By James Slater: 42-year-old “Road Warrior” Glen Johnson, one of the toughest, most experienced fighters in the sport today, has only ever been stopped once as a pro; way back in 1997, by the legendary Bernard Hopkins down at middleweight. However, as teak-tough as the Jamaican warrior is (still is), “Super-Six” rival and defending WBC 168-pound champion Carl Froch says he is planning on stopping Johnson when they collide in Atlantic City on June 4th.
Speaking with thisisnottingham.com, “The Cobra” said he is looking forward to winning in style once more.
“I don’t just plan on beating [Glen] Johnson, I plan on halting him in style,” Froch stated. “Our styles gel very well for a competitive battle as long as it lasts and I’m looking forward to it. It will be another win for The Cobra, maybe by stoppage, and I plan on making another big statement for the Showtime fans.”
Johnson, a late entrant of The World Boxing Classic, scored am impressive stoppage win of his own in his tourney debut, when he smashed the much younger Allan Green to 8th-round defeat. Showing his class once again, Johnson also showed he has plenty left in the tank. But enough to be able to deal with the 33-year-old Brit – a warrior who can be ferocious at times, not to mention impossible to subdue? This fight, widely expected to be a gruelling encounter, could be the hardest fight either man has had in quite some time.
Froch the boxer would perhaps be better off making an appearance on June 4th; the clever, not-get-involved, box-and-move, keep-him-at-bay-with-the-jab version of Froch. Johnson may not have lost a tear-up in a long, long time, but, as fans will recall, he has been outboxed. Froch may be no Chad Dawson (the man who, with his slick boxing skills made Johnson look quite old, up at 175, back in 2009), but, as he showed against Arthur Abraham, he can outclass a top guy when he puts his mind to it.
When we consider how the Froch-Johnson winner will have to then meet the Andre Ward-Abraham winner in the final, it makes sense that a lot of energy will need to be preserved to get the job done in the final. Can Froch stand another draining, brutal war ahead of his spot in the climax to “Super-Six“? Can Johnson for that matter?
Johnson has all the tricks in the world up his sleeve, but to beat Froch he will surely have to out-tough his man and out-work him. Johnson doesn’t figure to outbox the taller, younger man who has a reach equal to his. But Froch, in my opinion, is capable of outboxing Johnson. But which version of “The Cobra” will turn up for battle on June 4th? Judging from what Froch has had to say to the website of his local paper, it will not be the box-with-brains version, but the go to war version. Will this play into “The Road Warrior’s” hands?