Johnson to fight Mora March 4th

Johnson to fight up-and-comer Mora By MONTY MOSHER Sports Reporter North Preston heavyweight boxer Kirk Johnson will return to action March 4 against 24-year-old up-and-comer Javier Mora of Anaheim, Calif. The 33-year-old Johnson has been absent from the ring since beating Yanqui Diazin a five-round technical decision last June in California. The six-foot-two, 250-pound Mora is 19-2-1 with 17 knockouts while Johnson, who is of similar size, is 36-2-1 with 26 knockouts. No location has been announced for the bout. Mora last saw ring work last February, knocking out Willis Lockett in five rounds. Johnson spent time in Nova Scotia over the holidays and has returned to Texas to train under Curtis Cokes. "I’m happy to get something because I’m a fighter," said Johnson, the former No. 1 contender who has had little luck landing fights that will get him closer to the upper reaches of the division in recent times. "I’m going to prepare as best as I can and do the very best I can do." Johnson — a 1992 Canadian Olympian and former world amateur champion — has only fought five times since losing to John Ruiz on a disqualification for the WBA title in 2002. He said he’d like to pick up the pace, but the business of boxing sometimes stands in the way. He is no longer a big draw for promoters and he’s not an easy mark for top fighters or prospects, meaning important fights can be hard to find. His progress has also been slowed in recent years by a torn pectoral muscle suffered just before a scheduled match with Lennox Lewis in 2003 and a broken hand he took in a 2004 knockout win over Gilbert Martinez. "I’ve never fought every month anyway," said Johnson, who was off for a year between beating Larry Donald in his WBA eliminator match in 2001 and the Ruiz clash. "I’m just anxious to be out there fighting and get to the top as soon as possible. Then if things slow down, it’s because you are in negotiation about contracts. At least the fights are delayed because you are doing something. This is just the way boxing goes." He said he remains committed to winning a world title, something he’s talked about since turning professional in 1993. "My dream is to be champion of the world and the only reason why I’m doing this is I feel like I can be champion. If I didn’t feel that way I wouldn’t be killing myself every morning getting up running or taking punishment in the gym." He has always maintained he was cheated out of a knockout victory against Ruiz on grounds that some low blows scored against him that night in Las Vegas were legitimate body shots. In his own mind, his only real loss came against Vitali Klitschko in 2003, a fight where he was neither mentally or physically ready to meet a fighter of Klitschko’s talent following the disappointment of losing the chance to meet Lewis in the ring. He weighed a career-high 260 pounds for Klitschko. "If I give myself less than the best and retire, I’m the one that’s going to regret it. I don’t want to say woulda, coulda, shoulda." His weight has been under 246 for his last two contests.