Stevie "Lil' But Bad" Johnston

[sweet_scientist]

What are the classic forums' thoughts about this lil' southpaw technician? Though not athletically gifted, he knew his craft, especially on the inside, and I used to enjoy watching him ply his trade.

How did you see some of his close fights going?

I must say, I didn't have him losing a fight until he was a little spent and lost to Juan Lazcano.

I'll just put my cards up here for his two fights with Castillo, and I'll try to dig out my cards for the Bazan and Mendy fights a little later on (I'm sure I scored them, but I have to find the score sheets. I scored them before I started putting all my scoresheets onto Microsoft word, and so they are lying around in some draw somewhere).

Anyway:

Castillo v Johnston I: 116-111 Johnston
Rounds 1,2 and 8 for Castillo. Rounds 3,5,6,7,9,10,11 and 12 for Johnston. Round 4 even ( 9-9 ).

Castillo v Johnson II: 115-114 Johnston
Rounds 3,4,5 11 and 12 to Castillo. Rounds 1,2,5,7,8 and 8 to Johnston. Round 10 even ( 10-10 ).


Johnston commented that Castillo became a much better fighter after he became champion, and I have to agree with him. He was still a little raw in the first Johnston fight, and though he tried hard I felt he was getting countered with clean shots for most of the rounds. In the second fight he did much better, and fought pretty much on even terms with Stevie.

[pryorgatti]

Solid southpaw technician.

Always wondered if he had what it takes to edge Floyd Mayweather Jr @ 135.

[sweet_scientist]

Originally Posted by pryorgatti

Solid southpaw technician.

Always wondered if he had what it takes to edge Floyd Mayweather Jr @ 135.

I think Mayweather would have been a little too physically gifted for him, however, if Mayweather decided to try and fight Johnston on the inside and take it to him, I tell you what, I see the fight going right down to the wire. Johnston could stand in close and launch one hundred punches per round, and he knew how to roll with shots and deflect them on the inside too.

I was disappointed that Mayweather never fought Johnston (as I was with him never fighting Casamayor and Spadafora) as I felt he got the better of Castillo and was as entitled to fight Mayweather as anyone at lightweight.

[Sonny Carson]

Stevie probaly had the most underrated head movement ever. He also fought toe to toe, he was a poor man's Pernell Whitaker.

[Cobra33]

Its almost criminal how he is overlooked.He beat alot of good fighters.At his best he's a handful for Mayweather.

[sweet_scientist]

Originally Posted by Sonny Carson

Stevie probaly had the most underrated head movement ever. He also fought toe to toe, he was a poor man's Pernell Whitaker.

Good comparison. He was Pea without the bells and whistles, but probably came as close to emulating Whitaker as anyone has since. He's more Pea like than Judah, Calderon or Quintana have turned out to be.

Just found my scorecard for his fight with Jean Baptise Mendy by the way:

116-113 Johnston

Mendy winning rounds 4,6 and 7.
Johnston winning rounds 1,2,8,9,10 and 12.
Rounds 3, 9( 9 -9 ) and 11 even.

Still searching for the Bazan cards....

[bladerunner]

one of my fav fighters.very skillfull,very brave with a great chin at his prime would give anyone a tough fight,also he wasnt afraid to fight in the other guys backyard.beat quality guys like future Welterwight titlist James Page,knocked out Sharmba Mitchell,gave Manfredy a boxing lesson and was robbed twice against Castillo after that out of the ring problems started to take theyre toll and he was never the same.
a shame that a fight between him and Mosley never happened it wouldve been a barnburner.

[pryorgatti]

A Mark Johnson or a Cristian Mijares are closer to Pea's style than Calderon, Judah or Quintana indeed I think.

[Sister Sledge]

Johnston's out-of-the-ring problems stunted his career. I think he won the first Castillo fight, but not the second. Stevie was a shade less-than-great, but he could have beaten a lot of great fighters.

[Samurai]

Very underrated fighter

[sweet_scientist]

Rewatched the second Bazan fight and scored it afresh (couldn't find my scoresheets for the Bazan fights).

The second Bazan fight is probably my favourite performance from Stevie. He was ON that night and really put on a boxing masterclass. It was a weird kind of performance though because Bazan was matching Johnston in his key stregnth - inside work - and Johnston had to rely on a lesser quality of his, his outside fighting ability, to get on top in the fight. WHat really made it weird though was that Bazan had a huge height and reach advantage, and you'd have figured that the outside would have been his area of advantage. It didn't work out that way.

Bazan was game til the end and really pushed himself in the 12th looking for the knockout, but Stevie was too defensively adept and stayed out of harms way, ending up taking a clear cut 116-113 duke on my card. (Bazan taking the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 12th, with Johnston taking the rest bar round 2, which I had even.)

The judge who had Bazan ahead 116-113 (Ayon) is a goose.

[sweet_scientist]

Here's a nice lil' tribute

[Sweet Pea]

Originally Posted by sweet_scientist

Here's a nice lil' tribute

Good stuff, though the person in charge of the music should be shot.

Here's Stevie vs Sugar Shane in the Ams:

[sweet_scientist]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

Good stuff, though the person in charge of the music should be shot.

Here's Stevie vs Sugar Shane in the Ams:

Nice

Not much separates them there imo. Mosley dominated the third round, but I think Stevie was getting the better of the first 2 rounds.

[Mantequilla]

My favourite lightweight champion at that time was Grigorian.

he was a big waste of talent.Al of the champions were good, it's a shame non of them fought.