TalkingBoxing Interviews
Talking Boxing with GLEN JOHNSON
TUE June 14, JASON PECK - “Look at Jim Braddock!” a moviegoer may say. “He had a stroke of bad luck and came back to win the title!” To which the boxing fan may say: “Just like Glen Johnson.” To many, Glen Johnson is the Cinderella Man of his day an age, a rugged journeyman who catapulted to the top with a string of spectacular victories over some of the best in boxing. But things weren’t always this way.
In 1997, Johnson suffered his first loss to Bernard Hopkins and thereafter lost a series of disappointing decisions. Many of the defeats were to close to call and could have gone in Johnson's favor.
His luck began to change when he defeated Eric Harding for the USBA light heavyweight title; from there he draw with Daniel Judah and then defeated Clinton Woods for the world title that had so eluded him.
That was nothing; in his first title defenses, Johnson, the Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion, knocked out Roy Jones Jr., regarded as one of the greatest fighters of his generation. The fight earned Johnson a shot at Antonio Tarver, regarded as the best in the light heavyweight division.
Once again, Johnson was an underdog. But once again, Johnson prevailed, earning his first million-dollar paycheck and the distinction of finally being recognized as one of the best in boxing. This month, Johnson fights Tarver again to settle the doubts and took some time to speak with TalkingBoxing.com.
Jason Peck: One thing I want to clear up, are you called "Gentleman Glen", or the Road Warrior, because both names have been flying around.
Glen Johnson: They call me both of them. I guess I’m a little bit of both. I’ve been all over the world fighting, so I’m the Road Warrior, but my personality is a Gentlemen.
Jason Peck: So how have you been training for your upcoming fight?
Glen Johnson: Training is good, we do it regular. We’ve been doing the roadwork and sparring, last few days. We done all the sparring we want to do; all the road work, and getting down to the final days. Just looking forward to it now.
Jason Peck: How do you intend to win against him this time around?
Glen Johnson: My style’s no secret, I go out there and do what I do.
Jason Peck: [Antonio] Tarver talks a lot about how he’s undefeated in rematches. Are you going into this fight more cautious or more prepared?
Glen Johnson: I'm going in prepared, I don’t care what Tarver has to say. What does a rematch has to do with anything? I’ll be all I can be and the rest is in God’s hands.
Jason Peck: Throughout the fight, you and Antonio Tarver both displayed an enormous amount of respect for each other. What is your opinion of him, and has it changed since the first fight?
Glen Johnson: I always respect the people, I always respect my opponents. Tarver’s defense is better than I though it was. I said it before the fight, I have a lot of respect for him, and I always do.
Jason Peck: You were both forced to drop your belts to make the fight happen. Do you think your move will have any impact on the way the organizations do business?
Glen Johnson: You know, you hope you’d I have a positive impact, and you’d change something, but again, I do what I have to do for the sake of my family. I fight for a payday. The people they [the IBF] wanted me to fight don’t bring that kind of money, so there’s no interest there.
Jason Peck: So what happened? Two years ago no one ever would have thought you’d be where you are now. Has something changed, or is the world finally recognizing what has already been there?
Glen Johnson: You know, the last few years my skills have been coming together nicely, I’ve been winning fights all these years and not getting the decision, so I go back to the gym and get the skills I need to work on. If I go back to the gym and try to better myself, the guys who win don’t have to try and better themselves. I have to go back and try harder. Losing the weight kind of worked against me, but I’m a full light heavyweight now and that’s where I’m going to stay.
Jason Peck: What about your relationship to your management team? Henry Foster has been with you through tick and thin, what is it like now that you’re on top?
Glen Johnson: My team is great, I mean, I couldn’t ask for better team. My manager is more than a manager, he’s a friend, he there for me in every aspect of life, and when I was down and out he helped me. I always going to be grateful. Trainer, same thing. We came together awhile back, and we have a great friendship and a great business relationship as well.
Jason Peck: Bernard Hopkins recently announced he is through with the middleweight division and wants to move up in weight. Do you think he could have an impact?
Glen Johnson: Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter, we all know that. He can definitely do whatever he wants, he has a lot of talent, he has a lot of skills. If he moves up I’m waiting for him, it would be a great move and something I’d like.
Jason Peck: You made the transition from middleweight to light heavyweight over the course of five years of so. What kind of difficulties would Hopkins have in trying that in les than 5 months?
Glen Johnson: You know, for him to stay a middleweight as long as he did, it means his body has no struggle to be a middleweight. It could work against him, or for him, his body could be happy to gain the weight, but it could work against him. We have to look at his boxing skills; that’s the biggest issue.
Jason Peck: How do you respond to critics who claim that you fought a washed-up Roy Jones?
Glen Johnson: Before that Roy Jones was a great who moved from light heavyweight to heavyweight; I don’t know how he’d grow old so quickly. It doesn’t really matter. I don’t listen to those people. I know what the truth is, what the reality is.
Jason Peck: Do you think we’ve seen the last of Roy?
Glen Johnson: I don’t know, I hope not. I personally hope he comes back. I’m older than Roy Jones, if he’s a better fighter than me he should be a better fighter at any age.
I’m fighting until my body say so, basically. I’m listening to my body.
Jason Peck: If you beat Tarver again, are you interested in getting your belt back?
Glen Johnson: Again, I’m looking for money fights, and the ones to generate money, that’s not my interest right now. Right now I’m trying to get paid.
Jason Peck: Did you see the movie Cinderella Man?
Glen Johnson: Not yet, I heard it is a great movie.
Jason Peck: Does the plot remind you of anyone?
Glen Johnson: You know, my manager saw it, say it’s my story all over. I’ll see it for myself to have a judgment about it.
