08.06 - Press Release - Portland super middleweight Reggie Johnson will face Haitian veteran Cebien Saint Pierre in a scheduled six round preliminary bout June 13 here. While Davis is fighting in the shadow of such stars as former cruiserweight champion Orlin Norris, Butterbean and boxing’s bad girl Tonya Harding, the former amateur sensation may be the best fighter on the card. At least if you listen to manager Mike “Motormouth” Morton.

And if you know Morton, you can’t help but listen.

“You gonna love this kid,” exclaims Morton at every opportunity. “Reggie will be champion of the world, count on it!”

Morton is an institution in boxing circles, having managed countless contenders, and even more pretenders over his last fifty years in boxing. The Portland manager must get around in a wheelchair after a stroke forced him to slow his pace a bit. However, it didn’t dim his enthusiasm for Reggie Davis.

“This kid has so much class, He’ll steal the show,” claimed Morton. “He’s the best I’ve seen in years.

Davis, a silver medalist in the World Championships in Poland in 1997, won nearly every amateur accolade available to a boxer in the Northwest. He was rated number six in the United States when he decided to follow good friend and training partner Steve Forbes into the professional ranks. A Jefferson High School graduate, Davis is trained by former pro boxer Rudy Garza who works with Morton to select opponents for Reggie. Garza agrees with Morton about Davis’ potential.

“This kid really has a lot of natural talent,” said Garza. “But, what I’m really impressed with is his work ethic. He wants to work, and he works to win.”

The main event of the evening will feature Orlin Norris against Troy “Country Boy” Weida in a ten round heavyweight bout and former skating champion and self proclaimed ‘Boxing’s Bad Girl’ Tony Harding will meet debuting Emily Gosa in a four round feature bout.

One of boxing’s biggest attractions, literally, Butterbean will meet Vancouver’s Troy Roberts in a four round heavyweight slugfest.

When you add in special ringside guests Larry Holmes, Terry Norris and Boza Edwards, that is a lot of star power on one card. But, as might be expected, that does not faze Morton.

“People will love the card, but they are gonna walk away talking about Reggie Davis. Mark my words!”