Dec. 10, 2003

By Alex J.Walling

Kirk Johnson is in trouble, big trouble. His future so bright some 18 months ago is barely flickering.

He also has three strikes against him.

As a result of being destroyed in the most important fight of his career this weekend at the hands of Vitali Klitschko, who scored a second round TKO, one has to wonder if Johnson will ever get into the upper echelons of the heavyweight boxing division. He was so close.

As a result of such a lackluster performance questions are now being asked and there are so many of them and Johnson must either have the answers or search for them.

Had he won this weekend it would have been simple and the big payday, something that he has been training for since he turned pro some 11 years ago, would have been in reach. But now the mega bucks and a title may just be a dream and an elusive one at that.

Had he lost in a close bout his name would still be on many promoters’ minds as they tussle for a spot on the heavyweight division, the money division, as it is called in boxing?

But he didn’t even put up a decent fight. It was so bad some fans wanted him to refund their money for ‘non-performance’.

It was by far his worst outing in 37 bouts and his second loss. It makes what some U.S. boxing writers have written more poignant. They claim that Johnson puffed his record on a bunch of nobody’s and that he hasn’t really fought many tough fighters prior to John Ruiz and Klitschko.

They may be right.

Johnson following the fight said that ‘the better man won tonight. I was sluggish against a guy that I could not afford to be sluggish against.”

I don’t get it. You spend 11 years of your life training for one or two big fights and come in ‘sluggish’?

What about conditioning? Or the apparent lack of it?

He was overweight and according to HBO analyst Harold Lederman ‘coming in at 260 was a big mistake’. He went on to point out that speed is Johnson’s strength and it wasn’t there.

“Usually Johnson moves and in previous fights he was as good as any heavyweight in the world. In this fight, for some crazy reason, the weight went up and the movement wasn’t there.”

Why did the weight balloon?

Where were the trainers?

Did he train well enough, long enough and hard enough?

Does he still want to do it?

Has it become too grueling?

Is addition to a possible weight problem is there a motivation concern or self control?

Questions, questions and more questions and maybe in time we will get some answers.

Let’s look at the pros, if any, and cons of this devastating loss and it was that.

Bad news first:

He could be history or will have lots of work to do to in coming back and being a force in boxing.

As much as we may disagree this sport is run and promoted by the Americans and Kirk Johnson is simply not a big name stateside. He doesn’t sell tickets and is not a big pay-per-view draw. Klitschko is and the promoters are salivating for a possible Lennox Lewis rematch. If anything Johnson was an aggravation and his record kept him in the news but that record has been shattered in the past 18 months.

His record, undefeated as of 18 months ago, now appears to be a dubious one. So until Johnson puts a reasonable win streak of at least three decent bouts, against meaningful opponents, don’t expect him to be a contender for anything important.

Johnson always comes back home after a fight and should be in Nova Scotia soon and will have the Christmas holidays to reflect on ‘what happened’.

Monty Mosher, a reporter for the Chronicle-Herald, has followed Johnson more than anyone else in Canada and was there for both big loses; the one in Vegas and this weekend in New York and says Johnson, for the first time, used the “R’ word.

“He did what Holyfield does and says that he will contemplate everything in the weeks or months to come and that would or could include retirement.”

Mosher however doubts that will happen.

“Kirk is very concerned on how people, especially those in his neighborhood, perceive him and to bow out now would mean being remembered for losses to John Ruiz and Klitschko. It’s not the kind of legacy that I think he wants.”

The print journalist also believes that Johnson is, when he is in shape, a legitimate contender, but admits that Johnson faces many serious obstacles.

“Three strikes and you are usually out and that has happened. Ruiz was the first; not fighting Lewis was the second and now this weekend. It’s going to be very hard to get back to near the top and I don’t know if he can make it happen”

The world of boxing is a strange one. Following his loss to Ruiz the North Preston fighter could only manage a ‘mop up’ fight in Vegas. That’s the fight held after the main event as the patrons finish their drinks. In that mop up job Johnson beat a guy called Jeremy Bates. And yet a few months later he had a chance at Lennox Lewis.

Only in boxing can this happen!

“Prior to this weekend Johnson fought people who could help him get to the top but now he will be someone their fighter will use to climb the ladder. The transition to journeyman fighter may have started,” said Mosher

His promoters have to be asking questions. They signed him for a million dollar bonus and were hopeful for a big payday. Many of these promoters are prepared to absorb the mega expenses in ‘grooming’ a fighter for ‘that big score’ providing they can see the score on the horizon. That horizon may have faded at the feet of the square jawed Klitschko.

The loss means that his handlers can no longer be selective and they have since he turned professional.

Every move from that first day has been calculated. His handlers, of which his father Gary is a big force, have measured every fight with the intention of getting a shot at the title. Now they have had two shots and lost both.

If there’s any good side to his future it is his age. Unless you are a Floyd Paterson or Mike Tyson it takes time to build a record and get into position to become a ‘name’ in the heavyweight division.

Time, a little bit of it, may still be on Johnson’s side.

It’s an old division with the likes of Lewis, Tyson and Holyfield; the guys who have dominated the sport for the past decade are in their late 30’s or 40’s.

Klitschko is 32 a year older than Johnson.

If Johnson can get three or four fights and win them convincingly his name can again be brought up as a ‘contender’ but that will take several years.

But Kirk Johnson has to want to do it and it is not getting any easier.

Training as we all know from those Rocky movies is hard and at times excruciating and no matter how fast you are or how hard you can throw a punch you have to want to do it.

Kirk Johnson, Canada’s top hope for a heavyweight title in 40 years, had a good ride to get into position but has been dealt a big body blow by Vitali Klitschko.

But as the Frank Sinatra song ‘That’s Life’ says ‘each time I find myself laying flat on my face, I just pick myself up and get back in the race.’

We’ll know soon enough if Johnson is back in the race or was this past weekend the end of the line.