Tureano Johnson has the pedigree of a fighter you would expect to challenge for a world title. He just hasn’t gotten the breaks.
The Bahamian native didn’t fight in 2016 and 2018, long breaks he attributes to managerial issues, an injury and a fight with David Lemiuex that fell out the day the day of the weigh-in because Lemieux couldn’t make weight and deydrated.
All that, combined with losses to Curtis Stevens and Sergey Derevyanchenko, have kept Johnson out of the title picture.
Things might finally be shifting for him, though. He surprised some by stopping previously unbeaten Irishman Jason Quigley in July of last year. And he’s scheduled to face former 154-pound champ Jaime Munguia in a 10-round middleweight bout on Oct. 30 in Indio, Calif.
If Johnson wins, he’ll be in prime position to challenge for a 160-pound title. He’s already ranked in the Top 10 by two of the four major sanctioning bodies.
“It’s all behind me now,” Johnson told Boxing Junkie, referring to his setbacks. “The time off allowed my body to heal. That’s very necessary. I’m better than I’ve ever been. And I’m planning to prove it on Oct. 30.”
Johnson’s problems began in the 10th and final round of his fight with Stevens on April, 4, 2014.
The 2008 Olympic quarterfinalist, unbeaten as a pro, was winning his first high-profile fight when Stevens, a big puncher, stopped him with 51 seconds remaining. Johnson was among those who thought the stoppage was premature but the result was the result. He had his first loss.
Johnson then won a few fights against second-tier opponents before the aforementioned managerial issues set in. Johnson didn’t want to go into the details. All we know is that he was out of boxing for 17 months.
He came in March of 2017 and won a tune-up fight and then was stopped by Derevyanchenko in the 12th round in what had been a one-sided fight in the Ukrainian’s favor in August 2017.
“Derevyanchenko is a great fighter,” Johnson said. “He earned the victory. That’s probably the worst beating I’ve taken in my life. That wasn’t me at 100 percent, though. I had a lot things going on in my life and I should’ve taken the fight.
“I just don’t turn down fights. I say, ‘Listen, I’m going to fight. I don’t care what the situation is.’ I’ll fight with one arm. And, in a way, that’s what I did.”
Johnson said he had to nurse a rotator cuff injury after the Derevyanchenko fight, which is the main reason for his 2018 hiatus.
Then came the Lemieux disappointment in December of that year. The fight would’ve been a chance to atone for the setback against Derevyanchenko and, as he saw it, a victory would’ve been the catapult he needed to get into the 160-pound title mix. Instead, it became an opportunity lost.
And to make matters worse he failed to take a step forward in his next fight, an eight-rounder against journeyman Fernando Castaneda in February of last year that Johnson took on short notice. They fought to a split draw.
He seemed to be going nowhere.
“I looked bad in that fight,” he said.
And then, like clouds parting and sunlight finally breaking through, Johnson’s fortunes changed.
He agreed to fight the 16-0 Quigley at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif. He was in a good place emotionally. He had a full, productive, seven-week training camp for the fight. He felt good. And, finally, it all came together in the fight.
Johnson outboxed, beat up and finally stopped Quigley at the end of the ninth round. He was back.
“I just have to give the lord praise and glory for that,” he said. “… I believe it reaffirmed my place among the other fighters at the top of the rankings. I actually didn’t believe Quigley had a chance in that fight. Some fans were saying, ‘Quigley is going to wipe the floor with Johnson.’ I thought, ‘You have to be kidding.’
“I was just prepared mentally and physically for that fight, just like I am for the Munguia fight.”
Johnson feels the same way about Munguia (35-0, 28 KOs) that he felt about Quigley. No chance against him.
The Mexican had success at junior middleweight but struggled to outpoint Dennis Hogan in April of last year and didn’t look sharp in his middleweight debut in January against Gary O’Sullivan, who he stopped in 11 rounds.
Johnson believes Munguia and his handlers are in for a surprise if they believe he’s in Johnson’s league.
“Is he overrated? 100 percent,” Johnson said of his 23-year-old opponent. “He’s never, ever fought anyone close to the level of Tureano Johnson. Hogan? He wasn’t even supposed to be in the ring with the so-called world champion and look what happened. O’Sullivan? Why didn’t [Munguia] take him out in the first five rounds?
“Come October 30th you’re going to see it’s about styles and tactics. He’s a good fighter but not on my level.”
One thing you have to say about Johnson: After all the setbacks, all the disappointments — and at 36 years old — he hasn’t lost his confidence.
[lawrence-related id=14031,9931,14110]