I have just watched his win over Leslie Stewart, winning a world title for the third time. A amazing fight, relentless pressure from Johnson. This content is protected How good was Marvin Johnson? What is his legacy?
GOAT thug at the poundage. Top 30 ATG in his division. Arguably involved in the GOAT LHW fight. His fight with Galindez maybe the greatest bull-matador fight on film after Lamotta-Robinson VI. Generally lost to the best he fought, generally steam-rolled everyone else. Not a bad legacy for a fighter of his limitations.
Marvin Johnson was a great light heavyweight. The Stewart win was actually when he was past his best. He was a great amateur. Great pro. Nothing negative to say about Marvin. The thing that always stands out for me about him, storywise, was that Marvin admitted, after he retired, that he never knew when to wash. Because he never took a shower during his training camp. He said he wanted to be as foul smelling as possible, because his opponent wouldn't want to lay on the inside with him, because he stunk so bad. I'd heard of guys not having sex before a fight. But I'd never heard of a guy refusing to wash before a fight. After retirement, his wife had to tell him when to take a shower or a bath, because he smelled so bad for so long, he never knew when he was due for a good washing. (LOL)
I assumed he was past his best as he had had so many fights before fighting Stewart. When was his prime? How much credit should Spinks get for beating him when he did?
What were his limitations? I've heard his fight with Galindez was great. What are the other best fights he was involved in?
USA Sports Network kinda promoted Marvin, as "Pops" in his return to win the Lightheavy Title for the third time, which was late in his career. He had several fights on their network.
Matthew Saad Muhammad. He wasn't crafty. He lacked the literal attributes that denote "craft." Before people start posting about how hard he could be to hit etc., i'm speaking relatively.
The question should be "how great is Marvin Johnson?". He was a top tier, stand out fighter in perhaps the most stacked LHW division of all time. Even years past his best he showed himself capable of beating fighters who were good enough to go on to dominate their own respective eras, like Charles Williams.
Johnson was one of the few southpaws that a very good conventional fighter could "easily hit". Saad beat him twice in punch out wars. Johnson had the huevos to give Saad the first shot at his newly won crown because he had that much respect for Saad. CBS Sports Spectacular use to use a short Highlight clip of "Saad v MJ" wars, as a lead-in to their Sat/Sunday afternoon SSpectacular fights.
He bombed a shot Galindez....good for Marvin btw, but like I said, VG was done for before he got in the ring.
Here are some fights. Some he wins. Some he loses. Marvin Johnson vs. Vyacheslov Lemechev (1972 Olympics) This content is protected Marvin Johnson vs. Vandell Woods This content is protected Marvin Johnson vs. Matthew Franklin I This content is protected Marvin Johnson vs Mate Parlov This content is protected Marvin Johnson vs. Matthew Franklin (Saad Muhammad) II This content is protected Marvin Johnson vs. Victor Galindez https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wxHcb4cJco&t=495s Marvin Johnson vs. Eddie Gregory (Mustafa Muhammad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSQcIag_R7E&t=1866s Marvin Johnson vs. David Lee Royster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzjDxLpU_uA Marvin Johnson vs. Alvino Manson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0twhK5UE0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0twhK5UE0 Marvin Johnson vs. Johnny Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpecOwIiQ0M&t=3s Marvin Johnson vs. Prince Charles Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxYFoPZWx_E Marvin Johnson vs. Eddie Davis II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o73VA87JW2k Marvin Johnson vs. Jean Marie Emebe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwAp18dsZnghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwAp18dsZng Marvin Johnson vs. Leslie Stewart II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XonNx-IA1vc
This is it. He was a very good fighter in an extremely talented era. He only lost to the best of the best and beat the rest excepting the Mwale 8 rounder which might be rather dubious.
I totally forgot that Mwale fight happened...never saw it. Also, only just now found out that Mwale died years ago from Parkinson's. Very sad story.
