Delante “Tiger” Johnson wants to face Ekow Essuman.
Johnson, who competed in the Olympics in 2021, moved to welterweight earlier this year. He has won his two fights at 147lbs, stopping the 21-8 Kendo Castaneda in five rounds in March and then scoring a unanimous decision over the 17-3-1 Janelson Figueroa Bocachica in June.
Johnson, 16-0 (7 KOs), is now hoping to make the leap to contender. That’s one reason why he’s aiming for Essuman, 22-1 (8 KOs), who is coming off the biggest win of his career, defeating former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor in May.
“I wanted to fight the winner of Josh Taylor versus Ekow, and he just so happened to be the winner of that fight,” Johnson, a 26-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio, told BoxingScene. “I did some more homework and saw that he was ranked No. 15 IBF in the rankings.”
Seeing Essuman’s world ranking inspired Johnson even more. Johnson is currently not ranked by any of the four major sanctioning bodies.
“I don’t think it will be a tough fight for me,” Johnson said. “The only edge he has on me is experience.”
Essuman, a 36-year-old from Nottingham, England, has faced fighters like Taylor and Chris Kongo, tiers of opponents Johnson has yet to face.
That said, Johnson has faced his share of up-and-comers in his development. Johnson has faced seven fighters who had an undefeated record or entered with only one loss. Most notable was a split decision victory over Jimerr Espinosa, who was 15-1 at the time.
“I faced early adversity, which prepared me for a fight like this,” Johnson said. “I don’t think you can compare me to other fighters; I have my own style.”
Johnson has faced criticism, however, with some saying he isn’t a power puncher.
“People who have been around me know that I can punch, but I haven’t been able to show it, because of the people I am fighting who are coming to win,” Johnson said.
Johnson also pointed to his lack of experience despite his Olympic pedigree. He fought his first national tournament in 2016, losing in the semifinals to Ryan Garcia. He fought on the USA Boxing international team later that year, winning the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships.
“Everyone on the national team had experienced national tournaments since they were kids,” Johnson said. “My first national tournament, I was 17 or 18.”
But nearly four years into his pro career, Johnson is eager for a fight of this level. He wants to face Essuman as soon as possible, but welcomed a bout in the fall or the start of next year. A win could create a path to move up the IBF rankings, as Paddy Donovan-Lewis Crocker will rematch for the vacant IBF title in September.
“I am not overlooking anybody,” Johnson said. “But I feel like I can beat anyone in the IBF rankings. I am going to wake the world.”
