06.08.04 – Michael “Cold Blood” Clark (34-2, 15 KOs) is getting hungrier and hungrier as he prepares to shift training camp from his Columbus (OH) home to Fort Myers (FL) and it doesn’t have anything to do with making weight for his August 20 fight against Levander Johnson (33-4, 25 KOs).
Clark-Johnson II, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., based in Providence, is the 12-round IBF eliminator on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights from Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in Miami. The winner will be the mandatory challenger for IBF champion Julio “The Kid” Diaz (30-2, 25 KOs).
In Clark-Johnson I, Michael won a technical decision (40-36, 39-37, 38-38) against Levander for the WBC Continental Americas lightweight title June 30 2001. An accidental head butt rendered Clark unable to continue after four rounds due to a serious concussion. In fact, he didn’t learn of the decision until he was in the hospital.
“Our first fight doesn’t mean anything,” Michael admitted. “I’m going into the ring even hungrier. I know Johnson’s getting older and having more trouble making weight. He’s an old, slick fighter who’s slowing down. But I still have to be the best I can be against him. I’ve known Levander since I was 18 working out of Kronk Gym. In our first fight we hit heads – he had a deep cut and I had a concussion. I was out for about a half-hour. I thought I was blind when I woke up on the stretcher.”
Clark, however, doesn’t feel he’s received the props he deserves, despite continually beating favored fighters in their hometowns. The Ring neglects to rate him among its top 10 and neither HBO nor Showtime has offered him a fight. “Cold Blood” hopes that will change after Clark-Johnson II. “I’m always the underdog who upsets favored fighters in their backyard,” Clark notes. “I beat Johnson in his hometown (Atlantic City), (25-0-2 Gary) Balletto in his (Providence) and (30-6-1 Steve) Quinonez in his (Coachella, CA). Boxing’s so funny; I still get no notoriety. I’m not sure why I haven’t gotten the recognition I deserve. I think it’s because I’m not a strong, knockout fighter. But I do whatever it takes to go 12 rounds and make my opponent look bad. It’s not fun fighting me.
“I think the only way I’m going to get it is to win a major title. It’s never been about money for me. I have a good job (furniture deliverer and soon to be furniture salesman) and three-bedroom house with a two-car garage in Columbus. I want to be world champion and the first thing I’m going to do after I beat Diaz is to call out the WBA and WBC champions to unify the title. Some people aren’t sure who the champion is because of all the different organizations and I want everybody to know Michael Clark is THE lightweight champion of the world.”
Clark, fighting out of Columbus (OH), is the reigning NABF lightweight champion, rated No. 1 by the WBC, No. 4 by the IBF, and No. 5 by the WBA. His only losses have been to current WBA junior welterweight champ “Vicious” Vivian Harris and former WBO lightweight title-holder Artur Grigorian. Johnson, the reigning USBA lightweight title-holder, is No. 3 in the IBF (the top two spots aren’t rated).
Although unifying the lightweight title is his ultimate goal, Clark’s dream match is a reenactment of the annual Ohio State-Michigan football game, “Cold Blood” versus “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (Grand Rapids, MI).
“I’ve known Mayweather since we were amateurs,” Clark concluded. “Boy, I’d love to get him in the ring. We were at a lot of the same tournaments and worked out together. All of a sudden, Floyd thinks he’s invincible or something, and he doesn’t know me anymore. One night he ‘dissed’ me at a party I was trying to get into. This is the same kid I’ve known since we were kids, somebody who learned moves off me. Now I have nothing but dislike for Floyd Mayweather.”