘’Glen is a great boxer and he has my full respect. I may not have as much experience as him, but I’m the younger, hungrier fighter. I have the skill and the will to win on Saturday night. This is the next step up the ladder for me and another step closer to realising my dream of becoming world champion.’’

‘’Age does not matter,’’ said Johnson, the 45 year-old, seventy-five-fight veteran and former IBF World Light Heavyweight Champion. ‘’We both want the same thing – a shot at the world title. Erik is a young guy coming up, while I’ve already been at the top and I’m trying to get back into contention. I will prove on Saturday night that I still have a lot more to offer. I will become world champion again!’’

The ten-round light heavyweight clash is part of an action-packed line up in Copenhagen, which also features Danish boxing brothers Patrick and Micki Nielsen. Patrick Nielsen (22-1, 11 KOs) returns from defeat in a must win fight against Lukasz Wawrzyczek (20-3-2, 3 KOs), while younger brother Micki Nielsen (15-0, 12 KOs) faces former Mikkel Kessler opponent Gusmyr Perdomo (21-4, 14 KOs).

Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night are available via billetnet.dk.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Feb. 21st, 2014) – Boxing’s ageless “Road Warrior” added another highlight-reel knockout to his resume Friday night at Twin River Casino.

Fighting for the first time in Rhode Island, no surprise given his penchant for spanning the globe throughout his career, former two-time world champion Glen Johnson (54-18-2, 37 KOs) stopped the game Jaime Velazquez (11-6-2) in the fourth round of their scheduled eight-round main event light heavyweight bout at “Home Sweet Home,” presented by Classic Entertainment & Sports. Providence’s Toka Kahn-Clary also won in impressive fashion by technical knockout in the scheduled six-round co-feature.

Velazquez, the Pawtucket, R.I., native making his first appearance in 15 years, gave Johnson three strong rounds before the “Road Warrior” poured it on the fourth. Johnson hurt Velazquez early with a body shot and began teeing off as the round wore on, at one point nearly sending Velazquez through the ropes. Velazquez did his best to stay on his feet before a huge overhand right by Johnson sent him teetering into the ropes and prompting Velazquez’s trainer, Roland Estrada, to throw in the towel at the 1 minute, 59 second mark.

Johnson, who rose to fame in 2003 and 2004 when he captured the world light heavyweight title and knocked out Roy Jones Jr., now has 37 wins by knockout.

Fighting in his hometown for the first time since 2012, Kahn-Clary (10-0, 7 KOs) gave his loyal fans of glimpse of what they’ve been missing, dominating the overmatched Carlos Fulgencio (19-13-1) of Miami in just under two rounds.

After spending most of the first round picking his spots, Kahn-Clary turned it on in the second round, sending Fulgencio to the canvas three times in a matter of seconds, forcing referee Ricky Gonzalez to stop the bout at the 1:10 mark. Fulgencio got up quickly from the first two knockdowns, but the third one, courtesy of a hard, right hook from Kahn-Clary, nearly sent Fulgencio through the ropes.

Looking to bounce back from just his second career loss in July, exciting middleweight Thomas Falowo (11-2) took out his frustration on Columbian veteran Jaison Palomeque (14-9-1), earning a bizarre win by disqualification at the 1:57 mark of the third round. Falowo unloaded on Palomeque early with his usual barrage of punches. Palomeque tried to stand toe-to-toe with Falowo and eventually paid the price as Falowo caught him with a short right cross that sent him tumbling to the canvas at the end of the second round.

Falowo had Palomeque hurt against the ropes midway through the third when Palomeque threw a quick kick in an apparent attempt to put some distance between he and Falowo. Referee Joey Lupino stepped in and immediately disqualified Palomeque, giving Falowo his first victory since May.

Making his Rhode Island debut, Louisiana cruiserweight Alvin Varmall Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) put on quite the show against his taller opponent, Andre Ward (1-2-4) of Washington, D.C., stopping Ward in the closing seconds of the third round. As time began to wind down, Varmall Jr. wobbled Ward with a hard, overhand right and then sent Ward crashing to the canvas with a double left hook combination, ending the fight with just one second remaining in the round.

In a regional battle between two tough middleweights, Providence’s KJ Harrison-Lombardi (5-0-1) remained unbeaten with a 40-36, 40-36, 39-37 win over the gritty Antonio Fernandes (4-15-2) of Brockton, Mass. With most of the action taking place in the center of the ring, Harrison-Lombardi was the aggressor throughout the fight, landing the cleaner, more efficient punches. As always, Fernandes hung in and fought his way off the ropes several times, but Harrison-Lombardi won decisively, his third win since October.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 11th, 2014) — The man who once put Roy Jones Jr. to sleep and earned a reputation as boxing’s toughest “Road Warrior” will test his luck in another city far from his home in Jamaica.

Glen Johnson, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) and The Ring world light heavyweight champion, will headline Classic Entertainment & Sports’ Feb. 21, 2014 card at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., when he faces veteran Jaime Velazquez of Pawtucket, R.I., in the 8-round main event of “Home Sweet Home.”

Velazquez (11-5-2, 6 KOs), 42, a former New England title contender in the mid- to late-1990s, will end a 15-year layoff in his long-awaited return to the ring Feb. 21st, and he’ll do it against one of the most prolific light heavyweights of this generation. Johnson (53-18-2, 36 KOs), 45, has been actively fighting for the past 25 years, a late-bloomer who didn’t turn pro until he was 20, but during that stretch he’s fought 11 world-title bouts and enjoyed an impressive run as the IBF and The Ring title-holder, which included his shocking knockout win over Roy Jones Jr. in 2004. Three months later, Johnson unified the light heavyweight title by beating Antonio Tarver and earned the Boxing Writer’s Association of America’s Fighter of the Year award.

Tickets for “Home Sweet Home” are available for $40, $100 and $126 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254.

Nicknamed “The Road Warrior” for frequently fighting — and winning — in his opponents’ hometowns, Johnson’s resume also includes a knockout win over the hard-hitting Yusaf Mack of Philadelphia and an inclusion in the Super Six World Boxing Classic in which he dropped to 168 pounds to replace an injured Mikkel Kessler and knocked out Allan Green before losing a close majority decision to World Boxing Council (WBC) champ Carl Froch in the semifinals.

Like the loss to Froch, many of Johnson’s setbacks have either been too close to call or have fallen under a cloud of controversy, including a disputed draw against Clinton Woods for the then-vacant IBF title in 2003 in Woods’ backyard in the United Kingdom, which Johnson avenged later that year by beating Woods unanimously for the belt. He faced Woods a third time in 2006 in the same country for the same belt and lost a close split decision in which one judge awarded the fight to Johnson by two points.

Following the trilogy with Woods, Johnson went on to beat former world champion Montell Griffin by 11th-round knockout and faced off twice against WBC title-holder Chad Dawson, losing both fights by narrow unanimous decisions. Johnson also challenged for the IBF title a third time against Tavoris Cloud and took a shot at the IBF super middleweight belt against Lucian Bute, going the distance against both fighters. Johnson pushed Cloud to the brink for 12 rounds and lost a unanimous decision despite landing more punches than Cloud, according to the CompuBox numbers.

In addition to knocking out 36 of his 73 opponents, a staggering 49 percent knockout rate, Johnson has only been stopped once in 25 years, proving his chin is as solid as his fists. The lone stoppage occurred in 1997 in the first of his 11 world-title belts against then-IBF middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins, the ageless wonder who, at 49, now holds the same light heavyweight title Johnson defended twice during the peak of his dominance in 2004. Born in Jamaica, Johnson moved to southern Florida at the age of 15.

Velazquez is best known for a series of memorable bouts on the New England circuit in the ’90s, including a thriller against former world-title challenger Scott Pemberton and a six-round battle against Richard Grant, who later went on to face former super middleweight world champ Jeff Lacy. Velazquez also went the distance with former IBF contender Gabriel Hernandez and fought two draws against Holyoke, Mass., cruiserweight Darren Whitley.

“Home Sweet Home” also features the homecoming of Providence native Toka Kahn (9-0, 6 KOs), a highly-decorated amateur and now undefeated super featherweight prospect fighting under the promotional guidance of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing. Kahn will fight in his hometown for the first time since 2012 in a six-round bout.

“The Vermont Bully” Kevin Cobbs (7-1, 2 KOs), now fighting out of Fall River, Mass., will end his year-long layoff in a four-round light heavyweight bout while Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (10-2, 7 KOs) will return for the first time since his loss to Chris Chatman in July of 2012 in a separate six-round bout. The undercard also features the return of undefeated Providence middleweight K.J. Harrison-Lombardi (4-0-1), who will star in a four-round bout, and the Twin River debut of Louisiana cruiserweight Alvin Varmall (1-0, 1 KO), also fighting in a separate four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Bethlehem, PA (December 19, 2013) – Former WBC-USNBC, WBA-NABA and IBA cruiserweight titlist Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn believed yesterday’s match up with boxing great Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson would serve as a perfect ending to a career that started four decades ago.

Gunn, a bare knuckle boxing legend who is well known for his toughness, previously came up short in big fights versus Enzo Maccarinelli, Tomasz Adamek and James Toney. Against Johnson, “The Celtic Warrior” planned to box with speed, stay on his toes and move his head.

Unfortunately, he was never able to get on track, taking a number of good shots from the aggressive and busier Johnson. As the rounds progressed, Johnson’s pressure bothered Gunn, who suffered a cut on his nose and showed a solid chin but was never able to match Johnson’s punch output.

All three judges scored the eight round cruiserweight bout 80-72 in favor of Johnson, who improved to 53-18-2 with 36 knockouts.

Moments after the decision was announced, the classy Gunn took the microphone to congratulate his opponent on a well-earned victory and inform his fans that this was the last time they’d see him inside the squared circle.

“Some nights you just don’t have it,” stated the dejected Gunn. “I (got too caught up) in trying to land one punch but Glen isn’t the type of fighter that you can get out of there easily. Had I fought Roy Jones, I think I could have stopped him but I just couldn’t get my punches off.

Gunn, who had a good training camp and didn’t have any major injuries, gave credit where it was due and didn’t search for excuses regarding his performance.

“I couldn’t pull the trigger and I promised my wife that this would be my last fight. I want to thank everybody who’s been there for me when I was at my lowest point and rode with me all the way to the biggest fights of my career. My main focus right now is helping my son, Bobby Jr., get ready for his pro debut and this is the last time you’ll see me as a professional boxer.”

Gunn, who was self managed and negotiated a number of big fights during his career, also plans to assist other young fighters and ensure they are not taken advantage of from a business standpoint.

Since turning pro in 1989, Gunn fought in Mexico, England, Arizona, New Jersey, Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia, Mississippi, Arizona and Pennsylvania. He competed in nine title fights, multiple controversial bouts, had more than 250 amateur matches and served as a sparring partner during his younger years for more than 25 world champions.

His final professional record is 21-6-1 with 18 knockouts.

Hackensack, NJ (December 16, 2013) – Wednesday, December 18 2013 is a day that Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn hopes he’ll reminisce about for the rest of his life.

Gunn, a bare knuckle boxing legend who won multiple cruiserweight titles, fought a number of top fighters and participated in controversial fights, could spend hours talking about the trials and tribulations of his career.

“It’s no secret that my career’s been controversial,” stated Gunn, who was born in Canada but resides in New Jersey. “I’ve had a few fights stopped early, opponents switched on 24 hours notice, fought multiple times in hostile territory, sparred with more than 25 world champions when I was a young prospect and boxed all around the world. There was a lot of craziness that I have been a part of and that’s not even including my bare knuckle fights.”

Even with all he’s witnessed and been a part of, winning the WBU Cruiserweight championship Wednesday evening at Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA against former Fighter of the Year and boxing great Glen Johnson would be the icing on the cake.

“Beating Glen Johnson is going to be the best memory of my entire pro or amateur career and would even top winning the bare knuckle championship. Johnson is one of the most underappreciated fighters in boxing history and he viciously knocked out my original opponent Roy Jones Jr. A victory on Wednesday evening would be the highest point of my career without question.”

With the proposed Roy Jones Jr. matchup moved multiple times prior to Jones Jr’s withdrawal, Gunn’s been a gym rat since the summer. The 39 year-old is in great condition and believes his extended training camp will be a big part of what leads him to victory.

“I’ve never spent so much time in the gym for one fight. In a way, it’s a blessing everything that went down with the Roy Jones Jr. situation because we had a lot of changes. What that means is I had the opportunity to work on everything in camp and I had tremendous sparring. Mark my word, I will be victorious Wednesday evening because this is The Gunn’s time!”

Hackensack, NJ (December 10, 2013) – In eight days, former WBC-USNBC, WBA-NABA and IBA cruiserweight titlist Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn will take yet another difficult assignment when he faces boxing great Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson in a twelve round bout for the WBU cruiserweight championship at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA.

Like his other top-notch foes Tomasz Adamek, Enzo Maccarinelli and James Toney, Gunn understands that he must be sharp and stick to his game plan. Failure to do so could be a crucial mistake and one that ends his career.

To prepare for Johnson, one of the toughest fighters in boxing history, Gunn’s enlisted contender Ossie “The Ghanaian Gladiator” Duran as a chief sparring partner. Like Johnson, Duran’s only been stopped once, rarely gets knocked down, pushes all of his opponents to the limit and lost many controversial decisions. Best described as an “old pro” or “gym rat”, Duran is virtually flawless in mimicking Johnson’s style.

“Ossie is an incredible training partner and I thank him for all of the work he’s given me so far,” said Gunn, who hones his craft in the fighting city of Paterson, NJ. “Anybody who knows the sport and is around the gym definitely heard stories about Ossie schooling good fighters during training camps. He’s the consummate professional and I couldn’t ask for better work.”

Two major focal points of Gunn’s camp are speed and power. Like Gunn, Johnson, 52-18-2 (36 KO’s), is known for standing in the pocket and fighting with his opponents. Johnson’s high guard and anticipation of punches are a major part of why he’s been able to stand toe to toe with boxing’s elite. Gunn however has noted one of Johnson’s biggest flaws and plans to expose it on the 18th.

“Glen has one of the greatest chins of all time and doesn’t take a step backwards, but he’s struggled against opponents with speed or explosive power. Chad Dawson fought him perfectly in their rematch. Lucian Bute, George Groves and Carl Froch did a great job as well. They were all a step ahead and made him uncomfortable with fast and hard punches.”

Gunn also believes this is a great opportunity to display that he’s more than just a crude puncher.

“Everybody knows I can do damage with both hands. Even with my punching power, I’m not going in there and recklessly looking for a knockout. Glen’s matured into his body and I expect him to look like a natural cruiserweight with great punch resistance. With that said my power’s going to be more dangerous than ever before because of the speed I’m going to pack with it. For this reason, I believe I’m going to be the first man to legitimately knock out Glen Johnson!”

Hackensack, NJ (December 5, 2013) – Hard hitting contender Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn and 2004 Fighter of the Year Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson confirmed they’ll meet Wednesday, December 18 at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA.

Tickets for the XFE promoted “Celtic Warrior vs Road Warrior” are available by going to http://sandseventcenter.com/event/details/world-championship-boxing/ or calling the Sands box office at 610-297-7400. The card is also available on IPPV for just $14.99 and can be ordered by going to http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Glen_Johnson_V_Bobby_Gunn/2139

A former IBA, WBC-USNBC and WBA-NABA cruiserweight champion, Gunn’s 21-5-1 as a professional with 18 wins coming by way of knockout. Born and raised in Canada but based in Hackensack, NJ, the bare-knuckle boxing legend was slated to face eight-time world champion Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately, Team Gunn received word that he would not be going through with the fight, opening the door for Johnson in what has the potential to be the most exciting cruiserweight fight of 2013.

“I know he’s a former champion with a great record and I respect him,” Johnson said of Gunn. “He’s a natural cruiserweight and has fought some big names. This is my first fight at cruiserweight and there’s definitely some risk with doing that but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve been working on some new stuff (in the gym) and I feel energized again. I needed a break from boxing and now I feel like a new fighter. I’m looking forward to the 18th and am excited about getting in the ring to show what I still have.”

Globally recognized as one of the toughest fighters in boxing history and for his willingness to fight in his opponents’ backyards, Johnson’s professional record is a solid 52-18-2 with 36 knockouts. The Miami based Jamaican took the boxing world by storm in 2004, viciously knocking out the aforementioned Jones Jr. while topping world champions Clinton Woods and Antonio Tarver. Since turning pro back in 1993, Johnson has one of the most impressive resume’s in history, facing Bernard Hopkins, Jones Jr., Tarver (twice), Chad Dawson (twice), Carl Froch, Sven Ottke, Tavoris Cloud, Lucian Bute and Silvio Branco amongst others. In 72 professional fights spanning 500 rounds, Johnson’s only stoppage defeat came while he was still on his feet against the legendary Hopkins.

“To be honest with you, this is a way tougher fight,” said Gunn, who battled Enzo Maccarinelli, Tomasz Adamek and James Toney. “It’s been a dream of mine to Roy Jones Jr as long as I can remember but he backed out only a few weeks before fight night. I’m very thankful that Glen Johnson accepted the bout on short notice. He’s fought everybody you can think of and was on the wrong end of a lot of bad decisions. This is a very dangerous fight for me but I’m a fighter and what fighters do is fight. I know he’s never been knocked out before and was only stopped on his feet once but he’s also never faced a solid cruiserweight. My goal is to end the fight early and take my frustrations (over the Jones situation) out on Johnson.”

Former Light Heavyweight champion had a short lived retirement as he is coming back to face undefeated British Super Middleweight George Groves on December 15th in London according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I was quitting on myself when I made that announcement,” Johnson told ESPN.com. “When I made the announcement, I felt like it was legitimate announcement. But I’ve felt good the past few months and I was quitting on myself based on my personal issues I was going through.

“I feel differently now. I would love an opportunity to see if I can still fight the way I feel like I can. If I don’t step in the ring and give it a shot I won’t know, so I want to step in the ring and give it a shot.”

“It’s a very tough fight for George,” said Groves promoter Frank Warren. “Johnson has been around, seen it and done it in a near 20-year career so he’ll have bags of experience compared to George. But George is young, fresh, talented and hungry and really wants to prove that he’s the next world champion in waiting. I think that the fans will be for a cracking fight between these two.”

“I was going through some personal issues and a lot things weren’t working and I shouldn’t have made a decision like that,” said Johnson, the 2004 fighter of the year. “After some time to think about it, I went to the gym to shake out. I was doing gym work and feeling good. I felt like I would like another opportunity.

“I would like the chance to go out there and convince myself that the things I’ve been working on, and the things I’ve been missing the past couple of years, are there. I believe there are changes I need to make in my style to get back to where I want to be. I want to take that chance.”

“Johnson is a great name and it will be a fantastic fight to end the year with before looking at a world title shot next year,” Groves said. “He’s a true warrior and will come to fight and in no way am I expecting an easy night’s work against him. I’ll be training my guts out for this fight and it could turn into a brutal and bloody war, one that the fans will relish.

“He’s had 70 fights with 35 knockouts and is a massive step up for me in just my 16th fight. A win against him would be great on my record.”

Said Johnson, “This is a young guy. They have a lot of hopes for him and the boxing public is keeping an eye on this guy, so if I go in his hometown and do what I think I can do to him, it will make me feel I can still do the things I think I can do.”

“The man is like a tank coming forward all the time and I’ll need to pull out some big bombs if I’m going to stop him,” Groves said. “Top men like Froch and (Chad) Dawson, plus Antonio Tarver and Clinton Woods couldn’t halt him so it’s a tall order. But I’m confident in my abilities and if I can be the first since (Bernard) Hopkins (in 1997) to stop him then it will send a strong message out to the 168-pound world champions that I’m coming for them.”

Andrzej Fonfara scored the biggest win of his career when he scored a ten round unanimous decision over former world champion Glen Johnson at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

It was a tough fight that saw Fonfara use his height most of the time to unleash combinations from distance. Johnson showed his championship mettle by working hard on the inside but it was clear the wars of the seventy fight career has slowed down the man known as “The Road Warrior”

Fonfara, 173 3/4 lbs of Chicago won by scores of 99-91, 97-93 and 97-93 and is now 22-2. Johnson, 173 3/4 lbs of Miami is now 51-17-2.

After the fight Johnson announced his retirement

Former world Lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo stopped Ivan Popoca after round eight of their scheduled ten round Welterweight bout due to a bad cut that covered the face of Popoca.

Castillo rocked Popoca in round one from big left hard. Castillo landed a huge left in round two that sent Popoca to the canvas. Popoca was cut in round three and the blood worsened throughout the fight. The ringside doctor checked the cut several times but deemed Popoca OK to continue on. Popoca showed a lot of heart as he would get in some shots from time to time but Castillo looked fresher then he has in years. The referee called a halt to the action after the eighth round after he told Popoca that he had little chance to win.

Castillo, 146 lbs of Mexicali, MX is now 64-11-1 with fifty-five knockouts. Popoca, 147 lbs of Chicago is 15-2-1.

Lucian Bute was flawless in defending the IBF Super Middleweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over former Light Heavyweight king Glen Johnson at the Pepsi Colisei in Quebec City, Canada.

Bute showed why he just may the best Super Middleweight in the world as he dominated Johnson round after round with what could be the most diverse offensive arsenal in the Super Middleweight division.

Bute was consistent with everything from jabs to uppercuts. Bute kept the normally aggressive Johnson. Bute seemingly had Johnson in trouble in several rounds as he was cheered on by his massive fan base that was over 16,000.

Johnson was game but Bute has too much for the nearly forty-three year old Johnson and won by scores of 120-108; 120-108 and 119-109.

Bute, 167 1/2 lbs of Montreal, Quebac is now 30-0. Johnson, 166 1/2 lbs of Miami is now 51-16-2.

When asked if he was disappointed that he was unable to close out his seventh straight title defense via stoppage, Bute responded, “No, I’m very happy. This is a great experience. Fighting Glen Johnson is an honor for me. I needed a fight like this.”

Johnson felt the bout was closer than the statistics or the scorecards indicated. “I thought I won the fight. I don’t think he was landing anything.”

Regarding his hesitation to throw more power shots, Johnson said, “My right arm swelled up in about the fourth round so I couldn’t throw my big right hand. I basically beat him with one hand.” Johnson displayed the swelling on his upper right forearm to the SHOWTIME cameras to help support his claim.

With the looming Dec. 17 showdown between Super Six World Boxing Classic finalists Andre Ward and Carl Froch, Bute told SHOWTIME ringside reporter Jim Gray that he plans to attend the fight and predicted that Ward would win by decision. When asked if he wants to fight the tournament’s victor, Bute said, “Of course. It’s my dream.”

Pier Olivier Cote scored an emphatic second round stoppage over Jorge Teron in a scheduled twelve round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Cote rocked Teron in round one from a huge right. Cote was all over Teron only to get hit with a flush counter right that sent Cote back. Cote started round two with a perfect left right combination that sent Teron to the canvas. Teron got to his feet only to have Cote land a right to the body that was followed by a devastating left hook that plummeted a prone Teron to the canvas. Teron began squirting blood out of his nose and the fight was waved off at thirty-three seconds of round two

Cote, 140 lbs of Quebec City is now 18-0 with twelve knockouts. Teron, 139 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas is now 25-3-1.

Dan Rafael of espn.com reports that IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute on November 5th in a bout that will be televised on Showtime.

Johnson got that bout after negotiations failed with Mikkel Kessler and Kelly Pavlik.

“We reached an agreement. I’m just waiting for the paperwork and I’m moving forward. I’m preparing myself mentally and physically,” Johnson told ESPN.com. “I have every intention of going to Canada to derail that train.”

Leon Margules, Johnson’s co-promoter with Lou DiBella, said the offer eventually was improved, but he was still not happy with it. However, Johnson so badly wanted the fight, he gave Margules firm orders not to blow the deal. Margules didn’t and Johnson accepted an offer that will pay him less than $400,000.

“It’s a better deal than they initially offered, but it’s not as healthy as it should (be),” Margules said. “But at the end of the day, Glen’s the boss and he wanted the fight. The difference in money, while important, was not going to deter him from making sure he got this opportunity.”

“To be honest, I stopped focusing on the dollar value and just kind of wanted to keep my eyes on the prize, which is the opportunity to derail that train and then make a splash in a rematch or fight somebody else for big money,” Johnson said. “It is not about what I get for this fight. Even if I got what I wanted to get, or somewhere in between what I wanted and what I’m getting, it really wasn’t going to change my zip code. I had to just focus on the opportunity to fight for a world title against a major star in the sport in Canada. It doesn’t come any better than that.”

“We worked very hard for the Pavlik fight and we were very surprised with what happened,” Bedard said. “We were already planning press conferences. But at least he pulled out three months before the fight and not three days like he just did (for a fight scheduled against Darryl Cunningham on Aug. 6). We know we have a guy, Johnson, who will be there. This is Lucian’s biggest opponent. He’s fought everybody. He’s only been knocked out once and that was by Bernard Hopkins in 1997, and he didn’t even go down.

“For Lucian, there are still a lot of people who don’t think he’s the best super middleweight, so I think it’s a great fight for fans to see where Lucian is now. People (in Quebec) are happy that we can bring this quality of fighter here to fight Lucian. A lot of people think it’s a tougher fight for Lucian than Pavlik.”

“I’m extremely excited. I’m delighted. I believe this could not come at a better time,” Johnson said. “I’m coming off a loss I’m disappointed in. There’s nothing like getting an opportunity to go out there and redeem yourself, so this opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“He’s a tremendous body puncher,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen him work. He’s an overall good boxer. He’s a southpaw, so that bring its own difficulties. I have tremendous respect for his abilities and I have huge respect for his stardom and for him as a person. But this is a business and this goes out the window when the bell rings. I’m trying to feed my family and beat him.”

“It’s really a fight Glen’s wanted since they sparred,” Margules said. “He’s always believed he could beat Bute. Glen wanted the fight in the worst way.” The Jamaican-born, Miami-based Johnson, who has suffered several debatable decision losses in his opponent’s hometown, said he is not concerned about going to Bute’s turf for the fight. He said he knows he cannot leave it to the judges.

“I believe the knockout is going to happen. I feel like this is something I need to win the fight,” Johnson said. “I just need to dominate. I’m not going to win a close decision. I better go in there and separate from myself from Bute in every fashion and a knockout would be the best way, the sure way to get that victory.”

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch talks to the media about his win over Glen Johnson and previews his clash With Andre Ward

WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward breaks down Carl Froch’s win over Glen Johnson plus previews his final round bout against Froch

Former Light Heavyweight champion turned Heavyweight turned Cruiserweight Antonio Tarver talks Froch- Johnson and his upcoming fight with Danny Green

Glen Johnson makes some brief post fight comments following his loss to Carl Froch

ATLANTIC CITY– Carl Froch vaulted into the final of the Super Six world Super Middleweight tournament majority decision over Glen Johnson at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom inside of Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Not only does Froch advance to face WBA King Andre Ward but he retained his WBC crown in the process.

After a non discript first round, Johnson started to up the pressure in round two as he came forward and landed a big over hand right. Froch had a good beginning of round three as he dipped in and out landing some swift combination’s. In the latter part of the round Johnson landed some nice right back that sent Froch back on his heels. Round four saw Froch box and move in a similar style to his wipe out points victory over Arthur Abraham where he seemed to have his timing down by landing solid combination’s while on the back pedal. Froch had a solid round six by continuing to land three punch combination’s that was sandwiched in between a big right hand that Johnson landed on the ropes.

Round seven was a terrific back and forth battle as Johnson book-ended the round with two big right hands but Froch got some of his own work done as they went back and forth on the ropes. Round eight was a crowd pleasing round to say the least as the two traded bombs to show off their granite chin’s. Johnson landed a couple of thuddding rights while Froch got through some solid lefts hooks. Froch upped his rate and timed Johnson throughout round nine by landing combination’s and in the process did-int give Johnson a great opportunity to get off. Round’s ten and eleven continued to feature great action as the round’s were difficult to score as Johnson would land the one big punch of the round wheras Froach would put together the consistent combination’s. The two traded combination’s down the stretch with Froch’s work rate being the difference

Froch of Nottingham, England is now 28-1. Johnson of Miami, FL is now 51-15-2

Edison Miranda was on his way to a comeback trail and faced off against Rayco Saunders in a light heavyweight catch-weight bout scheduled for eight rounds. Miranda, whose body looked relatively well for the higher weight. The bout started at a methodical pace. Miranda utilized a lot of movement, but was still able to maintain the aggressive nature that made him so popular. The third round changed things, as Miranda was able to land a hard right hand that staggered Saunders. Miranda followed up with multiple right hands that was able to make it through the guard of Saunders. After multiple right hands, Sunders was able to make it out of the round and regain his composure. The bout turned into a tactical affair for the rest of the fight. Miranda methodically worked his way to a 79-73, 79-73, and 80-73 scorecard giving him the unanimous decision victory.

Miranda’s record improves to 34-5 with 29 knockouts and Saunder’s record takes a hit at 28-13 with 8 knockouts.

Former light heavyweight title holder, Zsolt Erdei looked to improve his undefeated record against Byron Mitchell in a fight scheduled for ten rounds. Erdei had moved up to Cruiserweight from some time, but then realized that he had unfinished business in the division where he holds the lineal claim to the Light Heavyweight Championship of the world. This would be his second fight back, and Mitchell would serve as that stepping stone back to prominence.

The fight started extremely well for Erdei. He had no problem fighting tough against his larger opponent, as he had gotten used to being the smaller man in the ring during his cruiserweight days. Erdei landed multiple wide combinations to get around Mitchell’s high guard. As the fight progressed, Mitchell became more comfortable with his opponent and managed to throw some combinations in retaliation. Erdei then slowed the pace and instead of coming straight forward, he would simply side step and throw a straighter punch. This work very effectively for him. In the sixth round, a hard jab set up a powerful right hook that sent Mitchell down flat on his back. Mitchell beat the count, but was met from an absolute onslaught from Erdei. Finally, a right hand bomb sent Mitchell down, and the referee called a stop to the fight as he saw that Mitchell was completely out of it. The time of the stoppage was 1:58 of the sixth round.

Erdei’s record improves to 33-0 with 18 KO’s while Mitchell’s falls to 28-8-1 with 21 knockouts.

“The first fight, I was a little homesick,” said the Hungarian native, who spent most of his pro career fighting in Europe. “This time I had more preparation and more time to get used to being here. It showed in the ring.”

Looking ahead, Erdei, who held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2004-2009 before giving it up for a brief stint at cruiserweight, many possibilities in the talent-rich 175 lbs. division. A chance run-in just hour before his fight had his mind on one man in particular.

“I met Bernard Hopkins at the bakery in Caesars just before the fight,” said Erdei. “He was a real gentleman and we have a great mutual respect for each other. It would be an honor to fight him.”

In the third fight of the evening, rising prospect, J’Leon Love took on the very tough Lamar Harris in a middleweight bout scheduled for six rounds. e bout opened with Love landing combination after combination, staggering Harris on several occasions. As the fight progressed, Harris looked more confident, landing hard left hooks flush against Love’s face. Even still, Love did significant damage with his fast combinations. Towards the end of the fight, Love was in complete control and managed to land a powerful hook that sent Harris down, but not for the count. Harris was able to get his legs back under him, but it was too little too late. Love kept on the pressure and came away with scores of 40-35 from all three judges.

Love improves to 7-0 with 5 KO’s while Lamar Harris has his record pegged down to 6-8-3 with 4 KO’s.

Ivan Redkach scored a sixth round stoppage over Alberto Amaro in the final scheduled round of their Lightweight bout.

Redkach landed some hard combinations and was dominant. At the end of round five, Redkach landed a hard right hook that sent Amaro to the deck. Redkach landed three hard shots to end the round and referee Steve Smoger was close to ending it as the bell sounded. Smoger did call a halt to the action in the final round after Redkach continued his assault on Amaro at 1:46.

Redkach, 136 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 7-0 with six knockouts. Amaro, 134 1/2 lbs of Cantano, PR is now 6-6.

Swedish born Light Heavyweight Badou Jack scored a fifth round stoppage over Hajro Sujak in a bout scheduled for six rounds.

Jack landed some nice combination from the outset. he continued to batter the game Sujak throughout the contest. At times Sujak showed signs of life by landing some shots in between Jack rallies. In round four, Jack landed some thudding body punches that eventually came upstairs on Sujak. Sujak began to bleed badly from the mouth. In round five, Jack continued to beat up Sujak until Sujak’s corner threw in the towel that was recognized by referee Eddie Cotton at 1:30 of round five.

Jack, 174 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas via Sweden is now 6-0 with five knockouts. Sujak, 173 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 6-2.

Official Attendance: 2,286

Carl Froch, WBC Super Middleweight Champion/Super Six Finalist:

“Everyone is finally starting to acknowledge what I’ve done in successive fights.”

“I wasn’t 100% happy with my performance, because I’m the kind of guy who likes to unload my shots. I didn’t do that enough tonight, but I did enough to win.”

“Johnson is a big, strong light heavyweight and he can hang in with everyone. He is a proud, strong man. He was fading towards the end because I was hitting him.”

“It was a professional performance tonight, which I’m proud of. I did enough to win without taking too many risks.”

“I’m going to stay on the ball. I will have a little bit of a rest, and I’ll go back and see my baby boy Rocco. But, I will stay straight and stay fit.”

“You always learn in every fight. Tonight I solidified that I can box on my last foot and give Ward problems doing that.”

Eddie Hearn, Froch’s Promoter:

“Carl deserves the utmost respect from everyone in the world. He is a real fighter. We don’t have enough people like Carl Froch in boxing.”

“We’re going to build his fight with Andre Ward for what it is: a unification fight between the two best super middleweights in the world.”

“I don’t think there has been anyone who has fought, successively, so many top opponents. Carl is just a fighter.”

Glen Johnson:

“My team has done a wonderful job with my career every since I teamed up with them. We have come up on the short end of the stick sometimes, and they have never given up on me.”

“For me, I will just go home and put more effort into it and see what I can bring next time.”

“It was a close fight. There was a lot of give and take. He hit me with some solid, clean shots.”

“Carl can fight. He is tough. We look forward to seeing a great fight between the two men who have made it to the finals.”

Lou DiBella, Johnson’s Co-Promoter:

“If you don’t love Glen Johnson then you don’t love boxing. It is an honor and privilege to be his promoter and to be his friend. You never get less than 100% from Glen Johnson.”

“Everyone on this team respects the heck out of Carl Froch. If Andre Ward thinks he will have an easy night, he is very wrong.”

“It was a very close fight going into the seventh or eighth round. Glen tried to take him out with one punch and Carl adjusted.”

Leon Margules, Johnson’s Co-Promoter:

“People who came here tonight saw a spectacular fight between two great warriors and champions. Anyone who saw the fight and knows boxing can appreciate the kind of battle Glen and Carl had.”

“For a 42 year old athlete to fight twelve hard rounds like that is a spectacular feat.”

“I’m not disappointed in Glen’s performance; I’m only disappointed in the result.”

Confidence, too often a bully’s mask or manufactured by insecurity, can sometimes be genuine. Thanks, Carl Froch. From Froch, it sounds like the real thing.

The British super-middleweight spoke during an international conference call Wednesday about his Super Six semifinal on June 4 against Glen Johnson with the self-assured tone of somebody certain of his destination. The scheduled 12 rounds on Showtime might prove to be bumpy, but Froch made it sound as if his victory was one segment in a longer trip. So buckle-up and enjoy the flight.

I’m not sure that Johnson won’t have plenty to say about where all of this is headed. For about 30 minutes, however, Froch had me convinced that it would end with him against Andre Ward in the finale of the longest tournament since the Thirty Years War.

The inevitable question was Ward, who already has secured his spot in the championship of the 168-pound tourney with his victory over Arthur Abraham. Froch could have passed on the question, of course. But he didn’t. I suspect the taciturn Ward would have, saying he would not think beyond the task at hand. But if the long view includes a destination that Froch sees as inevitable, hesitation could be interpreted as doubt. Froch has none.

“He’s got some skills,’’ Froch said, almost as if he knew he would be asked about Ward. “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, but having that doesn’t win world titles all the time and we’ve seen that recently. These top amateurs don’t always make top pros.

“He’s obviously won some great fights and he beat Mikkel Kessler. …But other than that, if you look at his record, I haven’t been too impressed with him as far as who he’s fought or how he’s won. Ward’s definitely a threat and someone I have to take seriously.

“But I know I can beat Ward. One thing he’s lacking is punching power. And that’s a big factor.”

Between him and Ward, there is Johnson, although Froch would have preferred Kessler, who accounts for his only loss.

“I would have rather fought Mikkel Kessler just purely for the revenge,” Froch said. “I’m a warrior myself. It’s a big thing for me to have lost that fight against Mikkel Kessler, because I’m serious about this business and that blemish on my record. I’d love to get that corrected before I retire. Someday after I hang them up, I want to be able to say I lost that decision to Kessler, but I won it back, that I avenged that defeat.’’

Froch voiced some deserved respect for Johnson, whom he called a war horse. At 42, however, Froch believes Johnson, a veteran light-heavyweight, will weaken himself in the battle to make weight.

“Going down to super-middle at his age is brutal,’’ Froch said.

Froch’s confidence also is rooted in a Johnson style that he believes will suit him. Johnson, he says, will be there, in front of him.

“The one thing about Glen Johnson is I don’t think I’ll have to go looking for him,’’ Froch said. “ I don’t think he’s going to be on his back foot looking to jab and pick me off. He doesn’t have the speed or the skill to match me. So, he’s going to come straight ahead.

“…I don’t think it would be wise for him to sit in front of me for too long. If he walks into me, he’s going to be taking on some shots. We’ll see how much the referee thinks he can take. It’s going to be brutal, if he keeps walking forward and taking shots.’’

Johnson scoffs at what Froch says of his style. Johnson says he is no Arthur Abraham, whom Froch defeated in the Super Six quarterfinals.

“People seem to think Abraham and I have a similar style,’’ he said. “We don’t. It’s not a valid comparison. That tells me that Carl Froch is not doing his homework. He’s in for a world of hurt.’’

Johnson also finds motivation in any talk about his age.

“I actually get excited when people mention my age, focus on my age,’’ Johnson said. “That means they are not focused on my skills and what I bring to the table.”

Johnson watched 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins win one against age with his historical victory for a light-heavyweight title in a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal. If Hopkins is Daddy Time Sr., Johnson has to be Father Time Jr.

For now.

If the Froch clock strikes with the inevitability he promises, that Jr. will soon turn into a Former.

Moving plans
Talks about moving Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales’ next fight, rescheduled for July 8, against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs), to the Coyotes’ NHL home, Jobbing.com Arena, in Glendale, Ariz., are underway. Gonzales’ second bout in a hometown comeback had been set for early June at Celebrity Theatre in central Phoenix. But the date was rescheduled, in part because Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) needed more healing time for a cut suffered in a victory over Dhafir Smith on May 18.

The likely move to Jobbing.com might be the first of many for boxing as arena operators and the cities that own them scramble to fill dates that could be left vacant by NFL and NBA work stoppages.

Glendale has been embroiled in a protracted and expensive battle to keep the Coyotes from leaving for Canada. The Phoenix suburb faces an even deeper financial hit if the Cardinals don’t play at nearby University of Phoenix Stadium because of the ongoing standoff between NFL owners and players, who are arguing about lot more money than Manny Pacquiao has ever made.

If NFL millionaires can’t agree on how to divvy up billions, there’s been talk that the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch could wind up at one of the league’s empty arenas, possibly Giants Stadium.
Notes, Quotes

· Any thoughts about a Margarito-Cotto rematch were on hold because Margarito had yet to heal from the nasty eye injury suffered in the one-sided loss to Pacquiao in Dallas last November. But hopes for a sequel to Margarito’s stunning upset of Cotto in 2008 were revived on May 19 when Margarito underwent cataract surgery.

· Just a guess, but former Eagles and current Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb probably wasn’t one of the 1.8 million who watched the HBO telecast of Hopkins-Pascal.

· Watching the sad spectacle of Roy Jones Jr. suffering a devastating, dangerous knockout at the unknown hands of Denis Lebedev in Moscow left me wondering when we’ll hear about plans for Jones-versus-Evander Holyfield.

· Surprising news about Oscar De La Hoya in rehab is an indication that maybe there was something to rumors he was considering a comeback. There had to be frustration in discovering he just couldn’t fight anymore. De La Hoya might have tried to drown his disappointment in substance abuse. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last, but he has already scored a victory in acknowledging the problem. Here’s wishing him the best.

Former Middleweight and Super Middleweight title challengers, Edison Miranda and Allan Green will appear on the June 4th undercard that will feature the Super Six WBC Super Middleweight title match between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson in Atlantic City according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

15rounds.com was informed on Wednesday that Green (29-3) will take on Philadelphian Dhafir Smith (24-20-7).

Miranda will fight an opponent to be named.

“I’d like to get him in the mix and make some money,” Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules said. “Edison is a very exciting fighter. He adds a lot to the game of boxing. If he comes back and looks good, he can still stir it up and be a factor.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former Light Heavyweight champion Zsolt Erdei and Super Middleweight contender Allen Green will headline the off-tv undercard of the Carl Froch – Glen Johnson Super 6 Super Middleweight tournament in Atlantic Coty on June 4.

Erdei will take on former Super Middleweight champion Byron Mitchell in a ten round bout.

Zsolt needs to fight and stay active and stay in the consciousness of fans, plus he will be on the international broadcast,” said Lou DiBella, who promotes Johnson, Erdei and Green. “And last time he fought in Atlantic City, he brought a big crowd. So the idea is to get him a fight against a recognizable opponent, which Mitchell is, and wait our turn for something bigger.”

“We’re also in position to fight an eliminator in another organization after June 4, so we just have to keep him active and in front of people and he will get a big fight,” DiBella said.

41 Years Old? Dropping an Extra 7 Lbs.? These are mere numbers for

GLEN JOHNSON

He’s been called The Gentleman, The Road Warrior and The Hardest Man in Boxing.

Now, Johnson is being called a Super Six Semifinalist.

Hear his story, through his words, as Glen explains why – above all – he is a fighter.

Last Saturday, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING delivered an unforgettable doubleheader: Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez & Allan Green vs. Glen Johnson.

Don’t miss a replay of Saturday night’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, TOMORROW, Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 10p on SHO2!

Lopez, coming in as the young champion with a questionable chin, silenced the critics with a career-defining performance. Battling through Marquez’ hellacious onslaught, Lopez retaliated with his own signature power shots and retained his WBO Featherweight World Championship with an 8th round TKO—the 27th KO of his 30-fight career.

Johnson, a veteran at 41-years old, out worked the younger Green (31) to capture the last coveted Semifinal spot in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. His knockout win shook up the tournament standings by vaulting Johnson into a tie for second place with Arthur Abraham. Abraham meets fourth-place Carl Froch on Saturday, Nov. 27 to determine the seeding for the Semifinals

Devon Alexander’s speed, ring generalship, athleticism and pure boxing ability are without question.

Coming into Saturday night, Alexander impressively defeated three current or former world champions and at age 23, many felt he was one of the best young boxers on the planet. But following twelve tougher than expected rounds against Andriy Kotelnik, gaps in his defense were clearly exposed. The fighter dubbed as “Alexander the Great” looked far from it.

Alexander consistently worked behind a jab and straight left hand in attempt to keep his slower, more economical opponent off. The WBC/IBF Junior Welterweight champion dictated most of the pace throughout the twelve round contest however, Kotelnik had no problem tagging the unbeaten hometown favorite when he closed the gap.

On a number of occasions, Kotelnik effectively flurried which clearly made Alexander, who bled near his left eye in the second half of the fight from an earlier clash of heads, uncomfortable.

Alexander vacated his game plan down the stretch, fighting toe to toe to the delight of a packed house at the Scottrade Center and the dismay of Trainer Kevin Cunningham. Had Kotelnik been busier, he may have been able to overcome the 11 to 1 odds stacked against him, but Alexander’s ability to keep his hands moving gave him the nod.

Scores were 116-112 on all three cards; all four if you count mine.

Alexander, who hails from St. Louis, is now 21-0 with 13 KO’s. Although he fell to 31-4-1 (13 KO’s), Kotelnik returns to Kiev, Ukraine as a serious threat in the 140 lb division.

In the televised co-feature, Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud retained his IBF Light Heavyweight title with a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision over heralded tough guy and former world champion Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson.

Johnson and Cloud stood toe to toe in the opening two stanzas, with the latter getting briefly buzzed following a right hand in the second. The two fighters exchanged rounds from that point forward, as each man had spurts of success. The 41 year old Johnson worked well in close quarters, relying on jabs, right hands and body punches, giving Cloud all he could handle.

The Tallahassee, FL based Cloud rocked and nearly dropped Johnson in rounds 5, 9 and 11 following a plethora of heavy head shots that would have decked any other fighter in the division. The younger and fresher Cloud clearly landed the cleaner, harder punches en route to sending Johnson, who gassed out in the final two rounds, home with yet another close defeat.

Scores were 116-112 on all three cards. 15rounds.com scored the bout 115-113 for Cloud.

Cloud, of Tallahassee, FL, is now 21-0 with 18 wins by kayo. Johnson, of Miami, FL via Jamaica, falls to 50-14-1 (34) following yet another tough defeat.

FLASH QUOTES

WBC/IBF 140 POUND LIMIT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

DEVON ALEXANDER VS. ANDRIY KOTELNIK

DEVON ALEXANDER

(Prior to the decision announcement) “We good. I think I did enough to win. (After the decision announcement) It was an okay performance for me. I am my own toughest critic. Kotelnik is a tough fighter, an ex-world champion. Like I told everyone, I have an A, B and C plan. I have all three, so I can adjust to whatever anyone brings. Kotelnik trained hard. Give him credit. I listened to my trainer (Kevin Cunningham). He told me to box. (Leg issue) My left leg was going out on me in the final round. I had a cramp. I trained for 12 rounds and got the victory. That is what I came here to do.

(On the cut to his right eye) It was my first cut, but I fought through it like a world champion does. We knew Kotelnik would come in, in shape and he did.”

ANDRIY KOTELNIK

“I want the belt. I deserve it. If the fight were anywhere but here, I would be champion. I am speechless. I have no words to describe what happened. That guy has something that belongs to me.”

TRAINER STACEY MCKINLEY (to Kotelnik are the fight)

“Everyone knows the fight was closer than that. In fact, you won the fight.”

IBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

TAVORIS CLOUD VS. GLEN JOHNSON

TAVORIS CLOUD

“I was head butted a lot. It was a heck of a fight. I have a lot of respect for Glen. I had the most effective punches. I hurt him worse. Glen Johnson said I was off balance. It is the same thing. You got hurt because I hit you. I was looking for a shot to get him out. He’s a slick fighter, so I didn’t get the KO. I definitely want to fight Chad Dawson. I was a little rusty tonight, so I will be better next time. I am a bad man. I going to be a unified world champion and undisputed champion.”

GLEN JOHNSON

“I made some adjustments throughout the fight. He was throwing a lot of punches, but I was blocking most of them. But the judges were counting them all. He caught me with a punch over there that I was not ready for. I was off balance and that was the only time I got caught.”

WBC USNBC CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

RYAN COYNE VS. WARREN BROWNING

RYAN COYNE

“Browning was a tough guy. He thought he would have the power advantage, coming all the way down from heavyweight. The truth is, I will walk you down, lock you in the closet and defeat you. We did what we came to do. Win a championship and make my promoter, Don King, proud. This is a great fight town. Leon, Michael, Cory, Devon and all the rest. I am just proud to be following in their footsteps.”

IBF JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPCORY SPINKS VS. CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

CORY SPINKS

“The referee stopped the fight, but I don’t know why. I totally disagree. He didn’t even hit me and I lost my title.”

TRAINER BUDDY MCGIRT

“Cory is a world champion and I think a world champion deserves the benefit of the doubt in that situation.”

REFEREE MARK NELSON

“Spinks had a staggered and dazed look. He shook his head (after the knockdown) as if to say, no. At the count of eight, he stepped backwards and I didn’t want his opponent to hit him again in that condition.”

CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

“I knew I was going to get him. It was just a matter of time. I want Manny Pacquaio next. I am thankful. We have the best team in the land with Keith Lee, Emanuel Steward and Don King. I went after it. He was right there at the opening bell, so I went for it. I went right after him. It was just a matter of time.”

EMANUEL STEWARD

“It was a good fight. It could have been better. He was too anxious. He wasted a lot of energy. It has never been in this big of a fight. He is in a hot division and I am sure he will get a lot of offers.”

Tavoris Cloud and Glen Johnson weigh-in for their IBF Light Heavyweight championship showdown in St. Louis

Video by Ed Keenan / EMC Events