Johnson has one more opportunity

Glen Johnson feels fortunate that he's in a good position even after losing a second time to Chad Dawson.

Glen Johnson is coming off a one-sided loss to Chad Dawson yet is one victory away from a shot at a major light heavyweight title. Yes, things finally seem to be going Johnson’s way.

The 41-year-old former beltholder said he seriously considered retirement after the unanimous-decision loss to Dawson in November in Dawson’s home state of Connecticut. Ultimately, though, he and those closest to him decided the loss was more about Dawson than Johnson and he decided to remain active.

Now, having kept his spot in the rankings, he faces Yusaf Mack in a title eliminator on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with the winner to face another titleholder, Tavoris Cloud.

“Things like this don’t happen to me,” said Johnson, referring to the opportunity he has Friday even though he’s coming off a loss. “I’m in a pretty good spot with this fight. I’m extremely happy. I see Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins … they’ll lose and come back with another big fight. That doesn’t happen to me much.

“If that’s the case, if my reputation is starting to pay off, I’m thankful. I believe I’m deserving. I’ve been pushed back a lot of times. It’s nice to catch a break.”

Johnson’s struggles have been well documented. The Jamaican-born resident of Miami has had many big fights but usually on his opponent’s turf; hence his nickname, “Road Warrior.”

And he’s ended up on the wrong end of many controversial decisions. Some observers believe at least several of his 13 losses -- he's 49-13-2, with 33 knockouts -- should’ve gone the other way. He also has had considerable success, peaking in 2004, when he beat Clinton Woods, Jones and Antonio Tarver in succession and was THE RING Fighter of the Year.

Johnson’s most-recent fight, though, was neither controversial nor a success. He said he was frustrated by what he called Dawson’s “running” tactics but acknowledged his opponent's exceptional athletic ability and doesn’t dispute the scoring.

Afterward, he asked himself whether 17 hard years as a professional fighter was enough.

“When you’re in your 40s and something doesn’t go right, the first thing you think is that you don’t have what it takes any more,” he said. “When you’re younger, you can say, ‘I have things to work on.’ When you’re older, it’s different. Immediately after the fight, I thought about retiring but after talking to everybody –- managers, trainers, promoters, friends, family -– they basically talked me out of it.

“They said I just fought an athletic guy who avoided a fight. He has the ability to do that and he did. So I went back to the gym and started training again. I feel great. Now, I’m looking forward to bringing some excitement to the people again.”

Mack’s style might be better suited for Johnson. The New Yorker, who has won five in a row since he was stopped by Librado Andrade, is a good boxer but is more aggressive than Dawson. That means Johnson probably won’t have to chase him.

If Johnson wins, a date with Cloud for one of the four major 175-pound titles would be his reward. And if he wins that fight -– a big if against one of the biggest punchers in the business –- he’ll pursue the winner of Jones and Hopkins.

“The winner of Hopkins and Jones might want to come after Glen Johnson for a rematch if Glen is holding the belt,” said Henry Foster, Johnson’s long-time manager. “… It would be a fitting conclusion to what I think has been a great career for a really tough guy.”

And if Johnson loses to Mack? He said there would be no discussion.

“Yes, I see this as my last chance,” he said. “There’s no need to keep pushing an envelope that’s closed. If I can’t beat Mack, that tells me I can’t beat the guys I have to beat. If I can’t beat the elite guys, what’s the use?

“… I don’t think it would difficult for me (to retire). I can’t say for sure until I do it but I don’t think so. I’ve had a good career.”

Which isn’t quite over.