|
To say that Glen ‘The Road Warrior’ Johnson is battle tested is an extreme understatement. Sporting a record of 47-11 with 32 knockouts, Johnson has had to travel the world twice over while absorbing several disputed blemishes to his recor d in order to get where he is at today. Johnson’s life as a prizefighter has been polar opposite to the careers of many protected prospects that you see today. But the Jamaican native will be the first to tell you that the road he has had to endure is what has made him the fighter he is today. Johnson is currently training down in Miami, Florida as he again takes on the role of the underdog for his upcoming April 12th bout against young and undefeated WBC Champion Chad Dawson. The Johnson-Dawson pairing is an intriguing one that pits Johnson’s aggression and veteran experience against Dawson’s youth and immense ring talent. Dawson is one of the sport’s most promising young titlists but Johnson is as confident as ever and relishing the chance to again steal the show and shock the boxing public. Johnson is a man short on trash talk and is instead full of passion, hunger, and an overall deep desire to still fulfill all of his dreams in the sport. It seems like ages ago since Johnson’s upset victories over Roy Jones and Antonio Tarver and you can sense that Glen is again on a mission to duplicate that same type of ring magic. At the ripe old age of 39, Johnson still looks remarkably fresh and he hasn’t been deterred by any obstacles in his pursuit of Light Heavyweight prominence. From disputed decisions in the United Kingdom to years of never being able to land the fights he desperately desired, Johnson has had to fight not only his opponents in the ring but also the political system associated with the sport. Through perseverance and hard work Johnson has still managed to hang around and he again has another possible shining moment in front of him. Speaking candidly and with much confidence, Johnson spoke freely about his fight with Dawson, his humble upbringing, the negative sides of the sport, and why he still wants more for his career… A class by himself… “Everything is going great for me. I’ve very excited and I think it’s going to be a great fight. I’m looking forward to becoming WBC Light Heavyweight Champion of the world. Chad Dawson is a good fighter and he has a great jab and a great left hand. He also has good movement and he is a formidable champion so this should be a true fight. I respect him but I am just in a class by myself and I don’t think there is any Light Heavyweight out there who can deal with me.” The complete package… “I just have the know-how in the ring and I am the complete package. I’m not the fastest guy but I’m fast enough to beat the fastest guy. I’m not the strongest guy but I’m strong enough to be able to handle the strongest guy. I’m just a solid, all around fighter, and I don’t feel that I have one weakness that can be exploited. I feel that I do everything well and everything is thrown into one package that is just hard to beat and I have the experience that a lot of guys don’t have.” 
Ready for whatever… “I am training in Miami and camp has been great for me. We’ve been sure to get a lot of guys for sparring and some fit into the program while other guys didn’t. Camp has been intense and everybody is ready. We’re just ready for whatever.” What it takes… “Orlando Cuellar is my trainer and we’re both very loyal to each other. He’s been with me for a long time and I don’t see any reason to change anything. We have a great relationship that is both personal and professional. We know what it takes and we know how to get the job done together. We make things work and we are a great team together.” Sacrificing more… “Boxing takes a lot of sacrifice and some have to sacrifice more than others. Some people have to give more of themselves because of the type of career they have had and where they are coming from. Some fighters have had success early in there career but they weren’t able to handle the pressure that comes along with stardom. In one way I’m glad my career has gone the way it has because it has made me ready for any situations that I have to deal with. I had to take a different road than others but what matters is that I am still here right now.”  
A place for everyone… “I think my personality and my upbringing has made me a humble, down to earth person. I come from a humble background and I was always made sure of the worth of everyday things. I was told that no matter how big or small you are there is always a place for everyone in life. I experienced those things early in my life and I just took them in and put everything into perspective. I believe that you shouldn’t just look at situations from the outside and that if you appreciate the things you have in life you will be able to live with a stronger mind.” Separating boxing from other sports… “One reason why boxing is different from other sports is that you don’t see too many millionaire athletes in boxing as opposed to sports like basketball and football. You can be a millionaire in other sports simply for playing the sport but in boxing you really have to be a legitimate world Champion to make that kind of money and even then you might not make as much money as expected. There just doesn’t seem to be as much money going around in boxing to the fighters and athletes in general and that separates it from other sports.” The biggest surprise… “Before I got into boxing I didn’t realize how many people affected the public’s perception of the sport. You have managers, writers, and publicists who all affect how the public views the sport and a lot of time they focus on just the negative aspects of the sport. If you aren’t the greatest boxer or if you have had some kind of history of criminal activity, then you can often get portrayed in a negative way that is unwarranted. There are a lot of good people who are boxers but sometimes you just don’t hear about the good things they do. That’s been the biggest surprise to me.”
Negative experiences… “Throughout my career the most negative experiences would have to be some of the losses I have had that really shouldn’t have happened. A lot of times my fights didn’t come down to who was the better fighter but actually who was the more popular fighter. Judges sometimes get swayed by things like that instead of really seeing what’s going on inside of the ring. If you don’t have that same kind of connection or relationship with the audience ahead of time it can be hard to get people to respond to you.” The big picture… “I’ve had some controversial losses in my career but if I would have let those losses affect me the only person who would really be losing would be me. When I looked at the big picture I knew that I had to fight on despite my losses. I couldn’t let bad decisions affect me from one day to the next and I had to pursue my career and my dreams of becoming a Champion. I may have been ripped off in my career at certain points but I’ve shown that I have what it takes to fight through that and that’s why I am where I’m at today.” Wanting more… “I stay focused because I don’t feel that I have accomplished my goals in boxing. I have the ambition to want more for my career and I’m not satisfied until I achieve everything I can. I’m focused to do the best I can do and that’s what keeps me going in this sport.” 
The Glen Johnson-Chad Dawson bout takes place Saturday, April 12th at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Florida. Showtime will televise the proceedings, starting at 9 PM/ET. For ticket info on the Johnson-Dawson bout, please be sure to visit http://www.sptimesforum.com/ |
