Q&A Reggie Johnson!

12/12/06 - Fightnews.com

Q&A Reggie Johnson!

October 25, 2006
by Robert Coster

Watch out fight fans, Reggie Johnson is on the war path again.

The former WBA Middleweight and IBF Super Middleweight titlist is returning to the ring with the intention of adding another page to his illustrious career by winning a third title in another division: the 175-lb class.

And for his first comeback fight, he his aiming at light heavyweight star Glen Johnson, no less.

"Sweet Reggie" is accustomed to successful ring comebacks. After almost three years and with only one tune-up fight, Johnson won the IBF 168-lb title against William Guthrie in 1998 and in 2001, after a 13-month layoff, he beat 26-1 Chris Johnson for the NABF 175-lb crown.

FightNews sat down with Johnson to talk about this latest proposed comeback and look back at his 22 years in pro boxing.

Is it official, are you returning to the ring?

It was official on August 27, 2005, when I beat the #15 guy, Fred Moore, after being away from the ring for 3 years and 8 months due to a promotional contract that went bad. The Moore fight ended up a bittersweet win. The so-called chumps, sorry... I mean champs and future chumps; sorry again... champs don't want to fight me.

What's the motivation behind this comeback? Cynics might say it's about money. At age 40, you really feel you can beat the best guys out there at 175 lb?

Money is always a motivator because money is security. On any given day, I know I can beat any guy in the world in the 168-lb and 175-lb divisions.

Are you targeting one fighter in particular?

Reggie Johnson is the new old school of boxing. I win my fights in the gym. In preparation, I get young hungry guys like the Dirrell brothers, Andre and Anthony, Blake Prevost, and Larry Pryor. These guys are the future of boxing. Glen Johnson may be the toughest fight in the 175-lb division and he's the #1 contender by the IBF. It took Antonio Tarver 24 rounds to beat Glen Johnson. Glen knocked Roy Jones out in round nine. So therefore, if I take care of Glen, by not only by beating him but knocking him out, then who would they consider the MAN at 175lb then, me or Bernard Hopkins? Reggie Johnson vs. Hopkins, the fight that should have happened at 160 lb, would become a reality at 175 lb.

This will be your third comeback... right? Now, if you do fight Glen Johnson, there would be no tune-up? You are that kind of fighter. You won the IBF title from Guthrie fighting only one tune-up and when you returned to boxing, the second time around, you beat Chris Johnson for the NABF title.

This will be my third Get-Back. I have never officially retired from boxing. Glen Johnson will be my tune-up for the World title. I think my resume tells the story. I was away from the ring for a year and nine months and had one fight before moving up two weight classes and fighting William Guthrie. When I fought Chris Johnson I was away from the ring for over two years and fought him without a tune-up and beat him. Fights like this have always motivated me.

Let's go over your very illustrious career. Out of seven losses, four were split decisions, two were razor-thin verdicts and you only really lost in a lopsided fashion to Roy Jones. Do you feel that judges have given you a hard time throughout your career? And do you feel that you've been underrated as a fighter and is this also what this comeback is all about?

Roy Jones is the only man to pitch a shutout against me and that fight went 12 rounds with all the belts on the line and that was a fight I lost fair and square. I lost my seventh pro fight to Adam George in my first eight rounder, a fighter from Louisiana. I lost that fight fair and square. I have people today telling me I won that split decision loss to Antonio Tarver and I had him down and out in the ninth round, but in my heart, I know I lost that fight and the right man got the decision that night. I lost fair and square. Those three fighters beat me fair and square.

On the other hand, I know in my heart that James Toney, John David Jackson, and Jorge Castro in two fights didn't beat me. I called those four fights political losses and in the boxing industry, they call it being robbed. When its all said and done, the boxing industry and the fans will have their say as far as me being underrated.

Thank you for this great show of honesty, the honesty of a true champion. Now, what was sweetest, Champ, winning your first world title or the second one, in another division?

They both were sweet and special to me. When I beat Irish Steve Collins, I was still somewhat bitter about the Toney fight and then it was the pressure of fighting Steve in New Jersey which was like fighting him in Ireland. Then there was the political loss to my now good friend, John David Jackson. In Argentina, two Americans fighting for the world title in Argentina, in Jorge Castro's hometown. So, they give Jackson the title and leave me as the number #1 contender. Then, Castro got home cooking in his backyard and split decision wins over me. They leave me #1 and he and I fight again in his backyard and history repeats itself in the same fashion. So, when I fought Guthrie, it was a emotional night for me because I was in a PAYBACK frame of mind.

Now, let's talk about Roy Jones. One would think that you would be eager to avenge that pretty clear decision loss against Roy. Yet, you're talking about Glen Johnson instead?

I would love a chance to avenge that loss, but the only way for that fight to happen is for me to knock out one of the guys who knocked him out. If Roy called me tomorrow and said" let's do it again", that fight would be a done deal.

What about Bernard Hopkins?

I welcomed that fight before the Jones fight. This is a fight that was supposed to happen at middleweight, but this will only happen if I take care of Jones or Glen Johnson.

Now, I know that you are working on a book. Can you talk to us about that?

"On the Inside Looking Out From A Fighters Perspective" The Reggie Johnson Biography... I’ll tell about what goes on in the boxing industry... I plan to tell all.

You have had one the best chins in the business. Is it a God-given attribute?

The chin is a blessing from God. This is something you can't teach, you have to be born with it.

A final statement, Reggie?

I know there's no other fighter in the world that has been through what I've been through as boy, man, and boxer. They say experience is the best teacher and if that's true, I have a master's degree across the board. The best of me is yet to come and I will prove that every time that bell rings. And if any fighter from 168 lb to 175 lb begs to differ, let's see if we can complement each other as businessmen and then meet in the squared circle.
I can be reached at ol.com" target=_blank> www.reggiesweetjohnson.com.

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