Mark Johnson, Sharp Enough For Canastota…RASKIN

Published

12 years ago

October 12, 2011

I conducted exactly one phone interview with Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson when he was in his fighting prime. It was January 2000. I was writing the monthly “Looking Ahead” column for the back page of The Ring magazine and wanted to ask Johnson about his future following a four-round no-contest against journeyman Raul Juarez in defense of his 115-pound belt. Too Sharp told me he was ready to hunt bigger game, talking about moving up to bantamweight to fight Paulie Ayala or junior feather to face the winner of the upcoming first fight between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

The content of the interview provided nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual ambitious talk from a great fighter struggling to find a great opponent. I wrote a few hundred words, and we went to press. Ho-hum. Nothing particularly memorable about any of it.

Except Johnson was speaking with me from behind bars. And I had no idea. He was talking about all the guys he wanted to fight in 2000, even though he wouldn’t actually end up fighting again until June 2001. It wasn’t until after the issue printed that I found out my interview subject had been (and still was) incarcerated. Suddenly it made sense why, when I called Too Sharp’s father/trainer, Ham, to set up an interview with his son, he wouldn’t give me a phone number to call and instead insisted that Mark would call me.

I’d been expertly outslicked by Mark Johnson. Just add my name to the list, because there are quite a few 112-to-118-pound fighters from the last 20 years who can say the same thing.

Speaking of adding names to a list, last week Johnson’s name landed on the International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. And I’m hoping that in about three months, when the Hall announces its induction class of 2012, Johnson’s name lands on that list as well.

Johnson is one of those fighters whose line-by-line record doesn’t do his greatness justice. He “only” won titles in two divisions, never unified belts or claimed a lineal title, and didn’t defeat any legendary opponents. The only man he beat who has any chance at the Hall of Fame is Fernando Montiel, and Montiel is an extreme long shot in that regard. If you weren’t watching boxing when Too Sharp was in his prime, and you just scrolled through his resume on BoxRec now, you’d probably think he wasn’t quite Canastota material.

But I watched him in his prime. I know how great he was and that the main reason he didn’t notch wins over any fellow future Hall of Famers was because nobody fitting that description was willing to fight him. So this is a direct message for anyone who joined the boxing beat after the ’90s concluded, has a Hall of Fame vote, and isn’t quite sure if Mark Johnson is a Hall of Famer: Vote for him. He is worthy of first-ballot induction.

From 1997, after he’d held a flyweight belt for a year or so and made a couple of defenses, through 2000, when he went to prison, Johnson was on everybody’s pound-for-pound list. He climbed as high as number five on mine, behind only the likes of Roy Jones, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, and Ricardo Lopez, all of whom are unquestioned Hall of Famers.

If you want to see Johnson at the peak of his powers, check out his destruction of the highly respected Arthur Johnson, available on YouTube in two parts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5quri0qFRk, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g0hDDRuiq0&NR=1). Too Sharp had ludicrous hand speed, great skill, and, at least at flyweight, exceptional power.

The win over Arthur Johnson not only epitomized what made Too Sharp great, but it also provided a classic example of why he couldn’t get the big names to fight him. From Lopez to Michael Carbajal to Danny Romero to Johnny Tapia, there were several fighters within one weight division of Johnson who brought money and marquee value to the table. But you know that oft-repeated quote that Joe Frazier supposedly uttered to Marvin Hagler about how “The Marvelous One’s” problems stemmed from being black, a southpaw, and a good fighter? Too Sharp was a direct descendent in that three-strikes lineage. When Mark Johnson eviscerated Arthur Johnson in 71 seconds, he reminded all of the other top tiny fighters why they were ducking, and would be wise to continue to duck, Too Sharp.

To be fair, “ducking” is probably a bit too strong a word, especially for the smaller guys like Lopez and Carbajal who can be easily excused for passing on a fight with Johnson. But Tapia, a man I respect tremendously as a fighter, was blatant in his avoidance of Johnson. Too Sharp chased him up to 115 pounds, and Tapia conveniently moved up to 118. Johnson announced he would be moving up again, and Tapia did likewise. Fighting Johnson was all risk, no reward, for someone like Tapia.

When assessing Johnson’s Hall of Fame credentials, you obviously can’t give him credit for wins over guys he didn’t fight. But you should at least appreciate that his failure to fight those guys in no way detracts from the argument on his behalf.

After Johnson was released from prison and returned in 2001 as a bantamweight, he wasn’t quite the same fighter he’d been before. His punching power had already diminished when he went from 112 pounds to 115, and it slipped another notch at 118. Age was also an issue. He’d celebrated his 30th birthday by the time he lost in October ’01 in a major upset to a then-lightly regarded Rafael Marquez. (Interestingly, Johnson’s one early-career loss came when he was 18, which means during his 20s he was undefeated, posting a record of 32-0 with 21 KOs and 1 no-contest.)

More on that first Marquez defeat: It came via split decision, thanks to two questionable point deductions for holding, against a fighter who, as it turned out, was Hall of Fame material himself. So it’s hardly a stain on Johnson’s legacy. The rematch was much more definitive; Johnson got knocked out (by the man who it turned was the best bantam in the world at the time), and it seemed he was pretty much done at that point. But he rebounded in ’03 to score a major upset over the unbeaten Montiel on HBO. To my eyes, Too Sharp was already a Hall of Famer. But that stirring win over the decade-younger Montiel should have clinched it for everybody else.

On this year’s IBHOF ballot, there’s one slam dunk: Tommy Hearns. Two additional fighters will be voted in from the “Modern” category. Johnson isn’t the only one for whom you can make a case. Myung-Woo Yuh has been overlooked for several years, while Donald Curry and Naseem Hamed are well-known names and compelling candidates to debate. There are other assorted names left over from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s who annually attract pockets of support from various corners of the boxing-historian community. Will Johnson get in on his first try? He was a flyweight who never had a “superfight” and didn’t enjoy great longevity. It’s hard to feel overly confident.

What I can say with confidence is that when I watched Johnson perform in his prime I knew I was watching a Hall of Famer. I hope that my fellow voters saw and felt the same thing, and that those who missed out on Too Sharp’s pound-for-pound years will look beyond the basic information that BoxRec provides.

Eric Raskin can be contacted at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter @EricRaskin and listen to new episodes of his podcast, Ring Theory, at http://ringtheory.podbean.com.

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Eric Raskin

Broner UD 10 Hutchinson in Miami; Izmailov UD 10 Foster at Turning Stone

Published

9 hours ago

June 9, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Broner-UD-10-Hutchinson-in-Miami-Izmailov-UD-10-Foster-at-Turning-Stone

Boxing cards in Miami and in Verona, New York, competed for eyeballs on Friday night. Neither card produced much in the way of fireworks.

The main go of the Miami event, a Don King promotion, was dismal. Perpetual under-achiever Adrien Broner delivered another clinker while pitching a near-shutout over gallant but overmatched Bill Hutchinson.

Yes, that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but Broner was matched very soft and it did not reflect well of him that Hutchinson was never off his feet and still standing at the final bell. The judges had it 100-90 and 99-91 twice.

Broner (35-4-1, 24 KOs) seemed content to get in 10 rounds of sparring in his return to the ring after a 27-month absence. The intrepid Hutchinson, a 34-year-old attorney from Pittsburgh who hadn’t previously fought beyond eight rounds, fell to 20-3-4 and will be able to boast that he stayed the limit against an opponent who was a title-holder in four weight classes.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 10-round light heavyweight affair with a pair of regional belts at stake, Ahmed Elbiali won a unanimous but paper-thin decision over Laredo, Texas campaigner Rodolfo Gomez Jr. All three judges awarded Elbiali six of the 10 rounds which translated to 95-94 scores factoring in a point deduction for low blows.

A local Miami man but born in Egypt, Elbiali won his seventh straight to improve his record to 23-1 (18). However, this was a messy fight marred by excessive clinching and Elbiali, 32, did nothing to suggest that he could hold his own with the top dogs in his weight class. Gomez declined to 14-7-3 but maintained his distinction of having never been stopped.

In a bantamweight contest slated for “10,” Guillermo Rigondeaux (22-3, 15 KOs) scored his second straight knockout, knocking defensive-oriented Charlie Clemente-Andino down for the count with a straight left to the belly in the seventh round. The 42-year-old southpaw, a former two division world title-holder and one of the most decorated amateurs of his generation, had the best of every round before bringing the bout to its sudden conclusion. Puerto Rico’s Clemente-Andino came in undefeated (12-0), but had been out of the ring for seven years. He filled the breach when Argentine veteran Julian Aristule pulled out, purportedly because of visa problems.

TURNING STONE

“ShoBox: The New Generation” was at the Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, New York, with a show held in conjunction with Induction Weekend at the nearby International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum. The lead promoter, Dmitry Salita, left a happy man when his fighter, light heavyweight Ali Izmailov, won the featured bout. Izmailov, who improved to 11-0 (7) won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Charles Foster (22-1). Foster was fighting an uphill battle after hitting the deck near the end of round five. The judges had it 95-94 and 96-93 twice.

A 30-year-old Russian who trains in Michigan and Florida, Izmailov came in ranked number 11 by the WBO. He will need some help to move up a notch, however, as his showing wasn’t particularly impressive.

The other TV bouts were also light heavyweight affairs.

Co-Feature

In a battle of southpaws in which the competitors traded knockdowns, Colombia’s Juan Carrillo advanced to 11-0 (8) with a majority decision over Washington’s Richard Vansiclen (13-1-1). Carrillo put Vansiclen on the canvas early in round three with a right hook. Vansiclen wasn’t badly hurt and he returned the favor in the next round just when it seemed that the Colombian was on the verge of scoring a TKO. It was a good back-and-forth fight from that point on. Two of the judges favored Carrillo by 95-93 scores with the other scoring it a draw (94-94).

Also

In the TV opener, Australian import Clay Waterman, making his U.S. debut, advanced to 11-0 (8) with a unanimous 8-round decision over Kenmon Evans (10-1-1). The judges had it 77-75 and 78-74 twice. Evans, a 31-year-old Floridian promoted by 2020 IBHOF inductee Christy Martin, had won eight straight heading in.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 239: Mexican Boxing Stars in SoCal’s Inland Empire

Published

22 hours ago

June 9, 2023

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-230-Mexican-Boxing-Stars-in-SoCal's-Inland-Empire

Mexican style prizefighting arrives in the Inland Empire with undefeated burgeoning middleweight star Jaime Munguia and female boxing legend Mariana “Barbie” Juarez this weekend.

Both have their legion of fans. Both are in dangerous fights.

Munguia (41-0, 33 KOs) faces a tough test in Ukraine’s Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-4, 10 KOs) and former three-division world champion Juarez (55-12-4, 19 KOs) has an equally tough match in tiny but powerful Mayeli Flores (9-1-1). Both will be fighting at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA on Saturday, June 10. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card.

And to add local luster Pomona’s Shane Mosley Jr. (19-4) has been added. The super middleweight has been impressive in his rise to contention. He also has a rough foe in D’Mitrius Ballard (21-1-1).

It’s an interesting card mostly because the two Mexican stars are not guaranteed wins on Saturday. Munguia faces a very tough and experienced fighter who has traded blows with several of the best fighters today.

“He has a lot of experience,” says Munguia about his next foe. “Without a doubt the hardest fight of my career.”

While Derevyanchenko has fought Gennady Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs and Jermall Charlo, the Mexican fighter has only faced Gabe Rosado, Dennis Hogan and Liam Smith. All are worthy opponents but not as dangerous as the Ukrainian.

“I think he has the experience with 41 fights,” said Derevyanchenko. “We will see.”

One way or the other Munguia expects people to sit up and notice both fighters after they clash on Saturday.

“There’s going to be a lot of punches thrown and a lot of emotion,” Munguia predicts.

Hall of Fame boxer Bernard Hopkins (pictured between the two gladiators) predicts big things for the winner.

“I know from my experience these are champions brewing and these are legends coming,” Hopkins said.

Five years ago, Munguia almost fought Golovkin but it was nixed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because of the Mexican fighter’s young age and lack of experience. Instead, Munguia was matched against Sadam Ali in New York and promptly knocked out the WBO super welterweight titlist.

Munguia has out-grown the super welterweight division and now fights at or above 160 pounds.

“Everyone wanted to see Jaime in a battle like this one,” said Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions.

Barbie

Mariana “Barbie” Juarez, 43, has been fighting since the 1990s and was largely helpful in making women’s boxing legal in Mexico.

You read that correctly.

Before the early 2000s women’s boxing was illegal in Mexico so fighters like Juarez and Ana Maria Torres fought underground and mostly against each other. Early on Mexican-style fighting was established by women like Juarez, Torres and others.

Juarez made boxing history when she fought in front of the largest recorded crowd of more than 500,000 people at the Zocalo in Mexico City in April 2017. No fighter, man or woman, has ever reached or exceeded that number.

Barbie

Unknown to many, Juarez moved to Southern California in the early 2000s and trained under South El Monte’s boxing wizard Ben Lira. For several years she learned the finer points of boxing and emerged one of the greatest female fighters of her generation.

Juarez also spearheaded the women’s boxing movement in Mexico which gained popularity and was often televised in that country when it was ignored in the USA and other countries.

Now women’s boxing has gained traction due to fighters like Juarez who willingly spoke to the media whenever asked. She advised other female fighters to never turn down media requests.

The queen has returned.

Boxing Addicts Weekend

If you love boxing, today and tomorrow will be crunched with boxing cards all over the world. Many will be televised.

Don King Productions brings Adrien Broner back to the limelight. Guillermo Rigondeaux is also competing on the same card. It begins in the late afternoon for West Coast fans. It can be seen on FITE.tv.

360 Promotions has a boxing event tonight (Friday June 9), at Commerce Casino with Callum Walsh versus Carson Jones.

PBC also has a Showtime Boxing card featuring undefeated light heavyweights Charles Foster and Ali Izmailov clashing in upstate New York.

Then on Saturday morning Matchroom Boxing has flyweights Sunny Edwards and Andres Campos vying for the IBF flyweight title and also female fighters Cherneka Johnson defending against Ellie Scotney for the IBF super bantamweight title. All on DAZN.

That is followed by the Golden Boy Promotions card at 5.p.m

In New York, a showdown between pound for pound fighters Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez takes place at Madison Square Garden. ESPN will televise. It should be very revealing.

Fights to Watch (Pacific Coast Time)

Fri. www.donking.com 3:50 p.m. Adrien Broner (34-4-1) vs Bill Hutchinson (20-2-4).

Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Callum Walsh (6-0) vs Carson Jones (43-15-3).

Fri. Showtime 7 p.m. Ali Izmailov (10-0) vs Charles Foster (22-0).

Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Sunny Edwards (19-0) vs Andres Campos (15-0).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Jaime Munguia (41-0) vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-4); Shane Mosley Jr. (19-4) vs Demetrius Ballard (21-1-1); Mariana Juarez (55-12-4) vs Mayeli Flores (9-1-1).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Josh Taylor (19-0) vs Teofimo Lopez (18-1).

Munguia / Derevyanchenko photo credit: Al Applerose

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Adrien Broner Returns to the Ring with an Attorney in the Opposite Corner

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Adrien-Broner-Returns-to-the-Ring-with-an-Attorney-in-the-Opposite-Corner

Adrien Broner returns to the ring tomorrow (Friday, June 9) after a 27-month absence. He meets Bill Hutchinson at Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida, in a fight slated for “10.” It’s a Don King promotion for sale at $24.99 on FITE TV and several other pay-per-view platforms.

Hutchinson – his friends call him Hutch — is a practicing attorney with offices in his native Pittsburgh and in Naples, Florida. Reading about him reminded me of Leach Cross. A very good lightweight during the early years of the twentieth-century, Cross was a dentist. His disparate occupations, as one would imagine, gave rise to many jokes. It was said of Leach that he drummed up business for his dental practice by rearranging the bridgework of his opponents. He could knock out a man’s tooth and replace it with a facsimile the next morning.

Adrien Broner, aptly nicknamed “The Problem,” is frequently in need of a good attorney. The same goes for Don King, a litigious sort who has sued and been sued many times. Even if Hutchinson never fights again, it wouldn’t be surprising if he crosses paths with Broner and/or King at some point again down the road. The principals made light of this in Tuesday’s press conference. “Dealing with lawyers is Broner’s forte,” wisecracked Don King. “After I mess you up, I’m going to hire you,” said Broner, looking sternly at Hutchinson.

On his web site, Hutchinson comes across as less of an attorney than a man who makes his living as a motivational speaker. “Currently,” it reads, “Hutch is a partner and leader in multiple businesses across divergent market categories. These businesses range from the automobile industry to event promotions, high end construction to hospitality, real estate to medical marijuana, and biologics/pharmaceuticals…Hutch has earned a reputation in each industry as an innovative problem solver who discovers new opportunities for growth.”

Okay, but can he fight?

Hutchinson’s current record (20-2-4, 9 KOs) is decent, but only nine of his 20 wins have come against opponents with winning records. None of his previous fights were slated for more than eight rounds.

There are levels to this sport as Mike Lee can ruefully attest. A finance major at Notre Dame, Lee was a successful businessman with a 21-0 record (against limited opposition) when he wangled a match with IBF super-middleweight title-holder Caleb Plant. That bout turned ugly in a hurry. Plant put him on the deck in the opening round and scored three more knockdowns before the butchery was halted at the midway point of the third round.

The guess is that Broner-Hutchinson won’t be quite as lopsided. Owing to legal problems, management issues, personal problems, and training injuries incurred by would-be opponents, Adrien Broner has been relatively inactive, missing all of 2020 and 2022. He’s 1-2-1 in his last four fights going back to July of 2017 with the lone triumph coming against unheralded Jovanie Santiago who took the fight on short notice. Broner won a 12-round unanimous decision, but was actually out-landed. His post-fight interview was more exciting than the fight, said CBS reporter Brian Campbell.

In truth, Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs) hasn’t been the same fighter since his bout with Marcos Maidana in December of 2013. Broner was still standing at the final bell, but Maidana roughed him up en route to winning a lopsided decision. Entering that contest, Broner was 27-0 and had never been knocked down. After that bout, he became far less willing to initiate contact, relying more on his sublime defensive skills.

Broner vs. Maidana drew a reported 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, an impressive figure. Broner vs. Hutchinson won’t come anywhere close to matching those numbers (75,000 may be a stretch) and no matter his showing, Broner won’t repair his tattered image. A prizefighter cannot regain what he has lost against the Bill Hutchinson’s of the world.

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