Sport

Body Snatcher - Ja-born champ Glen Johnson to step up pressure in Tarver rematch

By GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor

International Boxing Organisation (IBO) light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson. - Ian Allen

GLEN JOHNSON IS aiming to put to rest any remaining debate over who is the best light heavyweight boxer in the world when he faces Antonio Tarver in a rematch next month in the United States.

And he has already hatched the plan to do it.

"We definitely are going to work more body," he told THE STAR this week.

According to Johnson, in the first fight in December in Los Angeles, which he won by a split decision, he did not attack Tarver's torso enough, although he did apply pressure to his opponent throughout the fight. On June 18 in Memphis, Tennessee, he vows to correct that.

"That's my style, the way I fight," he explained. "I put a lot of pressure. The only thing (I regret from the first fight) is that I should have worked more body."

The strategy employed by Johnson and his handlers in December was barely enough. Although no boxing observer ­ including Tarver ­ expressed serious outrage Johnson was awarded the decision, some saw Tarver as the winner in the close, exciting contest. Next month, Johnson said he plans to leave no doubt in the minds of the judges, spectators and especially his opponent.

"We are looking forward for a knock-out in this fight," he said.

Better

Johnson did admit that Tarver, from whom he wrested the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) belt as a result of the win, proved to be more than a worthy opponent in the first 12-round contest.

"I have to give him credit for hanging in there," said Johnson, who has a professional ring record of 42 wins, two draws and nine losses. "He is a lot tougher mentally and physically than I thought going in and a better fighter.

"He is a good fighter. I have respect for him," he added.

But that is as much praise as Tarver is about to get from Johnson, who started boxing at age 20 and became a world champion last year at 35. The man from Osbourne Store, Clarendon, who now resides in Miami, Florida, said he is leaving nothing to chance this time around. He has been in training camp for about a month-and-a-half. All has gone well so far, he said, and he promises to be in top shape for the rematch.

"I have to," explained the fighter known as "Gentleman Glen Johnson" for his classy demeanour and "Road Warrior" for his willingness to fight almost anywhere.

"This is a big fight. We fought in December and it was a close fight. We don't want it to be close this time."

Johnson, who won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) version of the light heavyweight title last year, but was stripped of the title because he chose to fight Tarver in December instead of a mandatory challenger, took a break from camp to watch fellow Jamaican O'Neil Bell win the IBF cruiserweight title last weekend in the U.S. That result lifted the spirit of the man who has always represented himself as a Jamaican first.

"(Bell's win) makes me feel great," Johnson said. "Jamaica is a small island and to have two world champions, that's great." Come June 18, he plans to make sure it stays that way.

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.