Kirk Johnson

Last updated
Kirk Johnson
Born
Kirk Cyron Johnson

(1972-06-29) June 29, 1972 (age 53)
Nationality Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canadian
Other namesBubba
Statistics
Weight(s) Heavyweight
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Reach81 in (206 cm)
Boxing record
Total fights41
Wins37
Wins by KO27
Losses2
Draws1
No contests1a
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Junior World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg1989 BayamonHeavyweight

Kirk Cyron Johnson (born June 29, 1972) is a Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2010, and challenged once for the WBA heavyweight title in 2002.

Contents

Early life

Kirk Cyron Johnson was born in North Preston, Nova Scotia, Canada, on June 29, 1972.

Amateur career

Kirk Johnson started boxing at eleven years old. Throughout his early amateur bouts, his trainer was his father, Gary Johnson Sr. [1]

He became the world's best junior heavyweight in August 1989 at just 17 years old. [2] He made history as the first Nova Scotian and second Canadian to claim gold at the Junior World Championships. [3]

At the Canadian intermediate amateur boxing championships in December 1989, Johnson captured the title in the heavyweight (91-kilogram) division. [4]

At 18, Johnson defended his junior world title at the October 1990 Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru, [5] where he lost in the final to a Soviet opponent. Moving into the senior ranks that year, he secured the Canadian senior national title. In September 1991, he won another title at the Canadian senior national boxing championships in Saskatoon. [6] As part of Canada's national boxing team, he competed in the 1991 World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Sydney, Australia.

Johnson, while still a young prospect and Olympic team member, spent time at a camp of legendary trainer and manager Lou Duva, and worked with him on and off. [7]

He represented Canada at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, [8] where he lost in the quarter-finals against eventual silver medallist David Izon of Nigeria. [9]

Highlights

His amateur record was 76 wins and 7 losses.

Professional career

The Olympic quarterfinalist had his first professional bout on April 24, 1993, against Andre Smiley in Las Vegas. He won by TKO in the third round. [10] Early in his professional development, Johnson trained in Fort Worth, Texas, with ex-world champions Curtis Cokes and Donald Curry, while being co-managed by Ken Lilien and Chris Seeger. [1]

He fought Tyrone Evans on the Michael Moorer vs. George Foreman card on November 5, 1994, in Las Vegas. [7]

By the late 1990s, he was managed by boxing promoter and manager Cedric Kushner. [7] He began training under George Benton around 1997. [11] Johnson, then an undefeated prospect, fought Al Cole to a ten-round draw in December 1998. [12] Three months after their first meeting, Kirk Johnson, with Teddy Atlas in his corner, outpointed Al Cole by unanimous decision in March 1999. When Johnson and Atlas parted ways, he reconnected with Curtis Cokes, a Hall of Famer and former welterweight champion who had guided him early on. [11]

On October 7, 2000, Kirk Johnson stopped Oleg Maskaev, who later became WBC heavyweight champion, with a fourth-round knockout. He captured the PABA Heavyweight Title. [13]

After defeating Larry Donald on July 7, 2001, Kirk Johnson rose to 32-0-1 and became the WBA's no. 1 contender and the mandatory title challenger. [14]

His contract with Kushner had expired. He joined Dino Duva's promotion, Duva Boxing, in April 2002, signing a $1.1 million deal after Duva outbid numerous promoters. [15]

In his first title fight in 2002, Johnson faced John Ruiz for the WBA Heavyweight Title. In the tenth round, Johnson was disqualified for low blows while trailing on all of the judges' scorecards. It marked his first defeat in his professional career. [16] He appealed the disqualification to the WBA, on the grounds that referee Joe Cortez had erred in calling some of the low blows and did not act impartially (both Ruiz and Cortez are of Puerto Rican descent). [17] Though many boxing commentators agreed that the disqualification was unwarranted, the appeal was ultimately denied by the WBA.

He resurrected his career on March 15, 2003, scoring a fourth-round knockout over Lou Savarese in Dallas, Texas. [18] The win secured him the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title. [19] Johnson, then ranked eighth in the world, was set to meet champion Lennox Lewis on June 21, 2003, at the Staples Centre, but the fight between the Canadian Olympians never happened. [18] Johnson withdrew from the fight on June 6, 2003, after tearing a chest muscle while sparring in his Fort Worth training camp. [20]

On December 6, 2003, Johnson faced the Ukrainian contender and future champion Vitali Klitschko in New York's Madison Square Garden. He was easily defeated by Klitschko, losing by a second-round knockout. [21] He stepped into the ring at a career-high 260 pounds. [22]

Comeback

After the Klitschko fight, he staged a comeback. He knocked out Mexican heavyweight Gilbert Martinez in July 2004 and won a technical decision over Cuban Yanqui Díaz in June 2005. [23] He lost his next bout (later changed to a technical decision) against Californian Javier Mora on March 3, 2006. During the seventh round, Mora appeared to have accidentally stepped on Johnson's foot, causing Johnson to dislocate his right knee. [24] This decision was subsequently appealed, and the result changed to a no decision.

On April 29, 2010, Johnson returned to the ring after a four-year absence and fought journeyman Douglas Robertson, defeating him via first-round TKO. [25]

Johnson finished his career with a record of 37–2–1 (27 KOs), with one no contest. [23]

Halifax Regional Police lawsuit

In 2003, after dropping out of a planned fight against then-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis because of an injury, Johnson launched a protracted legal battle against the Halifax Regional Police. During the inquiry, Johnson claimed that because of racism and racial profiling by the Halifax Regional Police, [26] he had his car stopped 28 times over five years while in Halifax. Johnson was awarded $10,000 in damages, in addition to $4,790 to cover his travel expenses. The police service was also ordered to create a scholarship in Johnson's name. [27] It is awarded annually to a student from North Preston. Since 2003, 16 students have received awards.[ citation needed ]

Professional boxing record

41 fights37 wins2 losses
By knockout271
By decision100
By disqualification01
Draws1
No contests1
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
41Win37–2–1 (1) Flag of the United States.svg Douglas RobertsonTKO1 (4), 1:45Apr 29, 2010 Flag of the United States.svg Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
40NC36–2–1 (1) Flag of Mexico.svg Javier Mora TKO7 (10), 1:53Mar 3, 2006 Flag of the United States.svg Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.Originally a TKO win for Mora, later ruled an NC after an incorrect referee call
39Win36–2–1 Flag of Cuba.svg Yanqui Díaz TD5 (10), 3:00Jun 9, 2005 Flag of the United States.svg Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.Unanimous TD after Díaz was cut from an accidental head clash
38Win35–2–1 Flag of Mexico.svg Gilbert MartinezRTD8 (10), 3:00Jul 8, 2004 Flag of the United States.svg Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.
37Loss34–2–1 Flag of Ukraine.svg Vitali Klitschko TKO2 (12), 2:54Dec 6, 2003 Flag of the United States.svg Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
36Win34–1–1 Flag of the United States.svg Lou Savarese TKO4 (12), 1:52Mar 15, 2003 Flag of the United States.svg Club Life, Dallas, Texas, U.S.Won WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title
35Win33–1–1 Flag of the United States.svg Jeremy Bates KO2 (8), 2:59 Dec 7, 2002 Flag of the United States.svg Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
34Loss32–1–1 Flag of the United States.svg John Ruiz DQ10 (12), 2:17Jul 27, 2002 Flag of the United States.svg Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For WBA heavyweight title;
Johnson disqualified for repeated low blows
33Win32–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Larry Donald UD12Jul 7, 2001 Flag of the United States.svg KeySpan Park, New York City, New York, U.S.
32Win31–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Derrick BanksKO1 (10), 1:32Apr 28, 2001 Flag of the United States.svg Civic Auditorium, LaPorte, Indiana, U.S.
31Win30–0–1 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Oleg Maskaev KO4 (12), 0:51Oct 7, 2000 Flag of the United States.svg Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.Won PABA heavyweight title
30Win29–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Marcus JohnsonTKO2 (10), 2:00Jan 27, 2000 Flag of the United States.svg Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York, U.S.
29Win28–0–1 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Rodolfo MarinKO1 (10), 2:05Oct 7, 1999 Flag of the United States.svg Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S.
28Win27–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Al Cole UD10Mar 20, 1999 Flag of the United States.svg Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
27Draw26–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Al Cole MD10Dec 8, 1998 Flag of the United States.svg Roseland Ballroom, New York City, New York, U.S.
26Win26–0 Flag of the United States.svg Levi BillupsUD10Aug 6, 1998 Flag of the United States.svg Coeur d'Alene Casino, Worley, Idaho, U.S.
25Win25–0 Flag of the United States.svg Eric CurryTKO1 (10), 1:37May 9, 1998 Flag of the United States.svg Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
24Win24–0 Flag of the United States.svg Rocky PepeliTKO1 (10)Apr 2, 1998 Flag of the United States.svg Erie Community College, Williamsville, New York, U.S.
23Win23–0 Flag of the United States.svg Louis Monaco TKO7 (10), 2:58Jul 12, 1997 Flag of the United States.svg Grand Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
22Win22–0 Flag of Jamaica.svg Everton DavisKO8 (10), 2:16Mar 11, 1997 Flag of the United States.svg Casino Magic, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S.
21Win21–0 Flag of the United States.svg Terry McGroom TKO8 (10), 3:00Nov 16, 1996 Flag of the United States.svg Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
20Win20–0 Flag of the United States.svg Danell Nicholson UD10Aug 23, 1996 Flag of the United States.svg Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
19Win19–0 Flag of the United States.svg Darren HaydenTKO1 (10), 1:44Jun 12, 1996 Flag of the United States.svg Trump World's Fair, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
18Win18–0 Flag of the United States.svg Mike DixonTKO1 (8)Mar 7, 1996 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
17Win17–0 Flag of the United States.svg Art BaylissTKO1 (8), 1:39Jan 25, 1996 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
16Win16–0 Flag of the United States.svg Bradley RonePTS8Dec 21, 1995 Flag of the United States.svg Isle of Capri Casino, Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.
15Win15–0 Flag of the United States.svg Nathaniel Fitch UD8Jul 7, 1995 Flag of the United States.svg Civic Center, Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.
14Win14–0 Flag of the United States.svg Matt GreenKO1 (8), 1:18May 3, 1995 Flag of the United States.svg 69th Regiment Armory, New York City, New York, U.S.
13Win13–0 Flag of the United States.svg Ron GulletteKO1 (8)Mar 29, 1995 Flag of the United States.svg 69th Regiment Armory, New York City, New York, U.S.
12Win12–0 Flag of the United States.svg Marion Wilson UD8Feb 3, 1995 Flag of the United States.svg Fernwood Resort, Bushkill, Pennsylvania, U.S.
11Win11–0 Flag of the United States.svg Tyrone EvansKO8 (8), 1:43 Nov 5, 1994 Flag of the United States.svg MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
10Win10–0 Flag of the United States.svg Keith McMurrayKO3 (10)Oct 12, 1994 Flag of the United States.svg The Pit, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
9Win9–0 Flag of the United States.svg George O'MaraKO1 (8)Sep 9, 1994 Flag of the United States.svg Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
8Win8–0 Flag of the United States.svg Ross Puritty UD6May 5, 1994 Flag of the United States.svg Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
7Win7–0 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Dave FiddlerTKO2 (6)Feb 17, 1994 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
6Win6–0 Flag of the United States.svg Kelvin HaydenKO1 (6), 2:07Dec 16, 1993 Flag of the United States.svg Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S.
5Win5–0 Flag of the United States.svg Willie JohnsonKO3 (6)Oct 27, 1993 Flag of the United States.svg Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
4Win4–0 Flag of the United States.svg Bryant SmithUD6Oct 6, 1993 Flag of the United States.svg Broadway by the Bay Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
3Win3–0 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Donaldson KO5 (6) Aug 30, 1993 Flag of the United States.svg Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
2Win2–0 Flag of the United States.svg Earl TalleyKO1 (4), 2:05 Jun 7, 1993 Flag of the United States.svg Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
1Win1–0 Flag of the United States.svg Andre SmileyTKO3 (4), 2:47Apr 4, 1993 Flag of the United States.svg The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.

Awards and recognitions

References

  1. 1 2 "This Kirk is down to earth". Edmonton Journal. March 6, 1996. p. 28. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  2. "He fought to be champion of the world. But battles against ..." thestar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  3. "Going For Gold". Daily Gleaner. August 29, 1989. p. 37. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  4. "N.B. intermediate boxers capture two silver medals". Telegraph-Journal. December 11, 1989. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  5. "Johnson planning appeal". The Toronto Star. August 18, 1990. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  6. "Johnson brothers win Canadian boxing titles". Waterloo Region Record. September 23, 1991. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  7. 1 2 3 "Undefeated Johnson gets right to the point". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  8. "Kirk Johnson - Team Canada - Canadian Olympic Committee". olympic.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  9. "The Reluctant Tough Guy". National Post. Nov 25, 2000. p. 218. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  10. "Kirk Johnson vs Andre Smiley". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  11. 1 2 "The Reluctant Tough Guy". National Post. Nov 25, 2000. p. 221. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  12. "Kirk Johnson vs. Al Cole (1st meeting)". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  13. "Kirk Johnson vs Oleg Maskaev". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  14. "Nova Scotia boxer waits for title shot". The Toronto Star. December 22, 2001. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  15. "Kirk Johnson To Part Ways With Dino Duva". boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  16. "Kirk Johnson confident before heavyweight eliminator". cbc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  17. "Johnson planning appeal". Daily Gleaner. July 31, 2002. p. 21. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  18. 1 2 "Kirk Johnson to fight Lennox Lewis?". cbc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  19. "Kirk Johnson vs Lou Savarese". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  20. "Boxer's dad angered". The Globe and Mail. June 20, 2003. p. 87. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  21. "Klitschko pummels Johnson". cbc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  22. "KIRK PLAYS THE HEAVY AT KLITSCHKO WEIGH-IN". nypost.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  23. 1 2 "Kirk Johnson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  24. "Aussie Soliman takes down Munoz in sixth round". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  25. "Kirk Johnson vs Douglas Robertson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  26. "KIRK JOHNSON - Complainant" (PDF). humanrights.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  27. CBC News: Boxer Johnson wins Racism Complaint. December 23, 2003 Retrieved 29 December 2008
  28. "Prix Viscount Alexander Award". National Post. February 22, 1990. p. 75. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  29. "Celebrating an attempt to become radio-active". The Globe and Mail. February 22, 1990. p. 15. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  30. "Cousins Kirk Johnson, Dwayne Provo among this year's inductees into Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame". saltwire.com. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Preceded by PABA heavyweight champion
October 7, 2000 – June 2001
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Nikolai Valuev
Preceded by WBO Inter-Continental
heavyweight champion

March 15, 2003 – November 2003
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Timo Hoffmann