By James Slater – It’s not in any way a definite yet, but former light-heavyweight champion Glen Johnson may come into the ongoing “Super Six” super-middleweight tournament, as a replacement for the injured Mikkel Kessler. This is the word according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, and he reports how the 41-year-old “Road Warrior,” coming off that close points loss to IBF 175-pound boss Tavoris Cloud, is very much interested in joining the tourney – even if he has not fought at the 168-pounds limit in ten years..
Reportedly, other names being suggested as possibilities to replace Kessler and fight Allan Green in Group Three were, Sakio Bika, Robert Stieglitz and Brian Magee. For one reason or another, these names were passed on, and Johnson is now the leading candidate to come on board.
“It’s definitely something I would be interested in,” Johnson told Rafael yesterday. “I definitely think I can make the weight. If you pay attention to my weigh-ins, I weight like 172, 173 all the time. I stay in the low 170s, so I just have to lose another three or four pounds to get into the 168-pound division.
“I’m excited. I’m trying to keep my composure. If it happens it will be a wonderful thing. We should know in a couple of days.”
Johnson, 50-14-2(34), last fought as a super-middleweight in September of 2000, when he stopped Toks Owoh inside six-rounds in London, England. Never able to win a world title at 168, Johnson lost a debatable decision to IBF champ Sven Ottke in November of 1999. Soon after, the Jamaican moved up, and in 2003 he became a big player in the 175-pound division.
Can Glen now drop back down to his old weight class and be competitive against natural 168-pounders like Green, and if he gets past that fight, Carl Froch, Andre Ward, Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell? With his warrior spirit, Johnson figures to at least give Green a tough night; if the weight making process doesn’t take too much out of him. Another concern is Johnson’s age and long career. How much can the amazing 41-year-old have left in the tank? Against a slick operator like Chad Dawson, Glen looked old and faded (in the second fight with “Bad” Chad, anyway), whilst against an aggressive come forward type like Cloud, Glen looked like he had a lot left to offer.
If Johnson does enter “Super Six,” we will know a lot more about his chances after the Green fight (probably set to happen on the under-card of the Nov. 6th Marquez-Lopez clash in Las Vegas according to Rafael). But wouldn’t it be something if the old guy, late replace wound up winning the thing!?