Did Kevin Johnson Deserve His Title Shot?

I can't stress enough how short-notice the change was. Solis would've had a matter of days to lose weight, not weeks. Best case scenario he waddles in somewhere in the mid 260's, still a career high at that point.

"He's sucked for the last two years but he was decent at that time."

That same exact sentence applies to Johnson, who as of then was still unbeaten and confident. (as was Solis, but Johnson at least always stayed & came in relatively better shape...as for a disparity in skill, yes Solis had the storied amateur career but he never really showed off much of his boxing skill after making the jump...whereas Johnson had a very fine jab and the length and height to outbox Solis with it...)

 

Read IntentionalButt's reply. I think there was a certain Johnson many years ago who also gave title shots to sparring partners.

Kevin was undefeated, skilled, big and proven in the gym. Even Wlad has nice things to say about him long before he meet Vitali.

 

Don't weep for him, he's British. He probably just thought my post was about a Middle East conflict.

 

This guy was one of the best players of the late 80s and early 90s and nobody remembers him. Tragic. They would rather talk about a negative boxer that laid on the ropes in a high guard, making stupid faces.

The real Kevin Johnson was 5'11 and dunked on Olajuwon.

 

Boxed Ears , posting good with Mongoose and Butt
About the Sugar Valuev Express
His jokes were the best, but made it too far,
Became the special man,
Now we are all Klitschko fans.

 

Johnson was ranked in the top ten when Vitally fought him, albeit just.

That to my mind makes him a defensible choice as a challenger.

 

If he were coming off a UD over Solis to pop his big fat cherry, there would've been no ambiguity. He might instead have been flirting with top five - or at least seven/8ish.

 

The only thing Johnson had offensively was a jab, even at his best. Solis had a better one.. Barret would've tested him.

 

Winner.

 

Mayor of Sacramento

 

Kingpin kicked off at the end of that fight and Wlad almost ran out of the ring.

 

You also have to remember that Solis TWICE postponed the fight...!!!

Honestly, we at Team Kingpin, sat down and voted on who we wanted between Solis & Vitali. KJ picked Solis, and K2 was willing to push the Vitali vs Kingpin fight back to January; but Kingpin's old assinine management group pulled out of the Solis fight, agreed to fight Vitali.

KJ did infact inform his management team he was not ready for a Klitschko fight, but they signed for the Vitali fight anyways. The same management group priced KJ out of fights with Chagaev, Boswell, Tony Thompson, Arreola, Holyfield (In Atlanta, GA)...!!!

 

Solis had a better jab?

...and when did he ever manage to out-jab someone with a 3+ inch reach advantage on him?

Certainly not against Thompson.

...either time.

 

Ah, that's all good info. :thumbsup

Yeah, it would have been so much better for Johnson to have that Solis W under his belt, heading into a guaranteed Klitschko showdown or not. (but especially so if they said they'd push back until Jan. for him)

He would've been taken a lot more seriously post-Klitshcko if he already had that W on his résumé. :good

 

As for earning his title shot, KJ benefitted from beating the likes of Damian Wills, Terry Smith and Devin Vargas. Not exactly world beaters, but Wills had 1 loss to Arreola, Smith was a durable journeyman and Vargas was Olympian & undefeated as a pro...!!!


Look at Kj's record early on; Timur Ibragimov (Draw) in a fight many thought KJ was winning easily til the lights went out in the arena and the contest was ruled a draw; Elfair McKnight was a 4 time National amatuer champion, Robert Hawkins was a durable tough-chinned journeyman, William Cook was a top amatuer with marketability in the pro ranks.