Reggie Johnson on fighting Roy Jones Jr and James Toney at their peak, and the jail term that ended his plans for a comeback

REGGIE JOHNSON is a folks particular person. He loves boxing. Sure, he beloved profitable (doing so 44 instances in a 52-fight professional profession) and he loves his belts. However most of all, he beloved the folks he met, particularly when preventing abroad. “A variety of fighters simply go in, battle, receives a commission, and get out,” says Johnson of the standard method to boxing on the highway. “We don’t roll like that. Each place I’ve been to, we frolicked with the folks.”

The Houston native, now 55, is greatest recognized for the belts he received at middleweight and light-heavyweight, for sharing a hoop with legends similar to Roy Jones Jnr, James Toney and Antonio Tarver, and for wins over the likes of Steve Collins, Lamar Parks, William Guthrie, Chris Johnson and Julio César González. However the man often called “Candy” is most effusive when speaking in regards to the folks he met.

“Man, I like Argentina,” he says of a rustic by which he went 0-3. Nevertheless it’s not the sporting setbacks he remembers it for, it’s the private good points.

“We went up into the mountains and hung with the poor folks,” he says. “These folks have been like ‘he’s preventing our man [Jorge Castro], why is he developing right here to us?’ However I beloved them and by the point I left, they have been my followers too.”

Johnson additionally had “six or seven” worldwide fights as an beginner, together with boxing in entrance of the king of Thailand as a 16-year-old. As a professional, he fought all around the US, and in Spain, Italy and in South Africa in 1988 – throughout apartheid. “I used to be only a younger man, enthusiastic about boxing. I didn’t even know what apartheid meant,” he stated. “Later, I did study all about it as a result of they [the sanctioning bodies] suspended me for going over there.

“I used to be there a couple of month and a half. I had a good time, regardless of apartheid. I used to be a child, appearing just like the second coming of Muhammad Ali. I’d eat in eating places and the black waiters could be calling me ‘mister’ and ‘sir’ and I’d be appearing like Ali, telling them [impersonates Ali’s accent] ‘come on now, don’t be calling me mister, you older than me!’”

One place Johnson by no means fought, however is craving to go to, is the British Isles. Particularly, he’s looking for a reunion along with his outdated foe, Steve Collins, whom he beat on factors in New Jersey in 1992. “Irish Steve Collins was a troublesome, robust fighter,” he says. “We have been two hungry fighters transferring forwards, attempting to grow to be [WBA] champion of the world; two guys getting a second likelihood. The battle was lovely, and I’ll inform you this – if I ever go to conflict, I need Irish Steve Collins standing subsequent to me.”

These days, Johnson is a coach at Gator Boxing in Dickinson, Texas, and has arrange the Champions Ceaselessly Tour, which goals to assemble a gaggle of retired ex-champs – the roster up to now includes Johnson, Riddick Bowe, Iran Barkley and Christy Martin – and take them around the globe to fulfill followers. It’s via this that Johnson hopes to resume acquaintances with Collins. “We had all the things in place a few years in the past and have been taking a look at coming to the UK final yr, however coronavirus stopped all of it,” he says. “Hopefully we are able to come subsequent yr. I haven’t seen Irish Steve Collins since we fought however I all the time take into consideration him and would love to fulfill him in Eire or the UK in entrance of the followers.”

Given latest developments, it’s essential to notice that when Johnson talks of assembly Collins once more, he means over dinner, not within the ring – though he understands why his 50-something contemporaries are lacing up the gloves once more. “It’s exhausting for any man who’s financially quick to say no,” he says. “In the event you do an exhibition and also you’re making extra money than guys doing actual fights, if you can also make $2-3million doing that, you’d be a idiot to not. But in addition, you be a idiot to do it when you’re not wholesome.”

Fortunately Johnson, regardless of having fun with good well being – “I haven’t stayed in a hospital since I used to be born” – isn’t tempted, even when his profession didn’t finish on his phrases.

His February 2008 win over Julio César González in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was the final time he fought, however it wasn’t supposed to be a swansong – it was presupposed to be a comeback. “I wished to do what George Foreman did, however at light-heavyweight,” says Johnson of his fellow Texan, who on the time was nonetheless the game’s oldest-ever champion (Bernard Hopkins would supplant him in 2011).

González was one of many higher wins on Johnson’s document, all of the extra spectacular for coming aged 41 and after a two-and-a-half-year layoff. However whereas the consequence hinted at a renaissance, the comeback got here to a sudden halt when Johnson was charged 4 months later with stealing from a charity, after which jailed in 2010.

“Now, I wish to speak about that,” he says. “I’m like Ali, I’m keen to take a stand and to die for sure issues. If I’d signed some papers [to confess], I might have gone house, however I wouldn’t signal these papers as a result of I’m an harmless man.”

Johnson was convicted of taking $120,000 from Houston Space City League, a black empowerment charity, to run a boxing camp that by no means occurred. “I used to be going to do a summer time programme working with children,” he says. “There are summer time camps for basketball, baseball, soccer, soccer, and it was my concept to do a boxing summer time camp, as a result of no one had achieved one.

“We talked about doing it that summer time [2008] however I used to be on the brink of battle Glen Johnson so I stated I is perhaps tied up. If not this summer time, then subsequent summer time.”

The looming Glen Johnson contest – although finally postponed – did certainly rule Reggie out of internet hosting any summer time camps, and that was when he was arrested for theft. However Johnson insists he was paid for the next summer time, which he would have honoured, not for providers he then failed to offer.

“I’ve obtained exhausting proof that they refused to point out in court docket,” he says. “I’ve obtained the [receipt for the] cheque proper right here. The date is on the cheque, it says October. Summertime was over. The cheque was fee upfront for subsequent summer time.”

Naturally, the 2009 camp didn’t occur both, as Johnson remained incarcerated as he awaited trial. He was convicted in October 2010, after which launched in December 2011. “I used to be in county jail for 3 years and 6 months,” he says. “The day I obtained out, I used to be 228lbs. I began coaching, however I just about knew boxing was over. I knew I might nonetheless be part of it, however not taking part. I simply obtained into working with fighters.”

Johnson had lengthy since amassed a formidable resume, having fulfilled the prediction of his first coach following his very first spar.
“My uncle was an beginner fighter and he took me to the health club someday,” says Johnson. “I took off actual properly and earlier than lengthy I obtained into the ring, sparring. Everybody was excited watching me deal with these children with rather more expertise. The coach, the late James Carter, stated ‘Man, you would grow to be champion of the world.’”

It was with that objective in thoughts that Johnson turned professional at simply 17, after dropping within the 1984 Olympic trials to Frank Tate.

The coronation envisioned by coach Carter would come on the second try, in opposition to Collins, however Johnson feels it ought to have occurred 10 months earlier in Las Vegas, in opposition to James Toney. He dropped Toney within the second spherical and pushed the middleweight supremo to the wire, however was adjudged a split-decision loser.

“I fell to the canvas after they introduced that call, and I obtained up with tears in my eyes,” says Johnson. “To this present day I’ll inform anybody that I received. It made me ask myself ‘do I really need this?’ Stuff like that hurts, however it may well do one in every of two issues – make you give up, or encourage you.

“On the finish of the day, I like boxing, so I wasn’t gonna give up. I noticed it as a chance to show folks improper.”

Johnson would go on to say a belt in opposition to Collins and make three defences earlier than one other “political loss” in October 1993 ended his reign, with John David Jackson taking a detailed however unanimous choice in Buenos Aires – the primary of these three fruitless journeys to Argentina.

“It was unusual, two Individuals preventing in Argentina,” he says. “I later discovered he had a deal the place if he received, he’d come again and battle the man [Jorge Castro] in Argentina. As you may see, that historical past had already written itself.

“Then Jackson determined he didn’t wish to battle Castro over there, so he was stripped. That’s why me and Castro fought for the title.”

Two back-to-back controversial break up choice losses to Castro precipitated a 21-month layoff whereas Johnson regrouped. When he returned, he supposed to make a run at super-middleweight, however alternative knocked a division up.

William Guthrie was a brand new 175lbs titleholder; a giant puncher with unblemished 24-0 (21) stats being touted as a reputable risk to Roy Jones Jnr. Johnson, a hitherto middleweight who’d misplaced three of his earlier 5 bouts, seemed like excellent first-defence materials.

“I used to be making ready to battle at 168 however then the telephone rang,” says Johnson. “They known as Curtis [Cokes, Johnson’s then-trainer and former world welterweight champion] and requested him if he had anybody who might battle Will Guthrie. He stated Reggie Johnson, they stated ‘man, get out of right here, Reggie Johnson is a middleweight!’”

Even so, the battle was made for February 1998 in Uncasville, and it was the larger man, the knockout artist, who ended up unconscious. Johnson pitched a hellacious southpaw proper hook that travelled a full 180 levels through Guthrie’s chin. The terrifying fifth-round KO earned Johnson a brand new begin, and Guthrie a hospital go to.

“I used to be nervous about William,” says Johnson of seeing Guthrie being stretchered out of the ring, “as a result of I don’t wish to take someone’s life doing what I like to do. When the bell rings, I’m simply there to do a job, and I all the time prayed that in doing that job, not solely myself however my opponent comes out unharmed.

“However he was OK. I obtained a knock on my resort door at 9.30 the following morning. It was Will Guthrie, and he stated, ‘I simply got here by to congratulate you, and to let I’m all proper. I’m gonna battle my means again and would like to have a rematch’.”

As a substitute, Johnson obtained the Jones Jnr match that Guthrie was beforehand being steered in direction of. Two additional victories led to a extremely anticipated battle on June 5, 1999. “Man, this man, he was so gifted,” says Johnson of the boxer considered as the sport’s pound-for-pound leader on the time. “He was by far the very best I ever fought – a grasp, an awesome fighter.”

This was evident in Jones profitable each spherical in opposition to a person who, although understandably an underdog, was very extremely regarded himself. However Johnson says the one-sided scorecards have been on account of getting his techniques improper. “We’d sparred earlier than. I caught him with shot and wobbled him, so I knew his chin was suspect,” he says. “So our gameplan was being aggressive, however this was preventing Roy on his personal phrases. One man stated to me, if I’d performed chess as a substitute of checkers, I might have had a greater battle.”

Johnson would thereafter stay in rivalry till a factors defeat to Antonio Tarver in 2002. It was one other break up choice, however one he has no issues with. “Ninety % of the time, a person is aware of if he received or misplaced. It was truthful. I used to be even stunned it was a break up choice. Some folks inform me I received, however I appropriate them. You gotta maintain it actual.”

Solely two extra fights remained in Johnson’s profession – each wins – earlier than his authorized troubles turned his comeback into an epilogue.

He has not been turned off charity work, although. In reality, it underpins the spirit of the Champions Ceaselessly Tour. Particularly, it goals to assist anti-bullying causes, to fund the creation and upkeep of boxing gyms in disadvantaged areas, and to provide retired fighters each a objective and an earnings. And it’ll additionally give Johnson an opportunity to indulge two of his passions – travelling and assembly folks.

“I don’t care what color your pores and skin is, what nation you’re from, what language you communicate,” he says. “I simply wish to get to you, as a result of we’re all a part of the identical race – the human race.

“By bringing folks collectively, this world tour is absolutely going to take off and make the world a greater place.”