Reggie Dwayne Johnson (born August 28, 1966) is an American former
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who competed from 1984 to 2008. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the
WBA middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...
title from 1992 to 1993, and the
IBF light heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
title from 1998 to 1999.
Professional career
Johnson made his professional debut in 1984.
Middleweight
He won the
WBA Inter-Continental
middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...
title in 1989, and the
USBA middleweight title in 1990, before losing a disputed split decision in 1991 against
James Toney for the
IBF and
lineal middleweight titles, a fight in which he notably knocked Toney down in the second round.
In 1992 he won his first world championship by winning the vacant WBA middleweight title in a close decision over
Steve Collins. After three successful defenses, including a decision over the undefeated
Lamar Parks
Lamar Eugene Parks (born March 17, 1970) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 1993. He challenged for the World Boxing Association, WBA middleweight title in 1992, but was forced to retire from the sport the followin ...
, Johnson lost the belt to fellow southpaw
John David Jackson. He twice failed in attempts to regain the WBA title, both by hotly disputed decisions to
Jorge Castro in Argentina.
Light heavyweight
He later moved up to
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
, winning the IBF title in 1998 against the undefeated
William Guthrie with a rare one-punch knockout in the fifth round, a fight in which Guthrie left the ring on a stretcher. Johnson defended the title twice before losing by a wide decision to
Roy Jones Jr. in a unification bout for the WBA and
WBC titles in 1999.
In 2001, Johnson returned to boxing and won the
NABF and USBA light heavyweight titles, which he then lost in 2002 following a close decision to
Antonio Tarver in an IBF world title eliminator. At age 35, Johnson then retired.
He returned in 2005 for one fight, then in 2008 Johnson scored a split decision win over former light heavyweight world champion
Julio César González.
[Courtemanche, Andre (February 14, 2008)]
"Reggie Johnson Interview on Gonzalez Bout"
BoxingScene. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
Professional boxing record
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Reggie
1966 births
Living people
Boxers from Houston
World Boxing Association champions
International Boxing Federation champions
American male boxers
World middleweight boxing champions
World light-heavyweight boxing champions
Southpaw boxers
Middleweight boxers
Light-heavyweight boxers
20th-century American sportsmen