- Vitali Klitschko - Tyson Fury - Anthony Joshua - Dereck Chisora - Kubrat Pulev - Manuel Charr - Christian Hammer - Andy Ruiz Jr. - Petar Milas - Daniel Dubois - Filip Hrgovic - Nathan Gorman The best record in the division. Only twice has Kevin Johnson not seen the final bell and both were on controversial terms. The fight against Milas was stopped on measly cut while Johnson was protesting furiously and Joshua needed dirty tactics and a British stoppage delivered by the incompetent ref Ian John Lewis. “I got my speed and defense from Floyd Mayweather, my hand movement and artistic side from Roy Jones, my agility and eye-hand coordination from Muhammad Ali, and my jab and the ability to set people up from Larry Holmes.” This content is protected This content is protected Discuss.
I genuinely enjoyed seeing him box on Saturday against Dubois. The way he rides with the punches. These survival tactics should be observed by any young fighter as far as I’m concerned.
Johnson is old and past his best. You wanted him to go for broke and throw punches against Dubois who would have countered with devastating speed and power? Johnson’s gameplan was bang on for Dubois, he did throw shots at the right moments, but clearly no longer has the speed and power required to put a dent into a prospect like Dubois. At least he made it through the distance without getting hurt. He earned his purse that night.
Gatekeepers have their purpose in the development of prospects, I get that and I respect that. Boxing needs journeymen and gatekeepers. Nothing wrong with young prospects fighting these type of opponents. But I'd rather they had these types of fights before they start boxing on TV. I'm a boxing fan and a paying customer who wants to be entertained by the fights I watch. Proper, competitive fights between two men trying to win the fight.
Funny how Willie Pep is widely lauded for winning a round without throwing a punch but Kingpin gets zero respect for winning a whole fight without throwing one.
That’s fair enough. I actually believe Johnson did try to win the fight though. He tried to land a big punch and it just didn’t work out. He had to be extremely conservative with his output or he would have been badly hurt. If he had no intention of winning there would have been no point hanging in there. As far as I am aware he doesn’t earn more money for going the distance.
If he came around in 1890, those would all be no-decisions and he’d have earned his way to top 10 all time lists.
I respect him as a fighter, he's fought the best the division has to offer but by God is he terrible to watch, up there with the most negative fighters of all time, straight into survival mode, barely throws and spoils constantly. He has his place in boxing but I go out of my way to avoid watching him fight wherever possible.
Pep has never won a round without throwing a punch and Johnson has never won a fight where he didn't bother to throw one.
