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By Thomas Gerbasi - It would have been the perfect way for Glen Johnson to end his often imperfect 19 year professional boxing career, to lose a bad decision to an up and comer in his final fight, then following it up by cutting off his gloves in the ring and tossing them to the canvas in disgust.
But that wouldn’t be Johnson’s style. And when he did lose a legit 10 round unanimous decision to Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara last Friday night, he knew that he had thrown the final punch in a career that brought him renown not just for the way he fought and carried himself, but for the way the business of boxing did him wrong so many times.
The final record for the native of Jamaica reads 51-17-2 with 35 knockouts, but so many of those losses could have and should have been wins if not for the ineptitude of judges that just didn’t get things right for a hard-working, blue collar fighter that should have received better treatment.
It had gotten so bad for Johnson that in 2003 he did retire on the plane ride home to Florida after yet another disputed loss, this one to the late Julio Gonzalez.
“There were a few low points,” Johnson told me in 2004. “One that stands out was coming home from the Julio Gonzalez fight. After beating him convincingly they still found a way to rob me and give it to him. On the plane coming back, I was feeling real low, and in fact I retired on the plane. My manager (Henry Foster) said, ‘man, what are you talking about? You just beat this guy. The judges don’t know what they’re looking at. They’re just ripping you off for the promoters. You have the talent and you’re one of the best light heavyweights out there. Keep doing what you’re doing and eventually you’ll break through.’ Those were thoughts that I already had in my head and to hear somebody repeat them confirmed them. So I retired on the plane and I un-retired on the plane.” [Click Here To Read More]
But that wouldn’t be Johnson’s style. And when he did lose a legit 10 round unanimous decision to Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara last Friday night, he knew that he had thrown the final punch in a career that brought him renown not just for the way he fought and carried himself, but for the way the business of boxing did him wrong so many times.
The final record for the native of Jamaica reads 51-17-2 with 35 knockouts, but so many of those losses could have and should have been wins if not for the ineptitude of judges that just didn’t get things right for a hard-working, blue collar fighter that should have received better treatment.
It had gotten so bad for Johnson that in 2003 he did retire on the plane ride home to Florida after yet another disputed loss, this one to the late Julio Gonzalez.
“There were a few low points,” Johnson told me in 2004. “One that stands out was coming home from the Julio Gonzalez fight. After beating him convincingly they still found a way to rob me and give it to him. On the plane coming back, I was feeling real low, and in fact I retired on the plane. My manager (Henry Foster) said, ‘man, what are you talking about? You just beat this guy. The judges don’t know what they’re looking at. They’re just ripping you off for the promoters. You have the talent and you’re one of the best light heavyweights out there. Keep doing what you’re doing and eventually you’ll break through.’ Those were thoughts that I already had in my head and to hear somebody repeat them confirmed them. So I retired on the plane and I un-retired on the plane.” [Click Here To Read More]
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