HARTFORD, Conn. (Oct. 9, 2009) – Glen Johnson answered six questions posed to him regarding his Nov. 7 rematch with Chad Dawson.
Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., meets Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs), from Miami, FL by way of Clarendon, Jamaica, Nov. 7 at the XL Center in Harford, Conn., in a WBC light heavyweight world title rematch. Back in April, 2008, the two met with Dawson’s WBC light heavyweight title on the line with Dawson coming away with the unanimous decision.
Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, in association with DiBella Entertainment and Seminole Warriors Boxing, Dawson-Johnson II and a tremendous Alfredo Angulo vs. Harry Joe Yorgey 10-round Super Welterweight co-feature will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing Nov. 7, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, from the XL Center.
Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $70, $50, and $35, (plus any applicable fees and surcharges), can be purchased at the XL Center box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at www.xlcenter.com.
QUESTION: What do you expect to see from Chad Dawson the second time around?
JOHNSON: “Pretty much of the same thing I saw the first fight, him running like a chicken.”
QUESTION: How do you feel fighting in his backyard?
JOHNSON: “I told my people I will fight him anywhere. I just wanted the rematch to prove once and for all who really won that fight. This fight is very, very important to me. It is an opportunity to go further than all the critics thought I could have gone. It’s just for me to protect myself and my reputation and to prove to myself that I can do it and shut up all the critics that said I couldn’t.”
QUESTION: How have you improved since the last time you fought Dawson?
JOHNSON: “I have improved tremendously. I was off of my game for a little bit of a year or so. I am sharp now. They tried so hard and long to avoid me that it gave me enough time to get sharp and put myself together. I am getting the rematch at the right time.”
QUESTION: The super middleweights are getting a lot of publicity with the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament. What do you think about the light heavyweight division right now?
JOHNSON: “The problem is the light heavyweight division doesn’t want to mix up the fights. Everybody is trying to go for the major money. Everybody is trying to fight people who they think they can win against. There are very few guys in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions and that’s what’s killing the sport and the divisions now. These guys want to win based on the politics of boxing. They don’t want to commit themselves to give fans the best fight they can put together.”
QUESTION: What are you doing when you are not in the ring or training?
JOHNSON: “I am spending a lot of time with my kids and wife and relaxing. I have a few business ventures that I like to see what I can get my hands in.”
QUESTION: What would winning this fight mean to you?
JOHNSON: “Winning means everything to me. That’s the only reason I wanted a rematch. The first fight was stolen because of politics of boxing and crooked judges. This is my opportunity. I know they believe Dawson fights in his hometown and they will bring in the crooked judges again who will help him get any rounds that are close. I have been in situations like this before. I am confident I will go in there and do what it takes to win.”
Fistic Fury:
Come on Glen, it was hardly robbery of the century. It was a close fight that could of gone either way (In most peoples opinion, but I had it 116-112 Dawson.)
Monday Oct 12, 2009 08:28:11 PM
MisterLee:
Johnson beat that shoe shining p4p'er the first time around. Took him to the body and head. Knocked him around, hurt him, esp round 10. I'm a fan of dawson, and still think johnson beat his A$$ the first time, johnson out volumed him and to me had the edge in power connects. Holler!
Monday Oct 12, 2009 09:22:43 PM
MisterLee:
Johnson beat that shoe shining p4p'er the first time around. Took him to the body and head. Knocked him around, hurt him, esp round 10. I'm a fan of dawson, and still think johnson beat his A$$ the first time, johnson out volumed him and to me had the edge in power connects. Holler!
Monday Oct 12, 2009 09:23:00 PM
Isaiah:
Both better bring their A game. I want Johnson to win, but sadly I'm picking Dawson for another UD.
Monday Oct 12, 2009 09:46:57 PM
Fe'Roz :
Glen, as always, has the decked stacked against him. He is fighting for Dawson's belt....so the burden is on him to beat the champ. Convincingly. Dawson represents the future, Johnson the past. Dawson has promise; Johnson, just plain ominous. Glen knows the game. It's the story of his life. A life not fair. He's no pretty boy. He's a hard worker and true and talented fighter. He has had to earn every single cent and accolade the hard way. Nothing has ever been given to him. Nor will be. And nor will it be against Chad. Nothing short of stopping Bad Chad will be enough. Not for this warrior. Never was
Monday Oct 12, 2009 10:16:32 PM
brownsugar:
Glen is starting to sound like the bitter loser,.. instead of taking his defeat,.. in a fight that can barely be seen as a draw for Glen,.. even by the worst judges,.. Glen tried to crap all over Dawsons victory,.. as subjectively close as the first fight was,.. Glen should have sucked it up and took his very real loss graciously,..(he might have gotten the rematch earlier) but that issue not with standing,.. Glen is still somewhat dangerous,. so the drama will be there again for the rematch,.. Dawson should be rested and motivated after 2 slow dances with Tarver,... I hope he can urge Glen to retire from boxing and focus on his broadcasting career,.. with this performance,.. Glen is actually a very accomplished and flavorful announcer...
Monday Oct 12, 2009 10:59:04 PM
Smiley C:
Superbad Chad Dawson will easier this time around fo' sure!
Monday Oct 12, 2009 11:43:33 PM
Joe:
It wasn't a robbery but I had Johnson winning 115-113.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 01:48:26 AM
Isaiah:
Well one thing's or sure. These guys shared rival, Antonio Tarver would sure do better in another line of work. This isn't Rocky 7. Funny how Johnson can split a pair of life and death battles with Tarver and Dawson can dominate a pair with Tarver. Styles will always make fights though and Dawon/Johnson just matches up so well. Johnson just won't go away man, nor should he when he can still hold his own against the likes of Dawson. I'll be hoping for the upset, but still be using my brain. You all know Dawson wins the rematch by UD. It's as likely as Bernard Hopkins retireing and making sure HE NEVER has to fight a young buck like Dawson in his middle age. Shoot! Hopkins would do best to collect one more good paycheck against Jones again and go back to the nursing home for a spongebath and pudding day. I hear Floyd Mayweather's giving both out. No dissrespect to Hopkins.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 04:36:19 AM
mortcola:
I like and respect Glen. A gentleman, who has been right some of the time about not getting the respect he deserves from the public and the judges. But the scoring in the Dawson fight was fair. I was rooting for Glen at the time, and still had Dawson up by three. But this is one focused guy. Let's see if he has any new answers for Chad, who has probably also improved. I think it goes about the same way this time.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 04:58:25 AM
MisterLee:
Aww.. come on guys! Dawson never hurt nor staggered the guy ONCE in the fight. Glen had Dawson dancing and running, and settling for shoe shining and hitting gloves and his philly shell. I thought points were rewarded for clean connects and ring generalship, and besides a few mid rounds when glen was caught following instead of cutting off and when his output volume was low, for the most part he rocked Dawson worse than Cotto ever knocked Mosley.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 06:07:24 AM
mortcola:
Well, mrlee, Dawson wasn't his most effective in that fight, partly because of Johnson's shell. But he still had a much higher connect rate overall, plenty of clean shots. Johnson made him fight, and, yes, he rocked him, and not the other way around, but to me, Dawson proved his heart and focus in that fight. It wasn't a blow-out, but Dawson still earned it. Johnson will sometimes suffer from the fact that, while he makes guys earn every second in the ring, and leaves 'em bruised, he rarely puts it over the top and dominates. He's a workhorse, a first-class workhorse, but a quicker guy with a good chin will always have an edge. I'll always root for him, though.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 06:38:39 AM
Matthew:
Glen Johnson is a good fighter, but can you really expect that he'll be better this time around? Fighters don't usually get better past the age of 40; Archie Moore and Bernard Hopkins are the exception, rather than the rule. As far as the first fight being a robbery, I wholeheartedly disagree. First of all, the word robbery gets thrown around way too liberally. Whitaker-Chavez was a robbery. Fenech-Nelson I was a robbery. I saw Dawson winning 115-113 the first time around. Close fight, yes, but certainly no robbery. Johnson is a bit delusional on this one. I like Dawson by a UD in a fight that's probably not as close as the first fight.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 06:48:46 AM
Fe'Roz @ Matthew:
Thank you. Robbery is a word used far too often in a game that, by definition, is ultimately judged subjectively. Johnson lost the first fight; Mister Lee's legit points notwithstanding. And it is doubtful that Johnson can improve more than his younger opponent should. We shall see. I always enjoy a Johnson fight. He gives 100%. That is as much as you can ask a man to give. As for "robberies', Chavez "star' was preserved by angels that night. In other words, he lost. By that measure, Eddie Cotton should have stopped Mtagwa and awarded him a W the other night. That is what I meant above when I said that 'life ain't fair'...and boxing is just a part of life.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 08:06:21 AM
Matthew:
I did finally watch the Lopez-Mtagwa fight yesterday, and I would agree that Eddie Cotton, while normally an excellent referee, had a bad night. I think he missed at least one knockdown, and never once did I see him warn Mtagwa for using his head. That being said, I don't think he should have stopped the fight in the 12th. Sure, Lopez was out on his feet but he did enough to show that he wasn't completely helpless. I do think, however, that if Mtagwa had been in the same position, the fight would have been stopped.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 10:23:47 AM
bill major:
glen johnson ,no matter how you think the fight went,is one of the few warriors we've got that will fight anyone anytime, ive got nothing but love and respect for him . a bitter loser? come on,he's been fighting in the backyards of these chumps for his whole career and he's been cornholed for most of them when hes won so i think he deserves a little leway on the whining. hey,like guerraro he gives it 110% EVERYtime,
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 01:57:37 PM
Fe'Roz @ matthew:
Agreed. If Mtagwa was on his stool after getting hit by Lopez at the end of the 11th instead of the other way around, the fight might have been stopped right there. If he got up but had been clocked in the first seconds of the 12th like Lopez was.....it definitely would have been ended.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 11:17:27 PM
Reno:
What's funny about boxing is that a fighter can be winning majority of the earlier rounds, but get rocked in one of the rounds in the 2nd half of the fight and ppl will say the guy that was losing most of the rounds should have won the fight based on a few latter rounds. Totally negating anything the other fighter did in the earlier rounds, I say that to say this, the 1st fight wasn't a robbery I had it 116-112 jmo. I thought Clottey vs Cotto was closer to a robbery than the 1st Johnson vs. Dawson fight.
Wednesday Oct 14, 2009 11:31:54 AM
Twenty three years later after they seconded Marvin Hagler and Ray Leonard in Las Vegas, Goody Petronelli and Angelo Dundee crossed paths again. This time, it was at Foxwoods. Photo/friend of TSS "The Iceman" John Scully reports there were only pleasantries exchanged. Goody didn't debate the split decision victory enjoyed by Leonard, which to this day Hagler disputes.
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