By Keith Terceira

Photo (c) Howard Schatz/Schatz Ornstein

 

Undefeated heavyweight Kevin “The Great American Hope” Johnson (15-0-1 6 KO’s) steps into the ring on August 3rd against his toughest opponent to date, Damian “Bolo” Wills (22-1-1 16 KO’s) in what is being hailed as a “Crossroads Collision “for both these boxers.

 

Neither of these fighters have had cupcake careers, a 3-0 Kevin  Johnson battled Timor Ibragimov , who was 13-0 at the time, to a four round draw back in 2004 , to make the statement that he was not in the sport to be coddled but rather the real deal. Since that bout Johnson has gone on to shutout Robert Hawkins, (who David Tua had problems with), gatekeeper Robert Wiggins, and recently Ron Guerrero.

 

Damian Wills has also walked into the ring with some very credible opposition with wins over Cisse Salif, Sedrick Fields, Yanqui Diaz, and Doug Kaluza. Wills’ only loss was suffered at the hands of another top heavyweight prospect Chris Arreola (21-0 19ko‘s)

 

These two clash in a 10-round special attraction at the Far West Rodeo in Doraville, Georgia promoted by Star Boxing in association with the Atlanta KO Kings. This event will also be televised on the popular boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.

 

Kevin Johnson has some strong opinions regarding the heavyweight division and the titles being held overseas which he shared today in an exclusive interview. Not yet a household name Kevin is looking change that by becoming champion in the next year.

 

BoxingScene.com: Kevin, at this point in your career people are just beginning to take notice of you, what message do you want to deliver to boxing fans in America?

 

Johnson: I want to tell the public that the only reason that I am fighting is to clear out the heavyweight division of every fighter that doesn't belong here. In the end I should end up at the top. I just don’t think its right that all these fighters come into the heavyweight division that don’t belong and give us a bad name. It’s terrible how guys come thru and take our belts and then lose them overseas. It’s disrespectful to the history of Heavyweight boxing in America. It’s never happened in the history of our sport.

 

BoxingScene.com: Why do you think it’s happening now, Kevin?

 

Johnson: Why is it happening now, because of these fighters who are not real heavyweights? Now, when people hear about a heavyweight fight they are not really interested. They don’t know fighters names or records any longer. My job is to clean out all these overweight, undedicated fighters, like a vacuum cleaner.

I have a picture in my mind, back when I used to watch boxing back in the day, every time you heard about a heavyweight fight coming on you would drop what you were doing, clock out of work early, you would almost trip and fall running in the rain  just to get home to see the fight. You didn’t even have to hear the names, all you had to know was it was a heavyweight fight, and you went home no questions asked. You had your popcorn, candy, carrots, your dip ready, because you knew it was going to be two artistic fighters that actually boxed going class for class. Now a day when you talk about heavyweights, people are like “who’s fighting”  and  they say the last fight I saw that fighter only hugged and  fans  complain about how tired guys get , and half of the fighters are only going for that one punch. No more boxers in the heavyweight division really. When you see Wladimir Klitschko, Eddie Chambers, or Chris Arreola fight they try to define boxing but these other guys out there are only trying to make a dollar, I'm not in it for that. I'm in it to define, one more time, the reality of boxing, like it was in the seventies and eighties. 

 

BoxingScene.com:   What was one of your favorite fights from that era?

Johnson: My favorite was when Ali fought Cleveland Williams that was boxing. When Larry Holmes fought Cooney. When Frazier, Foreman or anybody stepped on the scene nobody missed a fight because it was exciting. Now the heavyweights aren't exciting. For me to be a heavyweight I have to make this division exciting one more time.

 

BoxingScene.com: How much credit do you give Larry Holmes for your jab?

 

Johnson: Man, I studied Larry all day every day, I studied Larry and I studied Ali those were the only two fighters I ever watched… Thank God for Larry Holmes, Darryl Dawkins, and Jay Newman. Because of them I was able to turn pro, have the confidence to turn pro. I spoke to Larry yesterday and he told me as long as I keep my nose clean that this division is ready for me to pick it to pieces and it’s true. That was excitement yesterday after talking to Larry. I couldn’t even go to sleep after that.

 

BoxingScene.com: What is your training schedule like for this fight Kevin?

 

Johnson: I go to the gym for five hours a day

 

BoxingScene.com:  Being a boxer in style how many punches a round do you think you will throw for this fight?

 

Johnson: I’m training to throw 80-90 jabs a round and being over 100 punches a round. When I came up as an amateur I only had 16 fights. I couldn’t get fights. Six years as amateur and only 16 bouts. When I came up in the gym the first guy I stepped into the ring with was Art Tucker, he is retired now. Art Tucker was a good heavyweight as well. Coming into the gym I was sparring with Maurice Harris, Faruq Saleem, Mayfield, Wilson. For six years those are the kind of guys I sparred with because my trainers were technicians. It was like taking a kid out of middle school and putting him straight into college. I was grounded thoroughly in the art of boxing, and I was taken to school, I took a lot of whooping in the gym. Saleem, Harris and even Jameel McCline, those guys took me to school. Now I’m doing the schooling thanks to them. I was taught by some of the best back than regardless of what they are now they were some of the best in the nineties. I just ended up with a style that is beautiful. Movement and footwork, I trained not to take a lot of punches, in a more defensive movement.

 

BoxingScene.com: You are 6’ 4” and average about 240, What will your weight be for this fight?

 

Johnson: This fight I will be coming in the lightest ever. My training has been so intense that I’m at about 6 % body fat and I have in my mind that this fight will go a certain way and for it to happen I have to train intensively.

 

BoxingScene.com: Not too many heavyweights go over 30-40 punches per round, how is it possible that you will go over a hundred?

 

Johnson: They don’t train like Kevin Johnson, my trainers don’t play.

 

BoxingScene.com: That kind of conditioning is definitely a throw back to a greater era for the heavies.

 

Johnson: Oh yes, true, the difference for me is that I am not just throwing punches; my punches are artistic and meaningful not just winging shots. Each shot I throw you are going to be able to watch it and know why I threw it. There is not going to be any winging and dinging, him countering me and going toe to toe.  It is going to be a very smart fight on my part. I already know I am in better shape than this guy will ever be.

 

BoxingScene.com: You are more of a boxer than power puncher ,  was it always that way?

 

Johnson: Back in the amateurs I was more of a power guy, going for the knock out. I had a lot of KO’s in the amateurs. As I was grounded and taught more I moved out of that.

 

BoxingScene.com: Where do you picture yourself this time next year?

 

Johnson: A year from now I guarantee I’ll be heavyweight champion of the world. Guaranteed or your money back… (laugh) There is a new era of heavyweight coming up and there is more like me coming. I want people to know that there are heavyweights out there worth watching again and that there will be competition again. I will go get those heavyweight belts again and bring them back to the US where they belong. It makes me sick to my stomach when I hear of a title going overseas. I need TUMS every time I see one of those belts going far from home. It almost makes me motion sick when I hear someone from Russia, the Ukraine or Germany has won a belt. I know for a fact though it will go away once I go get them.

 

BoxingScene.com: You spent a couple of weeks training with Chris Arreola another top prospect, and it stands to reason that someday you two will meet. Did you guys discuss that during training?

 

Johnson:  I told Chris, "we both are going to wind up in spot number one and spot number two".    Who is going to be one and who will be two? I’m not the judge but when we do get there at least we walked thru the division and made it to the top. If everything is right and we make it then of course we are going to clash.

There are so many people in his way and in mine that we need to clear out the division first. I’m going to get half out of his way and he will get half out of mine. Then the division will belong to two of the best young prospects in decades.

 

BoxingScene.com: Thanks, Kevin and good luck on Aug 3rd. One can only hope the belts are back in America soon.

 

Johnson: Thank you Keith and I’ll be talking to you next Wednesday on TalkinBoxing on TPSRadio.net but I don’t think you will get Damian to come on the show. He may be to nervous.  Thanks to Boxingscene and to you.