Here's an article on him:
Glen Johnson: More Than "The Other Guy" Fighting Roy Jones Saturday
In any aspect of life you would like to think that eventually - in some way, shape or form - that justice will be done, that the right thing would happen to the right people.
Yet for much of his 11-year career, Glengoffe Donovan Johnson – we’ll call him Glen – has been handed the short end of the stick from the boxing biz, whether it be in the form of inept judging, hometown decisions, or getting placed on the right side of the bout sheet on a regular basis.
It’s something most people won’t look at this Saturday, when Johnson, the IBF light heavyweight champion, puts his title on the line against comebacking Roy Jones Jr. They’ll see nine losses and two draws and write him off against the former pound for pound king; they’ll assume that with that record, Glen Johnson just doesn’t belong on the big stage.
But they haven’t seen the Jamaican-born Johnson putting in the hard hours in the gym, honing his craft for the biggest fight of his career; they haven’t seen the decisions that would be downright humorous if not for the disgraceful nature of their folly. And they haven’t seen the family man, the father of three who too many times has had to walk into his Florida home and tell his children that their daddy lost again – even though in most cases it was a loss only in the eyes of the judges.
"There’s no way you can explain the politics in boxing to an eight-year-old," muses Johnson, who dreads the voice of a ring announcer reading a decision more than an IRS audit while receiving a root canal. "There’s no way you can explain that, you just have to tell them that daddy lost, watch the disappointment on their faces and try to be a father as much as you can. You basically have to just tell them what the bottom line is and call it a day."
35 years old, but still viable in the fight game, Johnson has kept hope alive since a summer day 1997, when a 32-0 record disappeared at the hands of middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins, who gave the unbeaten Johnson a rude welcome to the world of big time boxing, a world that a gaudy unbeaten slate couldn’t prepare him for.
"I don’t know about invincible," said Johnson when asked if he thought his 32-0 record made him feel untouchable heading into the Hopkins fight. "I don’t think any man is invincible – they’re made of flesh, blood, and bones like everybody else. If you live and die and get old like everybody else, you’re not invincible. But I definitely believed that it was very difficult to beat me. I just didn’t have the experience that I needed for Bernard Hopkins at that time."
In the past seven years, a 32-0 record turned into a record of 40-9-2. For those of you playing at home, that’s a record of 8-9-2, not exactly the type of resume to strike fear into the heart of Jones on Saturday. But look a little closer, and you will see a series of fights (against the likes of Sven Ottke, Silvio Branco, Omar Sheika, Julio Gonzalez, Daniel Judah, and Clinton Woods) where Johnson took fights on short notice, fought in opponents’ hometowns, and basically got robbed of decisions on numerous occasions, making it very obvious to the diehard fight fan that his 40-9-2 record could easily be 46-5. Needless to say, a lot has changed in Johnson’s mindset since he was an undefeated prospect.
"The most important thing I learned is that the favorite is just that – the favorite," he said. "So if anything can possibly go to him, that’s what they’re gonna do. They’re going to look for anything they can give to him and give it to him. Even if he don’t do enough for it, they will reward him anyway. That was something I didn’t know coming in. I always believed that you came in and you fought, and if you do good, you’ll win, and if you don’t, you lost. But that’s simply not the truth. When a guy’s the favorite, it’s very difficult for him to lose."
And most people don’t care about guys like Glen Johnson, guys who give it their all between the ropes, only to be tossed aside for the guy with the better connections or supposedly brighter future. And most fighters like Johnson will fade into the background, replaced by new opponents who will serve as the "test" for the up and comers.
"Things are hard to swallow sometimes," said Johnson. "You keep losing, and people keep taking fights and all of that, you stop believing in people after a while. You start believing that there are crooks, and there are a lot of them out there, and I feel that at this point in my career I still don’t trust people that much. I don’t trust the judges."
But Johnson wouldn’t go away that easy.
"I believed in myself and believed that I could beat the odds," he said. "Second, I have a family that I have to support and I couldn’t give up on doing that. Put the combination together, and it gives me a very strong drive to keep going."
So given that in his heart he knew he had what it took to be a champion, he just had to a) find a level playing field, or b) bring his own judges. So he did a little bit of both.
In 2003, after losing a questionable decision to Julio Gonzalez in January, and getting an even more questionable draw with Daniel Judah in April, Johnson was brought into New York to fight Eric Harding in May for the USBA title. And even though Harding’s Connecticut home was a stone’s throw away from Jimmy’s Bronx Café, Johnson outworked the former title challenger and actually received a well-deserved 12 round decision. The times they were a changin’.
"As far as getting my due, things started changing then, but I believe things started changing a couple of years back when I realized how difficult it was to beat the favorite," said Johnson. "Once I realized that, I knew that I had to make a change in my style and I needed to be more convincing in everything I was doing. I believe that’s when the change, as far as me being a fighter, came in to play. As far as my career and taking it to a different level, it definitely started with the Harding fight."
Less than six months later, and with the glow that comes with getting what you worked so hard for, Johnson got a shot at the vacant IBF light heavyweight crown against Sheffield, England’s Clinton Woods, another Jones victim. The place? Sheffield, England. You could have written in the result right then and there, with Woods receiving the benefit of a highly controversial draw.
A rematch was ordered for three months later, and in February, Johnson finally got his just reward, pounding out a unanimous decision, in Sheffield of all places, to win the IBF belt.
"When they put the belt around my waist, it was a feeling of accomplishment," said Johnson. "A lot of people didn’t think that I was able to do this, but I did it. They can say whatever they want to say, but they can’t take this moment from me. For me that was a personal goal, and I’m happy with that."
He was even happier when a proposed fight against Joe Calzaghe was scrapped due to a back injury suffered by the Welshman, and Jones needed a dance partner for this Saturday night. Now for Johnson, it’s a bigger stage, better money, and a better opportunity to let the American public who he is and why a fighter’s record doesn’t reveal everything about his character.
"My performance with Roy Jones should speak for itself, but outside of boxing I want people to understand that I’m a family man, and I’ve tried to live a good life and be a good person," said Johnson. "Some people get a little thing in their pocket and they start believing that they’re better than everyone else. That’s not my style. You live and die just like the next person. The person that can beat age and death, that’s the only person that I can say, yeah, I want to be that person."
Most people who talk to him would say, ‘I wouldn’t mind being like Glen Johnson.’ He’s one of the nice guys in the sport, and someone who hasn’t let the downside of this sport change his character. No one said it was easy though.
"They challenge you every day, especially the judges," he laughs. "It’s definitely a challenge. I’m a nice person by heart and desire, and that’s coming from within me. Sometimes you try to change your character but you go back to your comfort zone. After a while you get angry, where you have a chip on your shoulder, but that only lasts for so long. I’m a nice guy, I believe in God, and I do what I have to do. When it’s all said, all you have left is your reputation, so I’ve tried to go a good job with that."
Win or lose, Glen Johnson, unlike many in this game, has truly earned his time in the spotlight and the paycheck that goes with it. And you never know, if he wins on Saturday night, he’ll have to get accustomed to a new role – as the favorite.
"I’ve never been in those shoes so that would be new territory for me," he said. "I hope it doesn’t make me lose my motivation and work ethic because being the underdog has definitely given me a drive so far."
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