Kevin Johnson: The Klitschkos Are A Temporary Mistake
Posted by Ryan Bates on 11.19.2009
The 22-0-1 WBC #6 heavyweight doesn't care if other people are convinced -- he is; and he believes he will pull off the upset over Vitali Klitschko.
Kevin Johnson believes he has the stuff that it takes to beat Vitali Klitschko.
That puts him in a very small minority.
"These so-called critics can say what they want, but bottom line is my time is now," says the man who calls himself "The Kingpin." "I am in the prime of my career, none of the other top contenders or prospects want to fight me, so what should I do, sit around and pad my record with meaningless wins like most of these other guys do? I have studied Vitali for a long time and I've watched him destroy a lot of guys, but in each of those fights, I've seen him show a lot of flaws. Despite what everyone says I know what I can do and how I'm going to do it. I know I'll be the underdog going into this fight and that's fine with me."
Johnson faces "Dr. Ironfist" in Germany at the PostFinance Arena on December 12. Vitali Klitschko, along with his brother Wladimir, have ruled the division in dominance.
Johnson dismisses that fact.
"The Klitschkos are a temporary mistake and I'm going to fix that mistake for good." Johnson claims. "Winning the World Championship and bringing the belt back to America, where it rightfully belongs, will be a huge step in that direction. I will restore the shine to heavyweight boxing."
Only 22-0-1, with 9 knockouts, Johnson holds the WBC and WBA number-six ranking as his highest chart notch. In contrast, Chris Arreola, whom Vitali Klitschko easily turned into win number 38, was ranked in the top three by the WBC.
Johnson doesn't care.
"There are always going to be people that hate on me, but just as much as my supporters motivate me, the haters motivate me too. I love proving people wrong," admitted Johnson. "I have done it for my entire career, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Muhammad Ali had haters too, it didn't stop him from being considered 'The Greatest of All Time.' Ali shocked the world when he beat the 'invincible' Sonny Liston and it won't stop me from beating the 'invincible' Vitali Klitschko."
"Shocking" will be the mildest way to put it if Johnson does manage to get through Klitschko, who is now listed according to some online oddsmakers at -2000, making him nearly a 20-to-1 favorite.
Johnson isn't listening.
"My game plan going into this fight is to win, it's as simple as that. No matter what, I'm not leaving Switzerland without that WBC belt around my waist. I see the fight playing out whatever way I want it to play out. If I have to box him then I'll box him. From a pure boxing standpoint he is no where near on my level. People talk about his jab, but there is no heavyweight in the world with a better jab then me, and certainly not Vitali Klitschko. People might not know, but I actually have a longer reach than him. When it comes to jabbing he can forget it. If he tries to jab with me, his mouth will be wide open and his eyes will be closed by the middle of the fight."
On the flip side, "If he wants to fight, I'll go toe-to-toe with him and use my speed to knock him out. I want to make things clear for everyone; I'm not Cristobal Arreola, or Sam Peters. If he stands in front of me with his hands down, I'll hit him ten times before he can land once. It's going to be a short night for him if he tries that amateur stuff with me."
That "amateur stuff" has led Vitali to victories over Juan Carlos Gomez, Corrie Sanders, Samuel Peter, and the other man believed to be able to bring back the heavyweight belt to America, Chris Arreola. Johnson's resume is significantly less shiny, with the biggest conceivable name being May's defeat of Devin Vargas.
Johnson isn't paying attention.
"I can already hear the announcer saying, 'and the new heavyweight champion of the world, Kevin "Kingpin" Johnson!' My long-awaited reign of the heavyweight division finally begins, starting with Vitali Klitschko on December 12th."
