Big money, he is there. Short money, he is there. In the U.S., he is there. Outside of the U.S., he is there. Several months notice, he is there. Short notice, he is there. Never gives less than his all, that is him. In a boxing world where many fighters use money and promoters as an excuse not to make fights, this man never turns down a fight. This guy once gave an honest assessment of himself, stating, "I'm not the best. I'm just the guy willing to fight the best." Who is it that I speak of? None other than "The Road Warrior" Glen Johnson.
Whenever you hear the name Glen Johnson, you know you are in for a good fight against a fighter who won't quit. He has been there and done that, taken the good and the bad in a career that has spanned over 17 years. After his last fight against Tavoris Cloud that saw Johnson take Cloud through hell before losing a unanimous decision, you began to think you may not see the 41-year-old Johnson again. However, like the saying goes, you can't keep a good man down.
It was recently revealed that The Road Warrior will serve as a replacement for Mikkel Kessler in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament. The tournament, put together by Showtime, features six of the best Super Middlweights (168 pounds)in the world. For over nine years, Johnson has been fighting in the Light Heavyweight (175 pounds) division, where he was a former champion and 2004 Fighter of the Year. Where most fighters would say they probably can't make the weight after years outside of the division, Johnson says no problem.
Johnson will fight Allan Green as soon as November 6th. The tournament is based on points: 3 points for a KO win, 2 points for a decision win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. Green, the replacement for Jermain Taylor, lost his fight against tournament points leader Andre Ward, giving him a total of 0 points. Johnson would not assume the 2 points that Kessler was awarded for his win against Carl Froch, therefore with Green and Johnson both having 0 points, a win could advance either fighter to the Semi-finals, depending on the results of the other Stage 3 fights.
Although the odds would be stacked against Johnson, he still has a chance to win the whole tournament. Where most fighters would view this as a waste of time, Glen Johnson sees this as an opportunity to prove he still belongs among the elite. For The Road Warrior, his work is never done as long as there is one more road to cross. It appears the next road for him to cross is against Allan Green in Stage 3 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Be sure to check out more of Elver's work on his personal blog at http://1pound4poundismine.blogspot.com/]