Johnson Stops Mack on Friday Night Fights

By Michael Norby: Former world champion Glen Johnson maneuvered his way into position for another shot at light heavyweight glory on Friday night with an impressive sixth round stoppage victory over Yusaf Mack at the NSU Arena at Don Taft University Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

After a determined but clearly less effective than usual performance against Chad Dawson last September, the 41-year-old body of Johnson 50-13-2 (34) was the prime suspect in his flat performance. When the Jamaican blamed his opponent’s unwilling strategy, many decided to withhold judgment for a definitive answer to the question; is Glen Johnson finished?

This evening’s opponent was thought to be the man to clear up that dispute. Younger, faster and improving and coming off five straight victories, and with his stamina problems supposedly a thing of the past, Mack 28-3-2 (17) was even thought of by some as the favorite in the match-up.

With a shot at Tavoris Cloud’s IBF world title belt on the line, both men fought with heart and determination which led to a closely fought contest until a breakthrough sixth round from Johnson. The ‘Road Warrior’ piled pressure on Mack from the outset, but the younger man handled it well initially and scored well from range with a string of clean, accurate punches.

From the third round, however, Johnson had found his groove and the temperature finally got too hot for Mack in the sixth and, after he hit the canvas for the third time, referee Frank Gentile halted the contest, Johnson having answered his critics in impressive fashion.

The contest started in predictable fashion as Johnson barreled forward while Mack looked for opportunities to pick meat off the bones from distance. Both guys enjoyed success with their differing strategies in the opening round and they engaged in some tasty exchanges throughout the three minutes – scoring with comparable volume and accuracy.

Mack’s greater hand speed was evident in the second and he thumped the former champion with a number of clean right hands upstairs early in the frame as the Jamaican clawed at him with digging combinations downstairs. A round later, however, a different Glen Johnson emerged. He jabbed his way to the inside beautifully and connected with an array of shots to the body and head as Mack’s crisp counter punching was torn away from him by the constant pressure he was subjected to.

Johnson depressed the gas pedal even further in the fourth and he dragged the American into a toe-to-toe battle in the corner for a prolonged period in the first half of the round. The 41-year-old had successfully forced his younger opponent into playing his game and he dominated the exchange – prompting Mack to spin out of harms way after thirty seconds or so of trench warfare. The 30-year-old responded well in the final portion of the frame and he tightened the score with a series of right hands from range.

After an extremely close fifth, Johnson found gold in the sixth and scored a badly needed knockdown early in the round. He corralled his man in a corner in the opening minute and scored with four left jabs before dropping the American with a right hand over the top. Mack got up but retreated to the ropes and allowed Johnson to pick his spots and the Jamaican fed on the hurt fighter – flinging punches upstairs and downstairs until Mack fell for the second time from a right hand with exactly a minute remaining in the frame.

After the restart, a wobbled Mack met Johnson in the center of the ring but after a big left hook forced his opponent’s knee to hit the canvas, Gentile stopped the contest, handing Johnson a half century of wins and another shot at a world championship later in the year.

Time of stoppage: 2:21 RD6

Undercard Report

One of the greatest amateur fighters of all time, Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux, capped off his fifth professional victory with a picture perfect first round knockout punch over Mexican opponent Adolfo Landeros.

The six-time world amateur champion and double Olympic gold medalist stunned his opponent with the first punch of the fight – a straight left hand to the head. Seconds later, Rigondeaux 5-0 (4) connected with a wicked left hand to the body that forced Landeros 19-13-1 (9) to crumple to the floor for the count.

Time of stoppage: 0:28 RD1

In welterweight action, Ed Paredes scored a second round knockout victory over previously undefeated Joey Hernandez in a fight scheduled for ten rounds.

There was bad blood between the two fighters stemming back to a summer contest when Hernandez 15-1 (8) body slammed Paredes in a fight that ended in a draw.

After a round and a half of spirited back and forth action this evening, however, Paredes exacted his revenge in devastating fashion. The Floridian caught his man with a thunderous left hook at the midway point – dropping Hernandez for the count of ten.

Time of stoppage: 1:53 RD2

Undefeated Cuban 2004 Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson made short work of hapless opponent Dorian Beaupierre with a first round stoppage.

With just over a minute remaining in the first round, Jhonson 5-0 (3) dropped his man with a crushing left uppercut to the body. Beaupierre 12-5-2 (6), who hadn’t fought in four years and hadn’t enjoyed a victory in five, didn’t have long to recover and after Jhonson ripped him with a slew of hard punches, referee Frank Gentile stopped the contest.

Time of stoppage: 2:18 RD1