I know this is not a Beltway Boxing story, but every boxing fan should take a moment to honor the life of former IBF Lightweight champion Leavander Johnson.
Johnson died today at the age of 35 in Las Vegas. Johnson suffered injuries after losing his title to Jesus Chavez on Sept. 17.
I mentioned this in an earlier post (but I was actually off by one boxer), but Johnson battled and defeated four Beltway Boxers during his career: Lyndon Paul Walker, Floyd Favors, Anthony Suggs and, in one of his biggest wins, he gave Sharmba Mitchell his first loss.
He will be missed by all real boxing fans.
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2 comments:
Hey, He was around for a long time. He and Suggs had a hell of a fight back in the day. I saw the tragic fight Saturday and he was still a toughass but his legs were wobbly for many rounds before he was stopped. I hope this doesn't affect Jesus Chavez's career negatively. He seems like a great guy and fighters tend to lose soon after a tragic bout like that. Let's all say a prayer for the family of Leavander.
You're right about the lasting effects of these situations. This can affect Chavez as well as the referee, Tony Weeks.
I've always thought that Mitch Halpern's suicide was brought on in part by what happened to Jimmy Garcia in his match against Gabriel Ruelas.
I did not see the bout so I can't say whether Weeks handled it the right way. If Nevada says he did, I have no reason to disagree without seeing the footage.
I have been thinking and praying for Leavander and his family as well.
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