Al Bernstein summed it up perfectly. ‘Glen Johnson is 42 years of age and he is in yet another war. You have to give him credit for having the grit at this age to keep doing this.’ Bernstein spoke these words seconds before the ‘Road Warrior’ landed a hellacious right hand in the 8th round of his most recent fight against Carl Froch. ‘The old man still has something left in the tank!’ he shouted once more. While the Englishmen managed to battle back and earn the Majority Decision on the judges’ scorecards, Glen Johnson yet again covered himself in glory.
Now, the former IBF Light Heavyweight world champion travels to Canada to take on the undefeated Lucian Bute. ‘Training was excellent and I was injury free’ said the crafty veteran. ‘I sparred over a hundred rounds with three 21 year old boxers which shows the condition I’m in. Obviously fighting at 168 lbs has opened up opportunities for me that were unavailable at light heavyweight. The Super Six tournament is a prime example. It also feels natural to me to be fighting at 168. I feel comfortable and strong.’
While Froch said fighting Johnson was like ‘sparring an oak tree’ due to his unwillingness to take a backwards step, Johnson wasn’t satisfied with his performance. ‘Although I was personally disappointed in my performance against Froch, one judge had it a draw. Some fans even thought I won. Regardless, I believe my performances to date, throughout my career, have shown me to be a strong competitor against anyone, no matter what age. I am naturally competitive and truly enjoy what I do. I want to win the World Championship at Super Middleweight on November 5th and defend it a couple of times.’
Johnson, however, is aware that the task at hand is a daunting one. The Romanian born Canadian based Bute is on a terrific run of form. Having won all his 29 fights (24 by KO), he has stopped 7 of his last 8 opponents and will have the large majority of Quebec’s Pepsi Coliseum supporting him. ‘The venue doesn’t remove the pressure on me’ Johnson added. ‘This is a must win fight for me.’
While Johnson concedes that his boxing career is coming to an end, he remains as menacing as ever. ‘As long as I still feel capable of striking fear in the hearts of young fighters, I still feel relevant. I will bring my best game and let’s see if he can deal with it. I guarantee he will not be comfortable on November 5th.’
While Lucian Bute is the overwhelming betting favourite going into the fight, the tough and determined Johnson will bring a level of intensity that the undefeated champion has yet to experience. With his come forward style, mixed with his never-say-die attitude; Johnson will surely give Bute his toughest test to date.
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