My Favorite Beltway Boxing Bouts -- Part 2!

Continuing my countdown of Favorite Beltway Boxing Bouts, here are bouts number 7 and number 6:

7. Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson vs. Arthur Johnson, February 22, 1998, DC Armory, Washington, DC

WHY IT MAKES THE LIST: Despite the length of the bout, it was a rare opportunity for Beltway Boxing fans to see a world-class boxer at the top of his game.

The road to the world championship was an arduous one for Mark Johnson. He had to ply his trade 3,000 miles from home and was ducked by the majority of top-flight flyweights in the world. Finally, Johnson received his world title opportunity on May 4, 1996 in Anaheim, CA and made the most of it when he knocked out former world champ Francisco Tejedor in the first round to win the IBF Flyweight championship.

Johnson made four successful defenses of his title and became a fixture on top-10 pound-for-pound lists throughout the boxing world. But Johnson had one goal left at that point in his career: to bring a title defense to his hometown. That dream was realized on February 22, 1998 when he defended his title against number-one ranked challenger Arthur “Flash” Johnson at the DC Armory in front of a nationally televised ESPN2 audience. The bout had boxing fans along the Beltway and across the nation drooling. Here was one of the best fighters in the world putting his title up against a legitimate number one contender, a guy who had fought hard in two previous world title bouts, only to come up short. Also, Mark Johnson paid a heavy price to have the bout in DC; he gave up $30,000 of his purse.

There was a lot of electricity in the air as “Too Sharp” came to the ring on a throne, surrounded by dancing girls. Henry “Discombobulating” Jones (who Mark DEMANDED in his contract serve as ring announcer) announced him as “King Marcellus.”

Unfortunately for Arthur Johnson, the ring entrance was longer than the actual bout. Midway through the opening round, Mark clipped Arthur alongside the head with a right hand punch that Mark later referred to as a “lookaway” punch. The blow stunned Arthur and Mark quickly finished him as he knocked Arthur out at 1:11 seconds of the first round.

AFTERMATH: Immediately after the bout, Johnson and his followers called out Johnny Tapia for a bout. However, Tapia moved up in weight to the Super Flyweight division. After two more flyweight title defenses, Johnson vacated the IBF Flyweight title and challenged Ratanachai Sor Vorapin for the vacant IBF Super Flyweight belt on the “Triple Jeopardy” card on April 24, 1999 at MCI (now Verizon) Center in DC. Johnson won his second world title with a unanimous decision. Johnson defended his title twice before legal issues took him away from the sport for almost two years. On August 16, 2003, Johnson surprised boxing observers by winning his third world title – the WBO Super Flyweight crown by winning a majority decision over Fernando Montiel in Uncasville, CT.

Arthur Johnson tried one last time for a world title, moving to bantamweight to challenge IBF titleholder Tim Austin. Once again, he was unsuccessful, losing a unanimous decision.


6.Keith Holmes vs. Andrew Council I, September 23, 1994, Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, MD

WHY IT MAKES THE LIST: One of the most controversial bouts in recent Beltway Boxing history – in and out of the ring.

This contest was the final bout of one of the greatest weeks in Beltway Boxing history as the DC-area was the centerpiece of the boxing world. The area played host to two nationally televised boxing cards during the week of September 19th; one at the DC Armory shown on USA Network and this one at The Show Place Arena televised by ESPN2.

The card was promoted by legendary Baltimore promoter Stu Satosky in his only promotion on the DC side of the Beltway. Satosky tried to get a number of places in the Baltimore area to agree to host the show, including a couple of the colleges, but finally had to settle for the Show Place, which turned out to be a great move.

The Holmes-Council bout was originally scheduled to be the co-feature on the card, but when main event boxer Dana Rosenblatt was injured, the Beltway rivalry became the main event and it became a bout for the vacant USBA Junior Middleweight title.

There was also outside drama for this bout. Earlier in the week, Holmes had been arrested and charged with murder in a neighborhood incident. He was freed on bail the day before the bout and allowed to compete (months later, Holmes was found not guilty of the charge).

The bout itself was very competitive, with each man able to do what he does best. Holmes used his jab while Council bore in and landed punishing body shots. Unfortunately for Council, referee Chris Wollesen thought some of the body blows landed below the belt and took three points away from Council. That forced Council to alter his game plan and Holmes became more effective and went on to win a somewhat lopsided unanimous decision.

AFTERMATH: This was one of those career-changing bouts. I think if Council had won, he would have had the type of career Holmes has had, because he would have received the opportunities Holmes ended up receiving.

Five bouts after this win, Holmes defeated Quincy Taylor on March 16, 1996 to win his first WBC Middleweight title. He defended the belt twice against Richie Woodhall (October 19, 1996 at the Show Place Arena) and against former IBF Junior Middleweight titleholder Paul Vaden, scoring an 11th round TKO in that bout on December 5, 1997. Afterwards, Vaden called Holmes the toughest opponent he has ever had.

Holmes would lose his belt to Hacine Cherifi in France on May 12, 1998 but defeat Cherifi in a rematch on the “Triple Jeopardy” card in DC on April 24, 1999. Holmes made two defenses of his second title, including a rematch against Council on September 24, 1999 in DC. Holmes had a much easier time against Council this time, knocking him down in the ninth round en route to a lopsided unanimous decision. Holmes lost easily to Bernard Hopkins during the “Middleweight Championship Series” in 2001 and has fought sporadically as a junior middleweight and a light heavyweight since then.

Council bounced back from the first loss to Holmes by scoring seven straight victories including an eye-opening ninth-round TKO over former world champion Buddy McGirt on September 30, 1995 in Atlantic City. I remember watching that bout on TV with friends and family and someone in our group had Council’s number and we called him shortly after that bout. The usually calm Council was as excited as I’ve ever heard him.

Two fights later, Council suffered a setback when he was lethargic during a challenge for the NABF Junior Middleweight title on March 5, 1996 in Norfolk, VA. He lost a unanimous decision to a promising young veteran named Ronald “Winky” Wright.

Council again bounced back with two victories before losing to perennial middleweight title contender Robert Allen by 12-round unanimous decision on April 19, 1997 in Shreveport, LA. However, his next bout was Council’s first try for a world title but he lost another lopsided decision to Bernard Hopkins for the IBF Middleweight title on November 18, 1997 at the Show Place Arena. After the title loss to Holmes, Council fought twice more before ending his career with a 10-round split decision to Troy Rowland on October 31, 2003 in Grand Rapids, MI.