Johnson stops Mack in sixth

Glen Johnson, 41, stopped Yusaf Mack in the sixth round to set up a title showdown with Tavoris Cloud.

Glen Johnson (left) took five rounds to get to Yusaf Mack but hurt him once he did. Photo / Javiel Centeno-FightWireImages.com


Those waiting for Glen Johnson to get old will have to wait a little longer.

Johnson, at 41 one of the true marvels in the sport, hardly looked his age when he knocked out Yusaf Mack at 2:21 of the sixth round Friday night in Miami. He looked like a guy who could give Tavoris Cloud trouble, which means the old man could wear a major belt six years after he lost his only other title.

The amazing thing about Johnson isn’t so much that he remains an elite fighter into his 40s. It’s that he remains an elite fighter even though he’s a pressure fighter, which requires great energy.

Johnson (50-13-2, 34 knockouts) took it to Mack (28-3-2, 17 KOs) from the beginning and Mack, a well-regarded young fighter on the rise, gave it right back in what was a competitive fight for five-plus rounds. One had to wonder whether Johnson, coming off a one-sided loss to Chad Dawson, would grow old before our eyes at some point.

And then, BOOM! A right hand put Mack down and Johnson was in full control. Mack went down twice more, the third time to one knee, before the referee ended it. Clearly, Johnson was anything but old. Fifty wins and 17 years into his career, he can still knock out elite opponents.

Afterward, during an interview with Teddy Atlas immediately after the fight, THE RING’s No. 3-rated light heavyweight was typically humble.

“You’re right, I’m getting a lit bit old,” said Johnson, referring to a gentle suggestion by Atlas that Johnson might pace himself during fights. “I’m getting smarter about my work instead of just going in there to do my work. I feel good. I’m enjoying it.

“I’m so thankful to God, to the fans who keep supporting me. I work hard at my craft; I put a lot into it. And it’s paying off. I’m holding up pretty good. I’ll try to take this as far as I can.”

How far can he take it?

Johnson is now the mandatory challenger to Tavoris Cloud, who reportedly plans to fight on March 26 against an undetermined opponent. That means he wouldn’t face Johnson until this summer.

Whenever it happens, assuming it does, Johnson will have his hands full.

Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs) has looked positively scary, most recently in his dominating unanimous-decision victory over Clinton Woods to win his first title. He’s a firece puncher who never stops coming, which would present a challenge for anyone.

The style might be well suited to Johnson’s, though. Johnson had trouble with the athletic Dawson in part because he couldn’t catch him, with age possibly playing a role. He won’t have to catch Cloud.

If Johnson can withstand Cloud’s pressure and big shots, which is a big if, he could become one of the few fighters to win a major title in his 40s.

“Tavoris Cloud is a tough fighter, an all-action guy, the type of guy I like to fight,” he said. “They come in, no nonsense. They try to go about their business. That works well with me. I try to do the same thing. It’ll be an explosive fight, a fan-favorite fight.

“I look forward to fighting him because he’s a good fighter.”

We all look forward to watching Johnson for the same reason even after all these years.

In other fights, hot Cuban prospect Guillermo Rigondeaux (5-0, 4 KOs) stopped Adolfo Landeros (20-13-1, 9 KOs) of Mexico with a single body bunch 28 seconds into their scheduled eight-round junior featherweight bout.

And Ed Paredes (24-3-1, 15 KOs) of Hollywood, Fla., knocked out Joey Hernandez (15-1-1, 8 KOs) of Miami with a big left at 1:53 of the second round of a scheduled 10-round welterwight fight.

The two fought to a 10-round draw in August.


Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com