- 4 months ago
Reggie Johnson defends his IBF Light Heavyweight Title against Will Taylor on HBO Boxing After Dark
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00:00:00Now let's turn our attention to tonight's live boxing here on Boxing After Dark, a doubleheader of fights.
00:00:06The first one, the light heavyweight world championship fight, in which Reggie Johnson will defend his title against Will Taylor.
00:00:12It's an audition of sorts, with both men looking for a shot at the man who holds the other two light heavyweight championships,
00:00:19and is clearly the people's champion of the division, Roy Jones Jr.
00:00:22So Roy, as you said at ringside and called the fight, what will either Reggie Johnson or Will Taylor have to do to earn a shot at Roy Jones?
00:00:30Well, first of all, they will both have to take care of the matter at hand.
00:00:34They have one another to deal with tonight.
00:00:36They can't really be worried about Roy Jones because Roy Jones is not worried about either of them.
00:00:40Roy Jones has nothing to do with what goes on tonight.
00:00:43But, on the other hand, they could try to impress the crowd, make the fans demand to see a Roy Jones versus the winner.
00:00:49If they can look that impressive, I'm sure everybody will want to see the fight.
00:00:52And, of course, you know Roy Jones will make it happen.
00:00:55All right.
00:00:55So we'll see if they can impress the audience out there and make it an imperative fight.
00:01:01And that's the man in the spotlight, Reggie Johnson, with Larry Mertz and a closer look.
00:01:06Reggie Johnson is one of the few men in recent times to hold both the middle and light heavyweight titles,
00:01:12along with Roy Jones, Tommy Hearns, and Dick Tiger.
00:01:15Four of his five losses were in championship fights by split decisions.
00:01:22And across the ring, a man who has had a tougher path to tonight's battle, Will Taylor.
00:01:30He did have an amateur career, but it was interrupted by seven years in prison of three different sentences.
00:01:38He's turned pro then at the age of 25.
00:01:41Nickname stretch, not because he's played a stretch in jail or even because he's a tall light heavyweight,
00:01:49but because of his brother who apparently stretched some folks in his time.
00:01:54So as the fighters warm up to face each other, Johnson, the southpaw, against Taylor,
00:02:02the exceptionally tall, conventional fighter.
00:02:04You look at the tail of the tape.
00:02:05They're both past 30 years of age, veterans.
00:02:08You see the five-inch height advantage for Taylor, who measured out at six feet three,
00:02:12very tall for a light heavy.
00:02:13Five-inch reach advantage for Taylor as well.
00:02:15They both weighed in a couple pounds under the limit.
00:02:18Taylor has gained more coming into tonight's fight.
00:02:21Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
00:02:25The Reggie Johnson-Will Taylor fight is scheduled for 12 rounds using the rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
00:02:31Jim, the most important aspect tonight of the rules is that the state of Florida is not involved.
00:02:36The Miccosukee Indians have declared themselves a sovereign nation
00:02:39and have formed their own boxing commission headed up by former Florida executive director Don Hazleton.
00:02:44The Miccosukee Commission will be responsible for everything, the ambulance, the officials, post-fight urine tests,
00:02:52the doctors, and checking the backgrounds of all the fighters.
00:02:55Back to you, Jim.
00:02:56All right.
00:02:57Thank you, Harold.
00:02:58Now let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official introductions.
00:03:02Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Miccosukee Indian Gaming,
00:03:06located on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation of South Florida,
00:03:10where tonight, Top Rank Incorporated with Cedric Kushner Promotions present
00:03:14World Championship Boxing, sanctioned by the Miccosukee Athletic Commission, Chairman Billy Cypress.
00:03:22This first bout is also sanctioned by the International Boxing Federation, President Robert W. Lee,
00:03:28IBF Supervisor at ringside, Darryl Peebles.
00:03:31The three judges scoring this bout on a 10-point must system will be
00:03:36Kassan Cheeks, Mark Streisand, and Peter Tremotera.
00:03:42And when the bell rings, your referee in charge of the action, Max Parker, Jr.
00:03:47And now, Cedric Kushner Promotions present
00:03:5012 rounds of boxing for the IBF Light Heavyweight Championship of the World.
00:04:01Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner,
00:04:05wearing black, trimmed with white, and weighing in at 173 pounds.
00:04:10He stands 6'3 and comes to us from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
00:04:14Champs Gym in North Philly, to be exact, with a professional record consisting of 16 bouts,
00:04:21with 15 victories, 11 by knockout, with only one loss.
00:04:26Ladies and gentlemen, here is the challenger,
00:04:29Will Stretchutaylor!
00:04:38And his opponent across the ring, fighting out of the red corner,
00:04:41wearing white, trimmed with blue, and weighing 172 pounds.
00:04:46In his professional career, he has 38 victories,
00:04:5024 of those by knockout, with five losses and one draw.
00:04:54And he has captured two world titles.
00:04:58Ladies and gentlemen, from Houston, Texas,
00:05:01presenting the two-time world champion,
00:05:03and reigning and defending,
00:05:06IBF Light Heavyweight Champion of the World,
00:05:10Sweet Reggie Johnson!
00:05:23Let's go, Reggie.
00:05:26Let's go, Reggie.
00:05:28Reggie.
00:05:31Let's go.
00:05:34Gentlemen, this is about it for the IBF title.
00:05:37I'm poking on the rules at this point,
00:05:39and I'm both going to pay my ear to the man.
00:05:41Wish you both luck, touch the gloves, come on, box on the belt.
00:05:45Reggie Johnson says that Roy is the man, and I want to fight the man.
00:05:52He's got to fight another man to get a shot at the man.
00:05:55And he's got to fight a Philadelphia fighter,
00:05:57trained by the excellent Bowie Fisher.
00:06:00This is no bolt out of the blue,
00:06:01that Will Taylor gets a title shot.
00:06:04He has been nurtured in some of the toughest gyms in Philly,
00:06:07is trained by an outstanding trainer,
00:06:10and should be able to hang in at least for a while against Johnson,
00:06:13who as a middleweight was a terrific technician,
00:06:15and as a light heavyweight has shown flashes of punching power,
00:06:19notably the stirring one-punch knockout of Guthrie.
00:06:23He's trying to go out here and find out,
00:06:25can he land once and get rid of Will right quick?
00:06:27Logic says when you have a southpaw shooter
00:06:33going against a taller conventional fighter,
00:06:36he's going to try to get to the body at some point.
00:06:39Then he'll have to work the body eventually,
00:06:41but right now he's trying to see can he land that big overhand left over the top
00:06:43because Will has his right hand out in front of him.
00:06:46And if he keeps on over a period of time,
00:06:48he'll probably catch Will with that overhand left.
00:06:54Taylor starting a little slowly here.
00:06:56Likes to work behind the jab, just pawing with it now.
00:06:59Now he throws, and Reggie Johnson comes right back with the overhand left.
00:07:03And he landed it just like I said he would
00:07:05because Will has his right hand in front of his face.
00:07:09Now Johnson begins working to the body,
00:07:11and Taylor begins to give back and guide.
00:07:17Let him go.
00:07:18Punch out, punch out.
00:07:20Let him go, Will.
00:07:22It's a natural tendency in Reggie Johnson's life and among the people around him
00:07:32to talk longingly about the possible chance to meet Roy Jones,
00:07:36but as Reggie mentioned several times in our meeting yesterday,
00:07:39I've got to focus on this.
00:07:41I'll have a live body in front of me.
00:07:42His name is Will Taylor, and he's going to be trying to hurt me.
00:07:45Part of the challenge for Johnson clearly is to stay focused opponent by opponent
00:07:52as he keeps trying to build the campaign for a Jones fight.
00:07:58And you have to take a walk out of the time.
00:08:00You never can look past an opponent
00:08:01because you never know what you're going to be facing.
00:08:05Just asked Tommy Morrison, who got knocked out by Michael Bent,
00:08:09when he'd already signed a contract to fight Lennox Lewis for millions.
00:08:13Yep.
00:08:22Will Taylor already is getting frustrated here.
00:08:26And it's times like this when you can tell
00:08:27that he doesn't have the experience that Reggie has
00:08:30because Reggie hasn't landed any real big punches on him yet,
00:08:33but because he's not been able to hit Reggie,
00:08:35he's already beginning to get frustrated.
00:08:36Most of Taylor's amateur boxing experience took place during his prison stints.
00:08:43He was on a team of fighters which would go from prison to prison,
00:08:48fighting what amounted to a series of away games.
00:08:52He says, hey, if the crowd's for Reggie, that won't bother me much.
00:08:57He's also a good friend of middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins,
00:09:00with whom he has sparred innumerable times,
00:09:03both before, during, and after his prison years.
00:09:09That's right.
00:09:10They knew each other on the street,
00:09:11knew each other in the youth center,
00:09:13knew each other in the joint,
00:09:14and know each other now.
00:09:15I'm praying that's with everybody.
00:09:17I'm coming up with your hoof, okay?
00:09:18Move to the left.
00:09:20I'll tell him move to the left.
00:09:25Let's put the body,
00:09:26hook that up, okay?
00:09:27Let's get it going.
00:09:28No, let's talk camera.
00:09:29Let's talk camera, okay?
00:09:31Don't have to worry about loading up anything.
00:09:33Just move your hands and tune your hands
00:09:35and we'll be with you, okay?
00:09:36All right?
00:09:37No problem.
00:09:38No big deal in there.
00:09:39Yeah, give me some vaccination.
00:09:42That's me.
00:09:43Not a lot of activity out of Will Taylor in round number one,
00:10:07so he begins round two in a southpaw stance.
00:10:10Interesting tactical move here.
00:10:17See if that opens up some punching opportunities for Reggie Johnson.
00:10:21Well, Reggie should be able to count a wheel of jab already,
00:10:23I can tell,
00:10:24because he's throwing it in the southpaw position,
00:10:26and that should work to Reggie's favor.
00:10:28There he tried it.
00:10:30It is dangerous to turn southpaw from conventional
00:10:33unless you are a very experienced, very skilled fighter.
00:10:37Especially against the southpaw.
00:10:38There, Reggie tried the overhead left,
00:10:39he left over the top of the jab, but it didn't work.
00:10:42The reason I don't like it when a fighter does that,
00:10:45except momentarily,
00:10:46is that it conveys a message.
00:10:49I couldn't handle you the other way.
00:10:51I'm going to try something else.
00:10:54Remember when Marvin Agler did it in the first round
00:10:56against Ray Leonard
00:10:57and suggested to the judges and everyone at ringside
00:10:59that he had something to worry about.
00:11:03Hard left hand for Reggie Johnson.
00:11:09Johnson coming off surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
00:11:13in his right shoulder.
00:11:15His last title defense,
00:11:17he had to scrape out a 12-round decision
00:11:19over a tall Swedish fighter in Italy,
00:11:22fighting essentially with one hand most of the night,
00:11:25and that, his left hand.
00:11:27Here are a lot of situations
00:11:28where a guy wins a fight one-handed with the lead hand,
00:11:31but to win it one-handed with the power hand
00:11:33is not always an easy thing to do.
00:11:35No, it's not,
00:11:35because you're used to throwing that lead hand more
00:11:37to build up points
00:11:38and to frustrate your opponent
00:11:39to set up that power hand,
00:11:41but you don't throw that power hand too often.
00:11:43I think Reggie now is trying to step his left hand
00:11:51over the top of Will Taylor's jab.
00:11:54And he kicks him right,
00:11:55we might call it the night.
00:11:57Taylor in the southpaw stance
00:11:59throughout the second round,
00:12:01and frankly hasn't mounted appreciably
00:12:04more offense out of the southpaw stance
00:12:06than he did out of conventional stance
00:12:07in round one,
00:12:08although he is jabbing more frequently,
00:12:10but a lazy jab.
00:12:13And that's what Reggie's waiting to try to count,
00:12:15because the jab is so slow and so lazy.
00:12:18The only reason he can get away with that, though,
00:12:20is because he's six foot three inches tall.
00:12:24Taylor trying to step up the tempo
00:12:25a little bit on that jab,
00:12:27lands a little short right hand inside
00:12:29as Johnson gets close.
00:12:43The Philadelphia ex-cop is certainly
00:12:48a little bit more imposing as a fighter
00:12:51than the New York cop that you fought,
00:12:56but he still is unable to solve
00:12:59a classy fighter like Reggie Johnson.
00:13:03They trade to the body to end round two.
00:13:06So far, Johnson a bit of a puzzle
00:13:09for Will Taylor.
00:13:11Reggie, very, very important.
00:13:13Very important.
00:13:14Just pay him, pay him, throw.
00:13:15Don't wait it, okay?
00:13:16Let him throw, baby.
00:13:17Let him throw.
00:13:19He's stabbing with the southpaw, okay?
00:13:21Over left, everybody up the corner.
00:13:25Put count on the serve.
00:13:27All right?
00:13:28Oh, yeah, a little bit.
00:13:29Put count on the serve for me.
00:13:30All right.
00:13:31Watch for the big step on the other side.
00:13:39You got a big moving step on the other side, okay?
00:13:43We got to keep your chin tucked in.
00:13:46Keep on the move.
00:13:47Keep on the move.
00:13:48Try to make him back up as much as possible, all right?
00:13:52All right.
00:13:54All right, they're pressing off a lot of ice
00:13:58on Taylor at his corner after two rounds.
00:14:02Does that mean anything to you?
00:14:04No, I don't think it means nothing.
00:14:07Stays in the southpaw stance.
00:14:10Now, by going to the southpaw stance,
00:14:14Taylor has, for the moment,
00:14:16stopped Reggie Johnson from moving to his own left.
00:14:19Johnson now moving slightly to the right
00:14:22as he looks for more punching opportunities
00:14:24with the left hand.
00:14:28Do you think he's a natural southpaw, perhaps?
00:14:33The way he's acting, Roy?
00:14:35I don't know.
00:14:36He can't really tell yet.
00:14:38He's not showing exceptional power in either hand,
00:14:41this Taylor, so it's hard to say.
00:14:43My hands are closed.
00:14:44My hands are closed.
00:14:47His jab, southpaw jab,
00:14:49is about as good as his left,
00:14:50his orthodox jab,
00:14:51so it's very difficult to say
00:14:52if he's truly a left-handed fighter or not.
00:14:54Maybe he feels this is safest
00:14:56against the shorter Reggie Johnson.
00:14:57Do you think that he's doing it
00:14:59to try to create more punching opportunities
00:15:01for himself?
00:15:02Johnson comes away holding his cup.
00:15:04No low blow ruled by referee Max Parker Jr.
00:15:07Do you think he's doing it
00:15:08to try to create more punching opportunities
00:15:10for himself
00:15:10or to avoid Johnson's big overhand left?
00:15:14I think he's doing it
00:15:15to avoid Johnson's overhand left,
00:15:16and maybe he's trying to out-champ Johnson.
00:15:19Right, back it up.
00:15:20Back it up, Jordan.
00:15:21And use his height and reach.
00:15:22That's an advantage.
00:15:23Body punches by Johnson.
00:15:34Reggie Johnson comes from the same
00:15:36forbidding fifth ward of Houston
00:15:39that nurtured one George Foreman.
00:15:41In fact, his father, Ron Johnson,
00:15:44was a contemporary Foreman
00:15:45on the streets at the time
00:15:46when George was the neighborhood bully,
00:15:49known to everyone as Monk.
00:15:50Reggie's dad was one guy
00:15:52that George said he wouldn't beat up
00:15:54because he was a good athlete
00:15:56in other sports,
00:15:56and George respected his chance
00:15:58to make it out of the neighborhood
00:15:59playing football.
00:16:00Watch it, watch it, baby.
00:16:05That right jab is more effective
00:16:08than anything else that Taylor has done.
00:16:10He's landed four or five pretty stiff ones
00:16:13on Johnson in this round.
00:16:14And that's why I think he turns that far.
00:16:17Johnson landing his own right jab.
00:16:24Taylor trying to step up the tempo
00:16:25with the right jab
00:16:26and doing a better job now
00:16:27than he did in the second round
00:16:29of bringing it back.
00:16:32Hard body shots by Reggie Johnson.
00:16:35Taylor pointing to his hip
00:16:36to let the referee know
00:16:37that he felt he caught one below the belt.
00:16:39That jab is bothering Johnson a little bit.
00:16:47If you punch out, let him go, Will.
00:16:49Let him go, Will.
00:16:50Watch out.
00:16:51Great, back it up.
00:16:52Back it up.
00:16:52Will, stay focused.
00:16:53Get him up.
00:16:54Let's go.
00:16:55That's intent.
00:16:57Little right hook from Will Taylor landed.
00:17:00And the jab starts to create
00:17:03a little distance
00:17:04between Taylor and Reggie Johnson.
00:17:07Check out the latest
00:17:09Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
00:17:10running now among the stories
00:17:12a look at who won and who lost
00:17:13in the new NBA labor agreement.
00:17:15We'll show you the big money competition
00:17:17between Disney and Fox
00:17:19in the world of sports television.
00:17:21Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
00:17:23airing Sunday, February 28th on HBO.
00:17:26No more points in the body, Reggie.
00:17:32Side to side.
00:17:33Okay?
00:17:35You get it with the guys
00:17:36up or on and out?
00:17:37He can't hear.
00:17:37A little bit.
00:17:38Why you stay confused?
00:17:39A little bit.
00:17:40He can hear.
00:17:44All coming out.
00:17:47Here's that long right jab.
00:17:54Taylor sticks on Johnson.
00:17:56Let's go, Blue.
00:17:57By CompuBox numbers,
00:17:59Taylor landed 21 punches
00:18:00in round three.
00:18:0117 of them were jabs.
00:18:03Now, surprisingly...
00:18:05Go ahead, Larry.
00:18:06I was just going to say,
00:18:07what's the use of being 6'3
00:18:08if you can't jab?
00:18:12And Taylor looking
00:18:13a lot more confident now
00:18:15as he begins to snap
00:18:16and land the right jab
00:18:18with greater regularity.
00:18:19The opposite side of the coin
00:18:30is that Reggie Johnson
00:18:31looks a little bit more tentative now
00:18:33as he tries to figure out
00:18:34what it is he wants to do
00:18:36against Taylor
00:18:37in a southpaw stance.
00:18:38He knows what he wants to do.
00:18:39It's just that it's going to take
00:18:40a little bit more time
00:18:41to set it up
00:18:41than he thought it would.
00:18:42Here's the hard left hand
00:18:44for Reggie Johnson.
00:18:46Stuns Taylor
00:18:46and Johnson follows up
00:18:48looping with another left hand
00:18:50but missing behind the head.
00:18:51Reggie Johnson
00:18:52back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:18:53Back it up, I got you.
00:18:59Great, no question.
00:19:00I got you, back it up, back it up.
00:19:01Get off of the room.
00:19:02Well, you knew Reggie
00:19:03as a middleweight.
00:19:04Some people have said
00:19:05he's actually a better fighter
00:19:06at this weight.
00:19:08What are your views on that?
00:19:09I think he is
00:19:10because for one,
00:19:12the pace is a little slower.
00:19:13He always had a laid-back
00:19:14type of a style.
00:19:15He never was a real
00:19:16aggressive fighter.
00:19:17So at 175,
00:19:18it fits his style
00:19:20a lot more
00:19:20because he can fight.
00:19:21That laid-back type of pace
00:19:23and be quicker
00:19:24than most guys still.
00:19:26Remember, there's still
00:19:27a 15-pound difference
00:19:29between middleweight
00:19:30where Reggie held
00:19:31his previous title
00:19:31at 160
00:19:32and light heavyweight
00:19:33at 175.
00:19:38There is a weight class
00:19:40in between, 168,
00:19:41so Reggie, in effect,
00:19:43jumped two weight classes.
00:19:45Yeah, but he had
00:19:45a long layoff, too.
00:19:47And as you grow,
00:19:48as your body matures,
00:19:49once you start to reach
00:19:50your 30s,
00:19:50your body starts
00:19:51to spread out more.
00:19:52So I don't think
00:19:52it's a problem
00:19:53because he bought
00:19:53his punch-of-power
00:19:54at 2175 with him.
00:19:56Long layoff
00:19:57because like so many
00:19:58in the sport,
00:19:59Reggie Johnson
00:20:00feuded with two
00:20:01consecutive promoters
00:20:02over how to structure
00:20:04his career,
00:20:04whom to fight and win.
00:20:05when he got sent to Argentina
00:20:08three times in four fights
00:20:10and lost three
00:20:11controversial split
00:20:12decisions there,
00:20:13he said enough of this
00:20:14and wound up spending
00:20:16two years out of the ring,
00:20:17getting out of the contract.
00:20:21Little quick right hand
00:20:22inside for Johnson.
00:20:23Taylor's jabs have been
00:20:24a little bit sparser
00:20:25in this round
00:20:26ever since he got
00:20:27countered by the left hand
00:20:28earlier in the round.
00:20:29This fight might be called
00:20:42body work by Johnson.
00:20:44He's not a bit of a lot of
00:20:45shots on that long,
00:20:47lean body of Taylor.
00:20:49And every time Taylor
00:20:50tries to throw more than one punch,
00:20:52he overshoots his opponent.
00:20:53Johnson more aggressive now
00:21:03as he begins to solve
00:21:05the taller puzzle of Taylor
00:21:07in the southpaw stance.
00:21:09And if you're one of those
00:21:09who thinks that Reggie Johnson
00:21:11is a better fighter
00:21:12as a light heavy
00:21:13than he was as a middleweight,
00:21:14this may be the moment
00:21:16that convinced you
00:21:16it's the case.
00:21:18Hunkusville, Connecticut,
00:21:19February 6, 1998.
00:21:21William Guffrey
00:21:22trying to angle
00:21:23for a shot at Roy Jones,
00:21:24heavily favored
00:21:25to beat Johnson
00:21:26until that right hook,
00:21:28perfect, classic
00:21:29right hook,
00:21:30starts to Guthrie.
00:21:31He was unconscious
00:21:32before his head
00:21:33hit the canvas.
00:21:35It was the classic
00:21:35one-punch knockout
00:21:37for Reggie
00:21:37that vaulted him
00:21:38immediately
00:21:39into title status
00:21:40and contendership
00:21:42against Jones.
00:21:47Excellent round, Reggie.
00:21:49Excellent round.
00:21:49This is a great way.
00:21:50I'm coming out.
00:21:51One every round.
00:21:52One every round.
00:21:53Every single round, baby.
00:21:54He's good.
00:21:56Not sure he has won
00:22:02every single round.
00:22:03We'll check Harold
00:22:03Levin's card
00:22:04in just a second.
00:22:05You could certainly
00:22:05make the case
00:22:06that Taylor won round three,
00:22:07but we'll show you
00:22:10in a moment
00:22:10how Harold sees it.
00:22:13In fact,
00:22:14go right ahead, Harold.
00:22:15Jim, I think he won
00:22:15every single round.
00:22:16Okay.
00:22:1740 to 36,
00:22:18four rounds to nothing,
00:22:19Reggie Johnson.
00:22:20Jamal Tyson,
00:22:21you know,
00:22:21I always talk about
00:22:22ring generalship.
00:22:23This is nice,
00:22:23ring generalship.
00:22:24The little guy,
00:22:25you know,
00:22:26he bobs and weaves,
00:22:27gets out of the way
00:22:27of Taylor's shots,
00:22:28then he moves in,
00:22:29gets off a good,
00:22:30a good right jab,
00:22:31you know,
00:22:31or a good straight left hand
00:22:32and gets out of there
00:22:33before Taylor can hit him.
00:22:35He's also good defense.
00:22:36He's blocking
00:22:37a lot of Taylor's shots,
00:22:38but watch the way
00:22:38moves in and out.
00:22:39Fighting like a champion,
00:22:40gets in there,
00:22:41gets a shot off like that,
00:22:42gets the heck out.
00:22:44Many judges are more impressed
00:22:45with power shots
00:22:46than they are with jabs
00:22:48and through four rounds,
00:22:49CompuBox numbers show
00:22:50Reggie Johnson
00:22:51with a 43 to 22 edge
00:22:54and landed power shots.
00:22:58And now Taylor goes back
00:22:59to his conventional stance.
00:23:00Yeah,
00:23:01he's throwing punches
00:23:01with his head
00:23:02straight up in the air.
00:23:03Sooner or later,
00:23:04Johnson's going to catch him.
00:23:05So three rounds,
00:23:07Guthrie,
00:23:08or Guthrie,
00:23:09three rounds Will Taylor
00:23:10spent in the southpaw stance.
00:23:12Rounds one and now five,
00:23:14he fights in his normal
00:23:15conventional stance.
00:23:21So he's gone back
00:23:23to plan A.
00:23:28Wouldn't be surprised
00:23:29if he switches
00:23:30throughout the bout
00:23:30trying to keep Johnson
00:23:31off balance
00:23:32and now Reggie
00:23:32switches into a conventional
00:23:34stance himself.
00:23:35And switches back.
00:23:48This is what's called
00:23:49a scouting report, Roy.
00:23:50They're showing you
00:23:50every single thing
00:23:51they can do so far.
00:23:53Well, you know,
00:23:54I don't scout anybody.
00:23:55I don't have no reason
00:23:56to scout on nobody
00:23:57because people fight
00:23:58people different, you know.
00:24:00If either one of them
00:24:01were in there with me
00:24:01right now,
00:24:02they'd probably be
00:24:02fighting a totally
00:24:03different fight.
00:24:05Body shots by
00:24:07Reggie Johnson.
00:24:10Great, back it up.
00:24:11Great, back it up.
00:24:11Great, back it up.
00:24:13Taylor, who wasn't
00:24:13terribly active
00:24:14out of his
00:24:15conventional stance
00:24:15in round one,
00:24:16not terribly active
00:24:17out of his
00:24:18conventional stance
00:24:18in round five.
00:24:19Lands a right hand
00:24:20into the body of the body
00:24:21and pushes Johnson back
00:24:26into the ropes
00:24:27to fire at the body
00:24:28again.
00:24:30Taylor seems more
00:24:32effective
00:24:32when they're
00:24:34at close quarters.
00:24:35and usually the shorter
00:24:39shorter guy
00:24:39has the advantage
00:24:40inside because
00:24:41his arms are smaller
00:24:42and you can work
00:24:42them better.
00:24:43Back it up.
00:24:45We're going to look
00:24:46at a lightweight
00:24:46in the next fight.
00:24:47Six foot one inch
00:24:48Cesar Bazan
00:24:49who also likes
00:24:50to fight inside
00:24:51despite his long arms
00:24:52and range advantage.
00:24:54And he's an excellent
00:24:55inside fighter.
00:24:56That's for 10.
00:24:57This is a bizarre.
00:24:59That's for five.
00:25:00This is a peculiar
00:25:01round trick, Jackson.
00:25:02and he seems to be
00:25:04trying to set
00:25:06something up.
00:25:08And Taylor
00:25:09finishes the round
00:25:10by glaring at Johnson
00:25:12then glaring at
00:25:13Lampley, Jones
00:25:14and Merchant
00:25:14and then walking
00:25:16back to his corner.
00:25:17Put the press
00:25:18on him, son.
00:25:18Put it on him.
00:25:28Put the moment here.
00:25:32Whoa.
00:25:34You got to
00:25:35waste a day
00:25:35and go and try.
00:25:38Let this guy
00:25:39feel some power
00:25:40in there.
00:25:40Let it feel
00:25:41some power in there,
00:25:42baby.
00:25:47Louis Vischer
00:25:47talking to
00:25:48Will Taylor
00:25:49in the far corner.
00:25:50Chata Robles
00:25:51talking to
00:25:52Reggie Johnson
00:25:52here.
00:25:53Round six.
00:26:08It's scheduled
00:26:09for 12.
00:26:13Taylor in the
00:26:14conventional stance
00:26:15again as round
00:26:15six begins.
00:26:16Chris.
00:26:23Put the hand
00:26:24going.
00:26:24Punch out.
00:26:25Let's go.
00:26:25Back it up.
00:26:26Back it up.
00:26:27Let's go.
00:26:28Let's go.
00:26:28Back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:26:58Back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:27:21Back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:27:30That was a good left hand by Reggie.
00:27:32Straight left hand again.
00:27:36And Johnson looking straight at the body as he fires there.
00:27:41He's looking to set up the overhead left right now, Joe.
00:27:46Fainting with the right hand, waiting to see what Taylor will do.
00:27:50Back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:27:54A fight in which both fighters attack only sporadically,
00:27:58trying to work off the other man's momentum and disadvantages.
00:28:02Back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:28:05There's no clean.
00:28:09Hard right hand body shot by Taylor.
00:28:15Doesn't throw his left jab nearly as often as he did his right jab.
00:28:23And that's not terribly surprising because when he's in his conventional stance working against a softball,
00:28:29the left jab is much more difficult to land.
00:28:33And much more dangerous to throw because he's so much closer to the opponent.
00:28:36And do punch out, let him go.
00:28:39Again, they trade body shots at close range.
00:28:42That was the overhand left, I told you Johnson was trying to set up.
00:28:45And Johnson goes left to the body left upstairs.
00:28:48And do punch out, punch out.
00:28:51Lands the left hand flush again on Taylor's face.
00:28:56If he can get a little bit more Christmas on that punch, he might have a party.
00:29:01And still to come, lightweight Stevie Johnston,
00:29:13who was unbeaten last summer before he lost for the first time to Cesar Bazan
00:29:18and lost with it his lightweight world championship.
00:29:21We'll try to get it back.
00:29:23Warming up outside in the parking lot right now,
00:29:26live here at Mikasuki Gaming Reservation.
00:29:31Right on the edge of the Everglades outside Miami.
00:29:34Let's go, let's go, let's go.
00:29:36Okay, let's just let it go with it.
00:29:38Let's go.
00:29:39Be a good beat.
00:29:41Go with a double shots inside.
00:29:43Double shots inside, baby.
00:29:46All right?
00:29:47Let's go, let's go.
00:29:49You've got to go, baby.
00:29:51Oh, it's okay, son.
00:29:52Did you tell it?
00:29:53Okay.
00:29:54Come on, baby.
00:29:55Reggie Johnson said to us yesterday that he had no idea what Taylor had to offer,
00:30:04that he was like a box of Forrest Gump's chocolates.
00:30:07He'd have to wait till he opened the box to see what was there.
00:30:11What do you think he has seen so far?
00:30:13Well, a tall, a tall orthodox fighter or a tall southpaw
00:30:17is going to be hard to catch for Reggie because Reggie is short.
00:30:20And like I said, he has that laid-back style.
00:30:22He's not looking to try to counter when you have done something because that's the best fight for Reggie to fight.
00:30:30I don't think there's nothing that he's never seen before, though.
00:30:33Well, he's been a professional for 14 years.
00:30:40He's had some very painful losses.
00:30:42I told you about the three split decisions down in Argentina.
00:30:45One against John David Jackson, who was a sparring partner for this fight.
00:30:48Two of them against Jorge Castro, who once took Roy Jones the distance.
00:30:52Tough Argentine fighter.
00:30:54He lost to James Toney in a fight in 1991, which he felt like he had the fight won after nine rounds,
00:31:01coasted in the final three, and Toney came back to haul him and overhaul him and reel him in.
00:31:06I think that will hurt you, too.
00:31:09Yeah, I think so, too.
00:31:10Taylor was staying right on top of him trying to clear himself up.
00:31:14Taylor fighting the seventh round again out of his southpaw stance.
00:31:17So he's now spent three rounds, one, five, and six in the conventional stance.
00:31:22Two, three, and four in the southpaw stance.
00:31:24Back to the southpaw stance for round seven.
00:31:27More and more, I get the impression that this isn't improvisation.
00:31:32It was a plan they had in advance to try to throw Johnson off and take advantage of Taylor's height.
00:31:38Just a guess.
00:31:40I think it will prove to be the wrong strategy for Will Taylor because when he changes up,
00:31:46he has to remember what punches he's open for.
00:31:49Reggie already knows what you're looking for when he changes, but does he know?
00:31:53Well, it certainly looks as though he has a chance to be more effective offensively out of this stance,
00:32:00the southpaw stance.
00:32:02I think he also gets hit more in this stance.
00:32:14A lot of fighters here tonight.
00:32:16Go ahead, Larry.
00:32:17My guess is Reggie Johnson has probably never shown so many body punches in his whole career as he has to know.
00:32:23No, he was a very good body puncher as a middleweight.
00:32:26Was he?
00:32:31Right hand inside for Taylor.
00:32:33Landed, and the second one backs Johnson up.
00:32:39Now Reggie Johnson with a quick right hook in his arm.
00:32:42He mentioned all the fighters here tonight.
00:32:47Buster Mathis Jr., Shannon Briggs, Antonio Carver.
00:32:51A variety of others in the house.
00:32:56Jay Page.
00:32:59One of the world's welterweight champions.
00:33:01Not quite on the same page yet with Delaware and Trinidad, but hoping to get there.
00:33:10Yeah, I got you, baby.
00:33:11I got you there.
00:33:12Come on, sir.
00:33:13Sweet.
00:33:14Sweet.
00:33:15Got to be there.
00:33:16I don't see you.
00:33:17Right side, baby.
00:33:18Got to make sure.
00:33:19When you come over to the top of the head, you're going to look for yourself to play, okay?
00:33:23You're going to look for yourself to play.
00:33:24Right here.
00:33:25Right here.
00:33:26Right here.
00:33:27Coming to light now, Bill.
00:33:28Coming to light here.
00:33:29Good deep, son.
00:33:30Good deep.
00:33:31Good deep.
00:33:32Good deep.
00:33:33Good deep.
00:33:34Good deep.
00:33:35Good deep.
00:33:36Good deep.
00:33:37Good deep.
00:33:38Good deep.
00:33:39Good deep.
00:33:40Good deep.
00:33:41Good deep.
00:33:42Well.
00:33:43You got it.
00:33:44Early in the round, good leaping right hand from Reggie Johnson.
00:33:47But he got nailed a couple of times in the last minute of the round.
00:34:02Big contact round in round number seven for Reggie Johnson.
00:34:06Given credit by the punch counters at CompuBox for landing 37 out of 63 in that seventh round.
00:34:12By far the biggest offensive round of the fight for either fighter.
00:34:31Just for the record, as you can see, Taylor's still in the south cross stance to begin round eight.
00:34:36Break, break, break.
00:34:37No punch.
00:34:38Reggie Johnson.
00:34:39Reggie Johnson.
00:34:40Reggie Johnson is throwing so many body punches, even with his jab.
00:34:43Shouldn't Taylor be looking for a way to come over that?
00:34:46No.
00:34:47Taylor, for some reason, cannot land any big punches from the outside.
00:34:50He only landed big punches when he's in the pitch.
00:34:53He doesn't throw good punches from out there to the head.
00:34:56He doesn't throw good effective punches to the head from outside.
00:34:58So I think it's safe for him to keep throwing those body shots.
00:35:01Isn't it usually the other way around?
00:35:03Yes, it's supposed to be the other way around, but that's not how it is tonight.
00:35:06That's why I say you can't really always look at a guy and just tell what he's going to be.
00:35:16Johnson's still working the body.
00:35:18Working the body.
00:35:19Back off.
00:35:20Back off.
00:35:21And Taylor's landing some pretty good body shots himself.
00:35:23See that left hand there?
00:35:28That was nothing really on that left.
00:35:29Even if he lands it, he's not going to do anything to Reggie, I don't think.
00:35:33Back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, we'll make it back up, back
00:35:46it up.
00:35:47Taylor has a 6'3 frame, but he fights like a guy 5'5, he likes to end fighting.
00:36:04A good one-two by a chance, come on guys, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up,
00:36:15back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:36:24An ongoing body shot contest, light heavyweight championship fight, Reggie Johnson in the white
00:36:31trunks from Houston, trained in LA for this fight, fighting Philadelphian Will Taylor.
00:36:42I think those body shots from Johnson have basically taken any other steals that Will may have
00:36:47had in his long punches out.
00:36:51So now, most if not all of Taylor's punches from the outside are arm punches, without a lot
00:36:57of snaps.
00:36:58He gets close, he can still hurt to the body as he showed there, that right hand.
00:37:03Yeah, those body shots are really hurting him.
00:37:07On boxing after dark, we don't wear tuxedos, we do stay up a little later, and every once
00:37:21in a while, we will show you a little of the color and pageantry that set this sport apart.
00:37:26That is by way of letting you know that round nine is coming up.
00:37:35I thought it meant she was a nine.
00:37:39He was a two to Noctur Male Presenter.
00:37:40You need to say what he did and he had to name you.
00:37:42That's a matter of opinion, Larry.
00:37:44Keep it up here!
00:37:47Good leg!
00:37:48Good leg, big leg up there, yes this is!
00:37:50Andrew Jackson, you can pick him up here.
00:37:52That's right.
00:37:53Pack him up here, take her down.
00:37:54Four of the��, four of the��, son, four of the��!
00:37:56Louie Fisher calmly telling Will Taylor that he thinks he's falling behind in the fight.
00:38:04The implication there, Taylor must step up the activity level.
00:38:08After two rounds fighting in the southpaw stance, Taylor comes out for round nine back in his conventional stance.
00:38:14Harold, how do you have it through eight?
00:38:16Jim, I agree with Louie Fisher. I think he's falling behind.
00:38:1978, 74, six rounds to two for Reggie Johnson.
00:38:22You know, I'll tell you something. I thought Will Taylor picked up the pace in six and seven,
00:38:27even though, like you said, seven was a good offensive round for Reggie Johnson.
00:38:31But Will Taylor in the eighth round with the grabbing like he's doing now.
00:38:34Reggie moves in, whacks him in the body with that great right hook, and Will Taylor grabs.
00:38:38And he ain't going to win a title grab and watch him.
00:38:41Will Taylor is holding, holding, holding. Reggie Johnson is killing him to the body.
00:38:44Come on, Will.
00:38:50Reggie Johnson's slashing away at the increasingly inactive Taylor.
00:39:08Reggie Johnson's slashing away at the increasingly inactive Taylor.
00:39:12schedule 12. Has there ever been a division that had so many southpaws on the wall? Everywhere
00:39:17you look in the light heavyweight division, there's a southpaw. You're right. I'm sure
00:39:23you would never have grown beyond 160 pounds if you knew that the result would be a steady
00:39:27diet of southpaws. You gotta know about me, you know I don't really care. Well, you're
00:39:33unconventional enough in your own right that some of the basic rules about fighting southpaws
00:39:38don't apply to you. With a quick right hook for Reggie Johnson as Will Taylor tries to
00:39:44get it working to the body. Taylor's taken a couple of very hard shots and he keeps coming
00:39:51back at Johnson. Yep. You know, I'm reminded of something that Al Mitchell, the Philadelphia
00:39:59trainer of David Reed, said to me once, he said, if I was fighting somebody from somewhere
00:40:05with a 20-0 record, I'd sleep like a baby the night before the fight. But if I was
00:40:11fighting a Philadelphia fighter with a 3-2 record, I'd toss and turn the whole night. And this
00:40:17Taylor is a tough, tough hombre. He's no easy mark. He doesn't have the skill level of the
00:40:24experience and talented Johnson, but he's fighting hard. He's taking some hard shots, beating to
00:40:31the body and hearing. Still keeps coming. He's fighting very hard. He's very gay. Well, and above
00:40:36and beyond the Philadelphia tradition for tough fighters, Will Taylor's done three separate
00:40:43stretches in the joint. One for robbery, two for probation violations of various kinds. He's
00:40:49totally squared away now, has a wife, is responsible for putting food on the table for five children,
00:40:55and he has to be serious about his career. And he seems to be serious about it.
00:41:00He's a job. He's a good恵 to have a job for five children, who's going to keep your dark
00:41:10coaching students. Watch out, watch out. Time!
00:41:12Time!
00:41:13ocrats!
00:41:13Come to me to the road message, get down in the road and it's on the road, side of side,
00:41:18level of the fuckin' line.
00:41:19Williams.
00:41:23Johnson.
00:41:24favorable with dog laugh.
00:41:28Parkinson!
00:41:29Right hook on top.
00:41:56If you are looking at the bottom at our upcoming fights,
00:42:07G. Vargas, Goyo Vargas, scheduled to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
00:42:12April 17 in Las Vegas.
00:42:15He's not the same as Fernando Vargas, the outstanding 154-pound prospect from Oxnard, California.
00:42:21Goyo Vargas is a former featherweight champion who's moved up a little bit in weight.
00:42:25Outstanding junior middleweight, what did you say he was?
00:42:28World champion, I should say.
00:42:29There you go, not a prospect.
00:42:31Absolutely, a world champion at this point.
00:42:33Thank you, Roy.
00:42:42Mayweather was the first of the 1996 Olympic team to win a world championship.
00:42:47Fernando Vargas, the second, when he knocked out the Ori Boy campus in a lights-out performance.
00:42:55Will Taylor seems to be showing a little bit of fatigue here.
00:43:01Around 10 of a scheduled 12.
00:43:04Taylor, 16 pro fights coming in.
00:43:07Speaking of lights-out performances, within the past couple days here in Miami,
00:43:21a Reggie Johnson bodyguard named Herman Evans, a giant man of 330 or so pounds,
00:43:28awoke to the sound of a woman screaming in a nearby motel room,
00:43:31found three men who had bound the woman and were holding her in the bathroom of a hotel room
00:43:38while they ransacked and robbed the place.
00:43:41And he, along with the woman's husband, helped police to apprehend all three of them
00:43:46and protected the woman from any harm.
00:43:48So, the Johnson camp has done its duty for the city of Miami
00:43:52while they're enjoying their brief visit here.
00:43:57Every punch out.
00:43:58Break, break, break it up.
00:44:00Break.
00:44:00Break it up.
00:44:01Break it up.
00:44:01All right.
00:44:02This is the one.
00:44:03This is the one.
00:44:04This is the one.
00:44:05This is the one.
00:44:06Quick right up hook by Johnson.
00:44:08I don't know, Will.
00:44:09I don't know.
00:44:10Another sign of what a skilled technician Johnson has been throughout his career.
00:44:15Break it up, Will.
00:44:17Back it up, Will.
00:44:17I got you.
00:44:18Back it up.
00:44:19Will Taylor.
00:44:20Will Taylor takes a hell of a punch.
00:44:23He's taken a half a dozen shots right on the jaw.
00:44:27Nice fight.
00:44:30Taylor trying his own uppercut.
00:44:32Just a little bit short.
00:44:35He has a big heart.
00:44:36There we go.
00:44:36Will.
00:44:36Half a punch out.
00:44:38Reggie Johnson's greater experience and wider array of ring skills,
00:44:43pretty much the difference in the bouton.
00:44:46And I'm there for him.
00:44:47Watch out.
00:44:48Watch out.
00:44:50Break.
00:44:50Back it up.
00:44:51Get off me, Will.
00:44:51Now.
00:44:52Get off me.
00:44:52Back it up.
00:44:53Watch your head inside, Will.
00:44:54Come on, baby.
00:44:56That's the 10.
00:44:59Break.
00:45:00Break it up.
00:45:00Back it up.
00:45:01Back it up.
00:45:02Less than five.
00:45:05Time.
00:45:06And Will Taylor, you're looking at an exceptionally tall light heavyweight.
00:45:13There's an exceptionally tall lightweight.
00:45:15Cesar Bazan of Mexico warming up now in the parking lot for his battle against Stevie Johnston.
00:45:21Bazan is six feet, one inches tall.
00:45:24Johnston, five, five.
00:45:26Actually, we measured Bazan right at about six feet even.
00:45:28So, we'll call it a seven-inch height differential, and Stevie Johnson is going to have to work
00:45:33to the body.
00:45:34Logic tells you to get his title back from Cesar Bazan.
00:45:37Wait a minute, man.
00:45:39You're having me moving to your right.
00:45:41Doing good.
00:45:42Doing good.
00:45:42You've got to maintain that pressure.
00:45:44You've got to maintain that pressure, Reggie.
00:45:47You know, the closing rounds, you've got to hold it strong now.
00:45:49Don't worry.
00:45:50Good piece of advice from the woman who does the cracks in Will Taylor's corner.
00:46:04Knock it out, she said.
00:46:09Maybe what he needs at this point is to try to knock it out.
00:46:12I don't think he's doing too well on the school courts.
00:46:14Louie Fisher has been honest with his fighter about that.
00:46:25Let him go, Reggie.
00:46:26Let him go, Reggie.
00:46:27Let him go, Reggie.
00:46:32Right uppercut lands for Will Taylor.
00:46:34Right, no punch.
00:46:35Right, come on.
00:46:35I got it.
00:46:36I got it.
00:46:37We'll take it.
00:46:38We'll take it.
00:46:39We'll take it.
00:46:40All right.
00:46:44Referee answer, do you want me to take it for it?
00:46:49Yeah, do you want me to take it?
00:46:50Do you want me to take it?
00:46:51What do you thought we were going to say, yeah?
00:46:52What's the right answer?
00:46:54I think not.
00:46:55You know, really, all things considered, given that it could hurt my chances to win the fight.
00:47:02Southpaw stance again for Taylor.
00:47:07Trouble here is if he needs a knockout, he probably have to get it off the front foot.
00:47:11Back it up, back it up, back it up.
00:47:13Hang on.
00:47:14Unaccustomed as he might be to throwing power shots with the left.
00:47:20Works mostly with the right hand out of this stance, does Will Taylor.
00:47:30Get him up, Will.
00:47:31Get him up, Will.
00:47:32Keep on.
00:47:32Back it up, Will.
00:47:33Back it up, Will.
00:47:35Back it up, Will.
00:47:36Back it up.
00:47:37A lot of tall, thin guys can't take it.
00:47:53This tall, thin guy can take it.
00:47:56Very well.
00:47:58All right, body shot by Reggie Johnson.
00:48:02Taylor has only been stunned once or twice in the fight.
00:48:04Back it up, Reggie.
00:48:05Back it up.
00:48:06Back it up.
00:48:07Hey, what about that guy, Reggie?
00:48:08Take it up.
00:48:12Come on, Joe.
00:48:13Let's go, Reggie.
00:48:14Let's go, Reggie.
00:48:17Come on, come on.
00:48:18I need to get back.
00:48:19Let's go.
00:48:20Oh, my God.
00:48:50Johnson stepping into a body shot and landing one of his own.
00:48:59The trade jabs.
00:49:05And we will go to the 12th and final round.
00:49:20Right there, right there, right there.
00:49:22Don't wait for this.
00:49:23Don't come in here to the 12th and move.
00:49:25You can do it right, okay?
00:49:26Yeah, I can do that one, baby.
00:49:27I can do that one, baby.
00:49:28Come on, baby.
00:49:29Come on, baby.
00:49:31Cheers.
00:49:32That's how I got to touch gloves.
00:49:34You got to win this round, son.
00:49:35Big.
00:49:36Big.
00:49:37Big.
00:49:38Big.
00:49:39Big.
00:49:40Big.
00:49:41Big.
00:49:42Big.
00:49:43Big.
00:49:44Big.
00:49:45Big.
00:49:46Big.
00:49:47Big.
00:49:48Big.
00:49:49Big.
00:49:50Big.
00:49:51Big.
00:49:52Big.
00:49:53There's an over.
00:49:56Big, you're on this guy.
00:50:07Three light heavyweight champions from Philadelphia are in the hall of fame.
00:50:13Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, Harold Johnson, Matthew SaÍd Bahamik.
00:50:17But unless Taylor does something very dramatic here, it will not be a force.
00:50:27And down goes Johnson as Taylor does something at least mildly dramatic.
00:50:32He caught Johnson a little off balance.
00:50:35It was a clean knockdown.
00:50:36Johnson isn't hurt.
00:50:37Gives him a chance at a two-point round.
00:50:39It gives him a chance at a bigger round.
00:50:41It could make it interesting if the scoring is at all close.
00:50:44You knocked the doubt out of a conventional style.
00:50:47Why would you try a southpaw?
00:50:57Good question.
00:50:59Maybe he just feels more comfortable attacking Johnson out of the southpaw stance after everything that's happened in the fight.
00:51:14Would you say Johnson got careless, Roy Jones?
00:51:16I think he's just off balance.
00:51:24Of course, even the greatest fighters in the world can be knocked down.
00:51:29Especially when they're off balance.
00:51:30I saw Roy Jones go down once in Madison Square Garden against Lou Duvall.
00:51:36He was off balance.
00:51:37Yep.
00:51:38You see what I'm here?
00:51:38He raised after he got up.
00:51:43Yes, Roy.
00:51:44Reggie Johnson dancing from side to side as Will Taylor stalks and looks for a chance to make it an even bigger 12th round already.
00:52:05Taylor, seemingly trailing on the scorecards, has scored a knockdown in this round.
00:52:10Yeah, he's not showing much desperation here, and I think he should be.
00:52:14Back it up.
00:52:21The body shots are really taking it out of him.
00:52:24Back up, I got you.
00:52:24Back up, I will.
00:52:26Back up, I will.
00:52:27Let's go, Reggie.
00:52:27Let's go, Reggie.
00:52:30But Taylor showing himself to be a strong, well-conditioned guy.
00:52:33He's going to make it through the 12 rounds against the vastly more experienced Reggie Johnson.
00:52:38Let's go, Reggie.
00:52:38Let's go, Reggie.
00:52:39Let's go, Reggie.
00:52:40And we'll see if Johnson had a big enough lead on the scorecards coming to round 12 to make that knockdown in material.
00:52:48Tell you what, Johnson, I mean, Taylor has thrown some very good body shots in this fight.
00:52:52Oh, Taylor's shown a lot.
00:52:54You know, he may not be Reggie Johnson yet, but he's not William Guthrie either.
00:52:59No, I think Johnson may have gotten a cut over his eye.
00:53:01Yep, Johnson's cut over the right eye.
00:53:10And Will Taylor tries to look the part of the winner.
00:53:16And Reggie Johnson makes no such demonstration.
00:53:19I scored the fight eight rounds, three and one even for Johnson.
00:53:26Could be closer than that in the point count.
00:53:29You give Taylor a 10-8 in the 12th?
00:53:32Yep.
00:53:36How about you, Harold?
00:53:38Well, Jim, I've got it.
00:53:39One-16, one-11, nine rounds to three, Reggie Johnson.
00:53:44Jim, I'll tell you the truth.
00:53:45I just think he controlled the fight.
00:53:47You know, there's very, very few guys you see, you know, short, stocky guys that are great light heavyweights.
00:53:52You know, they can really fight.
00:53:53I mean, I can recall Henry Hack, Bobby Chez was a good light heavyweight.
00:53:57Eddie Redtop, all ones.
00:53:58But very few.
00:53:59This guy's a good light heavyweight.
00:54:00Reggie Johnson moves in, gets them shots off, gets out of there.
00:54:03Not easy to hit.
00:54:05Certainly a world champion.
00:54:06He deserves to win.
00:54:07I think he kept this title.
00:54:09He outfought Will Taylor.
00:54:10And Chuck Bodak, who had no work to do on cuts throughout the fight, now goes to work on Reggie Johnson's right eye.
00:54:16Let's look back at what happened through the course of the 12 rounds.
00:54:19Round four, Will Taylor, conventional fighter, fighting out of a softball stance.
00:54:23Got rocked several times by hard left hands from Reggie Johnson, who was able to counter-wild throughout much of the fight.
00:54:30And in the later rounds, Johnson went to a body-based attack, pounding away at Taylor's ribcage and occasionally landing upstairs, usually with counter shots.
00:54:41In the 12th round, however, Taylor, fighting out of conventional stance, caught Johnson with a short right hand and deposited it on the seat of his pants.
00:54:48But immediately, as Roy Jones pointed out, switched back to his softball stance and spent the rest of the round mostly pawing at Johnson.
00:54:59Fascinating.
00:55:02That's for his wife, Francisca.
00:55:04Harold Letterman pointing out before the fight that after the controversial events here in December,
00:55:20the Miccosukee Indians decided to form their own boxing commission and take this out of the hands of the state of Florida.
00:55:26Right now, one thing that has led to is slower reporting of the scores.
00:55:30So we're waiting.
00:55:42And you mentioned before the fight, Roy, that the job for either or both fighters is to create the kind of public groundswell of pressure
00:55:50that would make it fun, exciting, meaningful for boxing fans for you to fight one of these guys.
00:55:57I'm not sure that happens.
00:56:05Certainly, Reggie Johnson is a thorough professional.
00:56:08Certainly, Will Taylor's a tough guy.
00:56:10All right, let's go up to Michael Buffer for the official decision.
00:56:13Ladies and gentlemen, we go to the scorecards.
00:56:16Mark Streisand scores the belt, 115-112.
00:56:20Peter Tremotera scores the belt, 114-113.
00:56:23Kassan Cheeks has it 115-112 for the winner by unanimous decision and still champion,
00:56:34Sweet Reggie Johnson.
00:56:37Final punch stat numbers show a 45-punch edge in landed shots for Reggie Johnson.
00:56:55They threw about the same amount, 9% differential and connect percentage for Reggie Johnson.
00:57:01It was, from the early rounds on, not really a jab fest, but rather a battle of power punches, mostly body shots.
00:57:09And here you can see that Johnson had the edge there, landing 38 more power punches, throwing 27% or 27 more,
00:57:16and landing at a higher connect percentage, 9% margin.
00:57:21Now let's go up to Larry Merchant with the winner.
00:57:23Thank you, Jim. Congratulations, Reggie.
00:57:27That was a tough 12th round. You come out with a bad cut on your brow, knocked down. What happened?
00:57:33Well, that was a legitimate knockdown. I was off balance.
00:57:36Larry, first, I'd like to say thanks to my creator.
00:57:38I'd like to thank everybody who supported me up to this point.
00:57:40I know my kids are going crazy watching.
00:57:42Will Taylor came in the fight.
00:57:44You know, when I was off for the two years, I stayed in the gym.
00:57:46But this particular time, you know, I had a rotator cuff surgery, and I guess I wasn't as sharp.
00:57:51You know, I couldn't go right back to this gym after my last fight.
00:57:54But, you know, I can't take anything away from him.
00:57:57He came to fight. He came to win.
00:57:59And I think my experience played a very important role.
00:58:01All right, let's watch this tough Philadelphia fighter.
00:58:04Tough Philadelphia.
00:58:05In the 12th round, and you describe what you see.
00:58:08Wait, is this where I got knocked down?
00:58:10Yeah, I was slipping. As you said, I was going back.
00:58:12But, you know, it was a legitimate knockdown.
00:58:13He hit me as I was off balance, and I went down.
00:58:16I give him full credit for that knockdown.
00:58:18And you know something, it ain't the first time I've been down.
00:58:21All right, you had eight months off after your rotator cuff surgery.
00:58:25Any trouble with the right arm after that surgery tonight?
00:58:29No, I can't complain at all.
00:58:31I had great doctors, Dr. Rex Vakiva, Dr. Provenzano did a hell of a job,
00:58:34and they host staff with the rehab.
00:58:36They wanted me to go every three days.
00:58:38I went every day.
00:58:38I wanted to get back that bad.
00:58:39But, you know, that whole thing was a process.
00:58:42I have, you know, my shoulder's fine, just a little rusty.
00:58:45All right.
00:58:45That shoulder injury kept you from fighting Roy Jones last year.
00:58:51Now you've got a gash on your eye.
00:58:53Are you concerned that that might interfere with a fight with Roy later this spring?
00:58:59How can I be concerned?
00:59:00I got the best cut man in the world right here, Chuck Bodine.
00:59:02But, you know, just to be healed in a couple of weeks, three weeks.
00:59:07Is that right, Chuck?
00:59:08Yeah.
00:59:09He's the boss.
00:59:11You're the best cut man in the world, right?
00:59:13If you say so.
00:59:15Well, Reggie Johnson said that.
00:59:16All right, Reggie.
00:59:16Tell us about your desire to fight Roy Jones and unify the light heavyweight titles
00:59:22just as the heavyweight title will be unified in a couple of weeks.
00:59:25Well, I have a limited trust.
00:59:27I want to say I have a lot of respect for Roy Jones as a fighter.
00:59:30I have extra respect as a businessman.
00:59:32This ain't about Roy Jones or Roy Jones.
00:59:34This is about Roy Jones, a fighter.
00:59:35He's the man right now.
00:59:37I just think that, you know, we can't deny we must unify.
00:59:40History hasn't been unified since Leon's speak.
00:59:42And I know that I'll be successful in that fight.
00:59:45I have a legitimate chance of winning that fight.
00:59:47You know, Roy knows it's going to be the toughest fight of his career
00:59:50and, likewise, the toughest fight of Reggie Johnson's career.
00:59:52That sounds like a good fight.
00:59:54Jim?
00:59:54All right, thanks very much, Larry, and thanks, Reggie.
00:59:58One thing you can take is a given.
01:00:00If two guys are fighting for the right to meet Roy Jones, the southpaw is going to win.
01:00:05Unified title means something to you?
01:00:07Unified title always means something to everybody.
01:00:09And, you know, with me, a title period means something to me,
01:00:14so it doesn't really make any difference.
01:00:15Reggie Johnson have the credentials for a shot at Roy Jones?
01:00:18Most definitely.
01:00:18Reggie Johnson already had the credentials for a shot at Roy Jones.
01:00:21There are not many guys in today's time that really have the credentials,
01:00:25but he is one guy that is really worthy because he's a great guy.
01:00:28He's a great champion.
01:00:29He's been a champion for a good while.
01:00:31And, you know, HBO knows how to make it worth Roy Jones' time
01:00:34and make Roy happy, and they know Roy to be ready to go.
01:00:37Totally agreed on every point.
01:00:39Still to come tonight.
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