Mark Johnson, Sharp Enough For Canastota…RASKIN

Published

13 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

Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

Published

2 hours ago

January 25, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Ringside-at-the-Cosmo-Pacheco-Outpoints-Nelson-plus-Undercard-Results

LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.

Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.

All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).

Semi wind-up

Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.

The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9^th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.

Other TV bouts

Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.

After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he rose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 25-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.

The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (no relation to “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.

Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.

The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.

Also

New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.

Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.

Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.

A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.

In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.

Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom

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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Najee-Lopez-Steps-Up-in-Class-and-Wins-Impressively-at-Plant-City

Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

2 days ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Japanese-Superstar-Naoya-Inoue-is-Headed-to-Vegas-after-KOing-Y-Joon-Kim

Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

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