Miami Herald boxing article by Santos Perez on Glen Johnson.

————————————————————————————–
Miami boxer Glen Johnson seeks redemption Tuesday at Hard Rock Live Arena

Posted on Tue, Nov. 11, 2008

BY SANTOS A. PEREZ

Glen Johnson continues to scrutinize his loss to Chad Dawson in a title fight on April 12.

Johnson believes he should have won the World Boxing Council light-heavyweight title bout in Tampa. Instead, Dawson won and retained his title with a disputed unanimous decision in another in a long line of disappointing verdicts that have defined the Miami resident’s career.

”I’ve watched that fight 12 times,” Johnson said. “Strategically, I am not just praising my work but criticizing my work as well.

“At the end, I still see myself winning the fight.”

But the three judges favored Dawson’s counter-punching and boxing skill over Johnson’s aggression.

”I’m still dealing with it,” Johnson said. “It’s in the past, but it doesn’t completely go away. Sometimes you just have to use these things as motivation.”

And for Johnson, 39, incentive from the Dawson outcome begins Tuesday night at Hard Rock Live Arena, where he will fight Aaron Norwood in a scheduled 10-round match that headlines an eight-bout card.

”I don’t want to quit on boxing,” Johnson said. “There is still more for me to accomplish.

“I am against the politics of boxing. That is my biggest opponent. The opponent in the ring is not what is defeating me.”

On the same card that Johnson fought Dawson, Antonio Tarver defeated Clinton Woods. Showtime, which broadcast the card, polled its viewers to select the best fighter of the telecast, and Johnson won with more than 80 percent of the vote.

Nonetheless, Dawson and Tarver fought last month in another bout on Showtime. Dawson won by unanimous decision.

Johnson believes TV networks and powerful promoters push a select list of fighters. Dawson’s and Tarver’s victories resulted in their eventual bout.

”It is a tough situation when you have a few people in charge that they don’t want you to succeed and have a vested interest in the other fighter,” Johnson said. “The fans are great — they know exactly what they are looking at. But promoters and TV are the units I need to be successful against. They put on the other two fighters people did not cheer for.”

With the exception of 2004, when he won decisions against Tarver and Woods and knocked out Roy Jones Jr., Johnson (47-12-2, 32 KOs) usually falls short in signature fights.

Lacking a premium cable network telecast, Johnson will seek to capitalize on his appearance Tuesday night against the veteran Norwood (26-10-2, 13 KOs).

”All I can do is fight the people that are available,” Johnson said. “I am trying to put myself in a situation where the so-called top fighters will have to fight me.

“They have to step up and do the right thing.”
—————————————————————————————