Johnson Over Wheeler for USBA Lightweight Title

By Paul-John Ramos

26.10 - Mashantucket, Connecticut - Veteran Levander Johnson kept his thin world title hopes alive by unseating Julian Wheeler from the USBA lightweight title via majority decision on Friday evening.
Johnson (32-3-2, 25 KOs) has been looking to resurrect days of yore when he knocked out Sharmba Mitchell for the NABF lightweight crown and made failed attempts at WBC and WBA world titles during the 1990s. At 32, belt opportunities for Johnson are becoming scarce, but a victory over the steady Wheeler (22-7-2, 8 KOs) should help him to fight another day. In the meantime, the 31-year-old Wheeler faces a considerable setback, having lost a belt that could very well have been retained by throwing more punches.

The bout was difficult to score, since neither fighter was in trouble nor carried the action over long stretches. Johnson, 135, Atlantic City, New Jersey, who has become more of a boxer in recent fights, threw punches in greater quantity, while Wheeler, 134, Virginia Beach, Virginia, who has never possessed major knockout power, seemed to land the harder shots ; he was particularly effective with his left jab, which snapped Johnson's head back several times. When Wheeler took the initiative and threw heavy combinations, Johnson seemed befuddled and always a step behind. Wheeler, however, has always kept a defense-first policy and did not sustain enough offense to woo the judges. Johnson, who last fought to a draw with Emanuel Augustus in June, stayed an even course with straight hands and body shots, but was no more effective than Wheeler in controlling the tempo. Had Wheeler stayed busy rather than fighting in spurts, he may have left the ring a winner, but Johnson was given due credit for keeping his hands in motion during the moments that Wheeler was not.

Only minor excitement came in round seven, when an accidental head butt opened a small gash over Johnson's left eye, which was healed by round ten. The bout was otherwise a chess match that never reached a climax. Both fighters were active through the twelve rounds and respectfully, although quietly, watched by the Foxwoods audience. While one scorecard was marked 114-114, the other two judges scored it in favor of Johnson, both 118-110. East Side Boxing had it 116-114 in favor of Wheeler, but the evenness of the fight made almost any score acceptable.