Marvin Johnson

Marvin Johnson

Medal record
Men's Boxing
Competitor for the  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze	1972 Munich	Middleweight

Marvin Johnson (born April 12, 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is a former boxer from the United States, who fought in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, winning a bronze medal, and made his way up the professional ranks in the light heavyweight division soon thereafter. His nickname is "Pops".

Amateur career

• Won the 1971 National Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship, March 22 at Fort Worth Texas.
• Won the 1971 National AAU Light Heavyweight (178 lb.) Championship.
• Won The 1972 National Golden Gloves Middleweight (165 lb.) Championship, March 20 at Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Represented the United States at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, earning a bronze medal in the 165 pound class, after he was knocked out in the second round of a semifinal by eventual gold medalist Vyacheslav Lemechev of the Soviet Union.

Olympic Results

• 1st round bye
• Defeated Ewald Jarmer (West Germany) 5-0
• Defeated Alejandro Montoya (Cuba) 5-0
• Lost to Vyacheslav Lemeshev (Soviet Union) TKO by 2

Professional career

Johnson lost to Matthew Saad Muhammad and Lottie Mwale in the build-up but won a world title—the WBC light heavyweight version—from fellow southpaw Mate Parlov of Yugoslavia with a 10th-round KO in Italy in December 1978, then lost that same title the following April, in front of his hometown Indianapolis fans, in a rematch to Muhammad in what was perhaps 1979's Fight of the Year for many observers. Johnson was in control in the early going, but the Philadelphia fighter hung in there, and came back to wear down Johnson, stopping him in the eighth round, despite bleeding severely from the nose and from cuts around his eyes. Franklin also beat Johnson earlier—in 1977—by 12th-round KO for a minor title.

Johnson would again win a belt later that year—the WBA version—by fighting the rugged Victor Galindez from Argentina in New Orleans as part of a three-fight 'card' that included two title bouts (Antuofermo-Hagler I and Benitez-Leonard) staged in Las Vegas. After a see-saw battle through the first ten rounds, Johnson nailed—and floored—Galindez with one of his fabled 'over-the-top-from-underneath' left hands, and the title changed hands when the champion's corner surrendered after Galindez hit the canvas.

Again, it was down and out for Johnson in his first title defense when, on the Tate-Weaver undercard in Knoxville in March 1980, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (née Gregory) outworked, outhustled, and outclassed Johnson en route to an 11th-round TKO.

Things looked bleak when Johnson fought the up-and-coming Michael Spinks in early 1981—just before Spinks dethroned Johnson's latest conqueror, Mustafa Muhammad. Johnson was off to a promising start, but the 1976 Olympian Spinks landed his famous "Spinks jinx" that put Johnson out for good in the fourth round.

Johnson recovered and proceeded to win 16 straight fights, defeating good fighters like Prince Charles Williams along the way, and in February 1986 would again be before his Indianapolis fans, fighting Leslie Stewart of Trinidad and Tobago for the WBA light heavyweight title that became vacant when Spinks abdicated to become a heavyweight. Stewart gave Johnson some fits, but cuts would take their toll on Stewart and were the reason that the fight was stopped in the seventh round, thus making Johnson the first ever three-time champion in the division. An injury postponed his first defense against Jean-Marie Emebe of Cameroon, but the two would hook up in Indianapolis in September of that year. It was the first time that Johnson would both enter and leave the ring as champion—he was the winner by 13th-round TKO.

Next, it was on to Trinidad for a rematch with Stewart on May 23, 1987. However, it was all Stewart this time, as he floored Johnson several times in the first few rounds, and while Johnson always regained his feet and was never counted out he did tell his cornermen after eight rounds that 'enough was enough,' and by doing so became an ex-champ for a third time.

Johnson retired after that bout.

Honors

Named The Ring magazine Comeback of the Year fighter for 1984.

Professional boxing record

43 Wins (35 knockouts, 8 decisions), 6 Losses (5 knockouts, 1 decision)
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	23-1	Leslie "Laventille Tiger" Stewart	RTD	8	23/05/1987	Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago	WBA World Light Heavyweight Title. Johnson could not come out for the ninth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	24-2	Jean Marie Emebe	TKO	13	20/09/1986	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	WBA World Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:41 of the 13th round..
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	18-0	Leslie "Laventille Tiger" Stewart	TKO	7	09/02/1986	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	WBA World Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 0:56 of the seventh round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	7-18	Frank Lux	KO	4	04/12/1985	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	3-4	Raleigh Searcy	KO	4	11/10/1985	Terre Haute, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	29-4-1	Eddie Davis	TKO	5	21/04/1985	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	USBA Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 0:59 of the fifth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	16-4	Charles "Hollywood" Henderson	TKO	2	17/01/1985	Merrillville, Indiana, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 1:55 of the second round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	8-11-2	Eddie Collins	KO	2	13/12/1984	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 1:35 of the second round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	12-3-2	"Prince" Charles Williams	UD	10	08/11/1984	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	99-90, 99-91, 100-89.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	16-6	Johnny Davis	UD	10	30/08/1984	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	19-2	Jerome Clouden	TKO	5	14/06/1984	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	22-4	Eddie Gonzales	KO	4	26/03/1984	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	13-7	Elvis Parks	KO	4	18/01/1984	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	14-2	Mike Brothers	TKO	10	21/11/1983	Chicago, Illinois, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	29-8	Andros Ernie Barr	KO	8	25/02/1983	Nassau, Bahamas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	10-1	Alvino "Killer" Manson	KO	1	14/10/1982	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	Manson knocked out at 1:00 of the first round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	10-21	"Young" Darnell Hayes	TKO	2	06/04/1982	Danville, Illinois, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 1:55 of the second round.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	15-0	Michael "Jinx" Spinks	KO	4	28/03/1981	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Johnson knocked out at 1:22 of the fourth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	--	Rick Nash	KO	3	28/01/1981	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-3	Eddie Straight	KO	1	15/01/1981	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	12-14-1	Dave Lee Royster	KO	4	09/09/1980	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Royster knocked out at 2:51 of the fourth round.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	35-4-1	Eddie Mustafa Muhammad	TKO	11	31/03/1980	Knoxville, Tennessee, United States	WBA World Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:43 of the 11th round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	55-7-4	Victor Galindez	KO	11	30/11/1979	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States	WBA World Light Heavyweight Title. Galindez knocked out at 0:20 of the 11th round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	33-33-2	Carlos Marks	PTS	10	20/09/1979	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	22-3-2	Matthew Saad Muhammad	TKO	8	22/04/1979	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	WBC World Light Heavyweight Title.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	22-1-1	Mate Parlov	TKO	10	02/12/1978	Marsala, Sicilia, Italy	WBC World Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:33 of the tenth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	15-1-1	Jerry Celestine	PTS	10	15/09/1978	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	7-0	Lottie Mwale	PTS	8	17/06/1978	Belgrade, Serbia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	32-3	Johnny "The Mad" Baldwin	UD	10	24/05/1978	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	10-0-1	Eddie Davis	KO	7	03/04/1978	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	0-6	Roberto Reynosa	KO	1	31/01/1978	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	35-13-1	Billy "Dynamite" Douglas	TKO	5	01/11/1977	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 2:35 of the fifth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	4-1	Johnny Fields	KO	1	28/09/1977	Cleveland, Ohio, United States	Fields knocked out at 2:52 of the first round.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	15-3-2	Matthew Saad Muhammad	TKO	12	26/07/1977	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	NABF Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:12 of the 12th round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	22-15-3	Tom "The Bomb" Bethea	KO	4	22/04/1977	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	Bethea knocked out at 2:50 of the fourth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	8-6	Johnny Townsend	PTS	10	21/02/1977	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	7-2	Vandell "Big Boy" Woods	PTS	10	30/11/1976	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	4-2-1	Wayne McGee	TKO	1	14/09/1976	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	19-36-4	Harold Carter	TKO	2	15/04/1976	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	36-17-4	"Sugar" Ray "The Magnificent" Anderson	TKO	6	03/04/1976	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	36-25-3	Eddie "Red Top" Owens	KO	3	13/11/1975	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	23-8	Paul Cardoza	KO	4	17/04/1975	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	22-6-2	Gary Summerhays	PTS	10	29/01/1975	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	6-3	"Iron" Jim Adams	KO	1	11/12/1974	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-0	Johnny Words	TKO	6	12/11/1974	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 2:40 of the sixth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-15	Ted Paxton	KO	2	17/07/1974	Chicago, Illinois, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	1-0	Chuck Warfield	TKO	5	30/10/1973	Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	0-2-1	Al "Hoss" Byrd	KO	1	17/09/1973	Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	4-8	Sylvester Wilder	KO	2	22/05/1973	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	Wilder knocked out at 1:30 of the second round.

Life After Boxing

Johnson currently serves as a pitchman for a local car dealership sometimes (humorously) threatening or abusing his fellow pitchmen with his boxing skills.

External links

Book: Marvin Johnson

• sports-reference