By Dan Ambrose: #4 IBF Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) defeated #3 IBF Eamonn O’Kane (14-2-1, 5 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision last Saturday night at Madison Square Garden to become IBF middleweight mandatory challenger to new IBF 160lb champion Gennady Golovkin. Johnson, a 2008 Olympian, says he’s ready to face Golovkin as soon as possible for his mandatory title shot.
Johnson says if Golovkin wants to face the winner of the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto for his next fight, then he’ll speak to his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions if Golovkin and his promoters at K2 Promotions want him to step aside so that Golovkin can face the winner of the Cotto-Canelo fight next.
In the meantime, Johnson says he’s ready to face Golovkin right now and beat him. Johnson said he sees a lot a lot of flaws that he can take advantage of in Golovkin’s game.
“I stand before you as the new #1 mandatory for Triple G’s IBF title,” Tureano Johnson said at the post fight press conference. “When that opportunity comes, you won’t be disappointed. I will definitely bring it and give all I can. I ain’t just going to fight Triple G for fighting’s sake. I’m going to beat Triple G. I hope you all enjoy it. We’re going to make that happen. I definitely see a lot of things I can capitalize on when I watched David Lemieux and Triple G tonight. You guys saw what I did tonight. Yes, I have a better Mexican style than Triple G. I’ve got a cast iron chin, and it has been tested. Has Triple G been tested?”
I think Johnson is clearly much better than David Lemieux. He seems to be the much smarter fighter with the better skills, more athletic and with the better amateur pedigree I believe that Johnson would give Golovkin a much tougher fight than what we saw from Lemieux last night. First off, Johnson wouldn’t be afraid to pressure Golovkin and force the fight at a range that he’s comfortable with. Lemieux fought like he was afraid to close the distance against Golovkin for fear of getting hit hard.
Johnson battered O’Kane last night, knocking him down twice in the 1st round, and winning by the scores of 118-108, 117-109 and 119-107.
I doubt that Golden Boy Promotions will ever allow Lemieux to fight a guy like Tureano Johnson because I believe that Johnson would KO Lemieux. I don’t see Golden Boy letting that fight happen because they stand to lose if they let Johnson fight him. Lemieux is more popular than Johnson, and he would stand to lose a great deal in getting knocked out by him.
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