Reggie Johnson
Encyclopedia
Reggie Dwayne Johnson is a southpaw
American
boxer
who held the WBA
middleweight
title and IBF
light heavyweight
title during his career.
for the IBF middleweight title, a fight in which he notably knocked Toney down in the 2nd round.
In April 1992 he captured the vacant WBA middleweight title by taking a close decision over Steve Collins
. After three successful defenses, including a decision over the undefeated Lamar Parks, Johnson lost the belt to fellow southpaw John David Jackson. He twice failed in attempts to regain the WBA title, both by hotly disputed decisions to Argentinian Jorge Fernando Castro in Argentina.
He later moved up to light heavyweight, and captured the IBF title in February 1998 by knocking out the undefeated William Guthrie
in the 5th by a rare one-punch knockout, a fight in which Guthrie left the ring on a stretcher. Johnson defended the title twice before losing by a wide decision to Roy Jones in a unification bout in 1999.
In 2001, Johnson returned at light heavyweight to win the USBA and NABF titles, which he then lost in 2002 via a close decision to southpaw Antonio Tarver
in an IBF Eliminator. At age 35, Johnson then retired.
light heavyweight champion Julio Cesar Gonzalez
.
Southpaw (boxing)
Southpaw is a boxing term that designates the stance where the boxer has his right hand and right foot forward, leading with right jabs, and following with a left cross right hook. Southpaw is the normal stance for a left-handed boxer...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who held the WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
title and IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
title during his career.
Professional career
Johnson, nicknamed "Sweet", began his pro career in 1984. His only loss in the build-up was a decision to Adam George. Johnson won the WBA Inter-Continental middleweight title in 1989, and won the USBA middleweight title in 1990, before losing via a disputed split decision in 1991 against James ToneyJames Toney
James Nathanial Toney is an American professional boxer who has held world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, and cruiserweight divisions. Toney currently fights in the heavyweight division in boxing and also now competes in mixed martial arts.-Boxing career:Toney's amateur boxing...
for the IBF middleweight title, a fight in which he notably knocked Toney down in the 2nd round.
In April 1992 he captured the vacant WBA middleweight title by taking a close decision over Steve Collins
Steve Collins
Stephen Collins, more commonly known as Steve Collins, is a former professional boxer. Known as the "The Celtic Warrior", Collins is the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion....
. After three successful defenses, including a decision over the undefeated Lamar Parks, Johnson lost the belt to fellow southpaw John David Jackson. He twice failed in attempts to regain the WBA title, both by hotly disputed decisions to Argentinian Jorge Fernando Castro in Argentina.
He later moved up to light heavyweight, and captured the IBF title in February 1998 by knocking out the undefeated William Guthrie
William Guthrie
William Douglas Guthrie is a professional boxer in the cruiserweight division.-Early life:...
in the 5th by a rare one-punch knockout, a fight in which Guthrie left the ring on a stretcher. Johnson defended the title twice before losing by a wide decision to Roy Jones in a unification bout in 1999.
In 2001, Johnson returned at light heavyweight to win the USBA and NABF titles, which he then lost in 2002 via a close decision to southpaw Antonio Tarver
Antonio Tarver
Antonio Deon Tarver , nicknamed the "Magic Man", is a professional boxer from Orlando, Florida and the former WBC, WBA, IBF, & The Ring light heavyweight champion....
in an IBF Eliminator. At age 35, Johnson then retired.
Comeback
He returned in 2005 for one fight, then in February 2008 Johnson scored a split decision win over former WBO & LinealLineal championship
In professional boxing, the lineal championship of a weight class is a notional world championship title. It is initially held at some moment in time by a boxer universally acclaimed as the best in the class. Another boxer can win the lineal championship only by defeating the reigning lineal...
light heavyweight champion Julio Cesar Gonzalez
Julio Cesar Gonzalez
Julio César González Ibarra is a Mexican boxer and the former Lineal & WBO light heavyweight champion.Gonzalez was born in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, and still claims Mexico as his native country although he has lived in the United States for several years...
.