Trainer Peter Fury has given a damning assessment of heavyweight Kevin Johnson (29-7-1, 14 KO’s) to BoxingNewsOnline.net following a lacklustre performance in which he was bludgeoned to the canvas by British prospect Anthony Joshua (13-0, 13 KO’s) at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Fury, uncle and trainer to heavyweight contender Tyson Fury (24-0, 18 KO’s), accommodated Johnson as he prepared for his fight with Joshua seeing as the American was so far from home. The impression Johnson left on Fury is that of a man no longer committed to the noble art.
“He used our facilities and we gave him our advice, but that’s one thing. It’s another thing entirely for someone to employ that advice.”
“When he was in our facility, I didn’t see any desire. He’s just in it for the money and he has gone downhill quite a lot recently.”
“Johnson was a great fighter and has seen some great years, but he’s over the hill now; there’s no desire there.”
Johnson was presented as a genuine step up for the former Olympic champion by Eddie Hearn, who has handled Joshua’s career thus far. But gauging from Johnson’s performance, Peter Fury’s testimony, and the fact that this was Johnson’s fifth loss in his last six outings, all combines to suggest we were served a bit of a brummagem in place of the Real McCoy. After the fight, Johnson himself professed to be done with the sport and we will have to wait to see how that plan holds up.
As for Joshua, we have yet to see him take on an opponent who possesses the willingness to dent an armour that as of yet has remained untouched. That may be set to change though, as a match with longstanding rival Dillian Whyte (14-0, 11 KO’s) -who beat Joshua in the amateurs- for the vacant British heavyweight title is possibly being slated for July. That will not be a squash match.
Whyte even knocked them down in their fight.
