It is official. Former three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson will go after his fourth world title when he challenges Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBO Bantamweight title February 25 at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas.
This bout will be part of the pay-per-view telecast headlined by the matchup between former world champions Fernando Vargas and Shane Mosley.
Johnson (44-4, 28 KO's) has not fought since losing his WBO Super Flyweight championship in September 2004 to Ivan Hernandez. He has suffered arm injuries during this layoff. One fight that was postponed was a matchup against Gonzalez for the vacant WBO Bantamweight title.
Gonzalez (31-4, 27 KO's) went on to win the WBO Bantamweight title with a seventh-round TKO over Ratanchai Sor Vorapin in October 2005. Ironically, Johnson beat Vorapin in April 1999 for the vacant IBF Junior Bantamweight title in DC on the "Triple Jeopardy card at MCI (soon to be Verizon) Center.
This will probably be Johnson's last shot to win a fourth title. Only one other Beltway boxer has done that: Sugar Ray Leonard. Only Leonard, Johnson, Simon Brown and William Joppy have won three world titles.
no matter what happens in johnson's next fight, he will still be remembered as one the best to ever come out of this area. he is probably the only boxer from this area, who went through a period in his career where nobody wanted to fight him; he was just too damn good..
ReplyDeleteNo argument there, Slickwalt!
ReplyDeleteAnd in light of the news that both Michael Carbajal and Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez will both be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, I am totally convinced that there will be a place waiting in Canastota for Johnson five years after he hangs up his gloves.