Marvin Johnson

Very good and really dangerous fighter in the late 70s...excellent at times even.After the Gregory fight(which i think took a lot out of him) and certainly the Spinks one, he managed to hang round for a good while and get some solid wins, but the spark was gone.A solid, dangerous fighter still, but everything had fallen off a few notches and he was heavily flawed by then.

IN the late 70s though, he brought very good momentum and pressure(albeit not that technical), excellent power, good speed, workrate and punch variety...as well as a pretty akward, unusual rhythm.Threw a lot of unusual yet effective combinations.

He was one-dimensional though, and ust didn't quite have the durability, stamina(not that they were bad) or refined enough technique to overcome beasts like Saad or excellent punching craftsmen like Gregory.

Basically was trading on a good bit of natural talent and strong basic offensive tools, inventively applied.He's probably the closest to someone like Pac from that light heavy era in terms of strengths and weaknesses, but more of a pressuring brawler happy to get in close and stay there and less the awkwardly effective in and out fighter Pac was.

Destroyed Parlov, who was supposedly weight weakened, but judging from how he faded when an out of sorts, rusty one-handed Conteh turned up the pressure and started banging to the body..well, i don't give him much stylistic chance against Johnson at any time.

Destroyed a faded Galindez too.basically if you didn't have much to keep this guy off, or wanted a war, you better have great offensive ability of your own, or be very skilled.Ideally both.

 

I think he was past his best for Spinks really.Too many brutal fights in too short a time frame.

He's the kind of fighter though-like many less textbook talents-that with his strengths and weaknesses there's a good chance that if you are good enough to beat him, you'll have a 50\50 chance of putting on a clinic against him.The opposite of the "would give everyone a tough go" sort of fighters, but not necessarily worse.

 

A Fierce Competitor who was nobody's easy meat at his best, Having said that he was the party of the second part in Probably Eddie Gregory/Mustafa Muhammed's most impressive win, The Body-punching Masterclass, Parlov had show his Dislike of Bodyshots Against Conteh, Marvin Just Carried on with that Winning Formula and the cracks became fissures, I suspect Big Mate was a Lt Heavy in search of a Cruiser Divison by this Stage, And the Galindez that Marv Flattened was, truth to tell, something of a Hollow Husk by this time, But the Jobs had to be done...And Marvin did them

The Saad fights Showed what Marvin was all about really, if you wanted a Trading war he was more than happy to oblige, and he wasnt down until you nailed him down.. if you could mix Versatility with your Spite...And Maintain it then you perhaps use his predictable aggression against him... I do not think many Lt Heavy's would have survived the Spinks Left Hook if caught Flush like Marvin was,

So not the best in versatility or Talent, but an Unquenchable spirit, and raw courage would of made him a torrid evening for most

Of Course during this Golden Age of Lt Heavy's there was quite a few Tough Customers about, Marv Vs Superman Scott might of been a Memorable Encounter... Marv Vs Alvaro Lopez... Now that i would of like to of seen.

He generated some well deserved good ink in a very colourful Landscape , I do not think his contribution to the Fistic Arts will be forgotton

 

He was a monster that would have been a dominate champion in many eras .. the Mustafa and Saad he lost to were both guys at their very best and both of those guys were fantastic light heavyweights ..

Johnson would have defeated Virgil Hill and any of the light heavyweights post Spinks at 175 including Roy Jones who he would have run out of the ring .. he was a Glen Johnson with KO power ..

 

I didn't know that much about him until a few years, when I watched a few of his youtube fights, then started a couple threads here on him. His resume looks pretty solid.. Three time world title holder, wins over some respectable men and pretty fun to watch from what I've seen. He fell short against the elite, but you have to consider that the "elite" men he lost to are now in the hall of fame, or most of them anyway. Can't think of too many guys who would have faired well against Saad, Mustafa or Spinks in their primes...

 

Eddie Mustafa ruined Johnson....that was one class "A" beating Eddie put on him. I don't think he was nearly as good vs Spinks, or anyone else after that night with Mustafa Muhammad.

 

The LHW division was loaded with top talent at that time. He was near the top but just below the very best. One of my favorite fighters of that era, nearly every one of his fights was exciting, which was why so many of them were televised. He somehow always seemed like the underdog, even if he really wasn't.

 

He was a tough guy with good speed and power. However, his defense wasn't very good. Also, he did not know how to pace himself. He went all out too early in fights. he had a pretty weak jab too. Still, he did well to be a two time champ. in a very good LH era and retained his skills long enough to make a dent once Spinks moved up. His longevity was impressive.

 

I don't think that fight ruined him. He was fighting well against Spinks and was ahead on points but got caught by one brutal punch. It happens. He retained most of his skills for six yrs. after the Mustafa loss.

 

This was Mustafa's best fight and he really beat up Johnson. Johnson was never as terrific again but remained dangerous.

 

:dealI have always been profoundly impressed by Eddie Mustafa's performance vs Johnson...it was more significant even than his 1 punch ko loss to Spinks.
Speaking of Johnson, I liked and respected him as an all-out, action fighter, but the win over Galindez was vs a mere hollowed out husk of the fighter that the Argentinian was. The version of Galindez that beat Eddie Gregory would have beaten Johnson also.