08.02.04 – By Elliot Worsell: Down on his luck, Miami based veteran Glencoffe Johnson finally realised his lifelong dream last night in Sheffield, as he became the IBF Light heavyweight champion at the expense of hometown fighter Clinton Woods. 35-year-old Johnson 40-9-2 (27 KO’s), so often on the receiving end of perplexing decisions, boxed and brawled his way to a competitive points win after 12 hard fought rounds of action for the world title made vacant by former champion Antonio Tarver.
Woods 35-3-1 (21 KO’s), the former British, commonwealth and European champion, was adamant that with his healed left hand back in action, he would be able to keep the marauding Johnson off sufficiently enough to get his hands on the coveted IBF prize. In truth, Woods was boxing well in the opening rounds, and was using enough of the ring, and enough of the left jab to keep away from the machine like Johnson, but despite his 11 years in the sport, Johnson had never been crowned world champion despite four gallant attempts. Last night, he would not be denied.
In the opening round, buoyed on by a raucous home crowd, Woods boxed well off the back foot. Inviting the battle scarred opponent onto cute left hooks and well picked left jabs, Woods was fighting the type of fight that was needed to defeat the tough Jamaican born contender. Johnson was patient, surprisingly in fact, in light of his greyhound like start in the first contest. He stalked Woods down, deflecting jabs, and looking for his own, booming overhand right, which found its target on occasion. Woods shaded the opener, with his well schooled lead left and sneaky left hook doing the business, as Johnson took time to settle.
When the old dog did settle though, the amicable Woods was in trouble. In the 2nd round, the pace increased considerably, and Johnson was shipping out some hefty looking right hands and wound up left hooks. A brilliantly picked roundhouse right early in the round shook Woods to his boots and sent him back to the ropes. Woods did his best to turn from the ropes; a tactic installed by trainer Neil Port in light of his first ‘rope a dope’ performance with Johnson. Easier said than done though. Woods was pumping out BB pellets and receiving grenades in return from Johnson.
He did have some success in the second, when Johnson was caught by a series of left hooks and a straight right as he complained to the referee. It was a sporadic success for Woods, but enough to lift the crowd, and enough to show Woods that even in close, the Sheffield man had the hand speed and accuracy to match Johnson.
The 3rd was another encouraging round for the upright Sheffield boxer, as he drew Johnson in cleverly and picked him off with straight lefts and hooks. You could hear him humming ‘what a difference a jab makes’ to the tune of the old Dinah Washington number. The jab and left hook, as rare as Kilroy on the BBC In the first contest, was being used well by Woods early in the return.
Is the jab enough though to keep off a tough, proud road warrior like Johnson though? It appeared not. Johnson, who shows terrific head movement for a come forward fighter, deflected most of Woods’ shots off his ‘conker’ like head without batting an eyelid. Johnson merely returned the compliment in the form of stiff right hands and meaty looking body shots. Another big right from Johnson caught the attention of Woods in centre ring, as the Sheffield crowd were left wondering just how much longer their man could keep away from the hard hitting express train in front of him.
Woods again started the 4th in a sprightly mood, up on his toes popping the jab out from his orthodox stance. A left hook, right cross combination from Woods as the two fought in close caught the eye, as Johnson for the first time looked bemused by Woods’ quick hands. Again though, despite the neat, clean work of Woods on the back foot, it was Johnson who was serving up the meatier courses and visibly hurting Woods. A home run right hand from the Miami slugger caught Woods flush on the chin, sending him reeling back to the ropes, where Johnson devilishly unleashed some rib breaking left hooks and right hooks to Woods’ midsection. It was a huge breakthrough for Johnson, as the accumulation of sickening blows he was applying to Woods’ stomach and head, were beginning to take away the bounce from the Sheffield man’s legs.
The 5th was a close round as both guys had their successes notably with the left hook. First it was Johnson’s turn, intent on continuing the good work of the previous round. He dug in some well picked left hooks to the body followed by left’s to the head, that Woods partially blocked, but still felt the heat from the fuming fists of his teak tough opponent.
Trainer Neil Port was barking at Woods to remain composed and use plenty of movement, and Woods was doing his best to carry out these instructions. However, despite getting through with some accurate left hooks and probing jabs, nothing seemed to deter Johnson. His poker face remained constant, and for Woods it was like hitting a punch bag in the gym, and the bag just smiling back at him. Johnson would just not be denied his moment in the sun.
The 6th was another dominant session for the gritty Jamaican as he showed impressive head movement and counterpunching ability to neutralise the Woods jab with some heavy looking overhand rights that were noticeably shaking Woods. Johnson showed patience when the fight was contested at centre ring, but when the money punch landed on Woods, Johnson showed his animal instincts and pounced on Woods as he retreated to the ropes. Planting his head on the chest of his opponent, Johnson drilled in a big right uppercut that pinged back the head of Woods, and followed that success with more body shots to take the wind out of Woods’ sails.
The fight seemed to be turning at this point, despite an encouraging start from the home fighter. Johnson seemed to have sussed out the jab and move tactics of Woods, and was prepared to eat his share of left jabs to get off his own feed. In the 7th, a round that Woods was told to increase his work rate, it was ‘Gentleman’ Glen who did the superior work. He couldn’t miss Woods with the quick right cross he throws from his high guard. Woods in contrast, was dropping his hands, and getting tagged accordingly. The left jab, he used so efficiently in the early rounds, had also been drained of all the ‘pop’ it had, and was now non existent in the attacks of Woods. It looked bleak for the proud Sheffield fighter.
The corner must have worked wonders on Woods before the 8th punched off, because Woods on my card at least, pulled the pivotal round out the bag and made sure he still had a say in the fight. Rather than purely hitting the slab of concrete that was Glencoffe’s forehead, Woods intelligently picked some solid looking left hooks and left uppercuts to Johnson’s body. It seemed a great tactic to implement, as Woods would lead Johnson in with the jab, then step to the side and offer some body punishment to the USBA light heavyweight champion. Johnson was always breathing heavily down the neck of Woods with a bucket full of right hand haymakers and suspicious looking head work, but Clinton did enough in the 8th to keep the dogged Jamaican away.
The mean and moody Johnson continued applying pressure in the 9th, but was noticeably tiring and having to hold and clinch when in close rather than working away as he had done in the preceding rounds. This encouraged Woods and he banged in a well-picked left jab, right cross combination into the wrinkled face of Johnson. There was no composure or patience now from Glencoffe, he was looking to land the big left hook, overhand right bombs at centre ring, then bully Woods up close when the action retreated to the ropes. Woods had a chance to exploit the fatigue of his opponent in this round, but in truth the accumulation of body shots and head volley’s Woods had received throughout the fight had taken their toll on him too.
Family man Johnson sucked it up in the 10th, and having recharged in the 9th, came out all guns blazing at Woods. Popping the left jab into the face of Woods, and backing it up with series upon series of booming rights, Johnson was in the zone, and was dragging Woods into the trenches. Woods looked hurt, he was spitting blood, and moving rather than fighting. His girlfriend at ringside couldn’t watch, her head in her hands. It was a big round for Johnson, and he effectively closed the show with his dominance. He would pin Woods into the neutral corner and wield away with shots as Woods tried to hold or spin the strong Jamaican. It didn’t work though, and after a promising start to the fight, the contest was beginning to resemble the pattern of the first. The bully doing the bullying.
Woods knew he had it all to do going into the championship rounds, and Johnson, so often on the raw end of reeking decisions, knew he had to close the show. In the 11th, Johnson got his way. Woods, face reddened, and pride and heart tested to the maximum, was caught by a clubbing right hand as the pair broke from a clinch, and was then pounded with a spiteful left hook as Woods, tired and broken hearted, dropped his hands to his side. Johnson didn’t need the written invitation. He applied the needed pressure on Woods, and closed out the round with some good inside body work. You could see the belief draining from Woods with every thud of leather thrust upon him.
Going into the final round, Woods needed a huge round to pull the fight out. Encouragingly Woods seem to know this and fought accordingly. The Sheffield man showed immense heart and courage as he outworked his heavier handed opponent. A left hook on the retreat caught Johnson high on the head, and was backed by calls of ‘everything, everything’ by his desperate corner. The crowd rose to their feet with a minute left as Woods sucked it up and drove Johnson backwards with a two fisted attack, so badly missed in the preceding 11 rounds. Woods’ display of guts and bravery in the last round was always going to be too little too late, and at the final bell there was only one fighter who raised his arm.
Johnson said in the first contest between the two that he had kids to feed and that the judges kept robbing him and his family. Last night in Sheffield, no one attached to Team Johnson would be left hungry, as there was only ever one winner.
Gracious in defeat, Woods applauded the newly crowned champion, as the scores read 115-112, 115-113, 115-113. Glencoffe Johnson, the tough as old boots Jamaican, whose scarred face resembles the trials and tribulations he has suffered throughout his 11-year career, finally got his big break last night, and it was about time.