Talk Tough 8-17-04

INSIDE BOXING (August 18, 2004) - Now my sources at the Atlantic City PAL tell me the on again off again rematch between Levander Johnson (33-4-2) and Mike Clark (34-2) is off again. Levander told me from the beginning that Clark did not want the rematch and it looks like he was right. Clark is claiming he was cut during sparring, but it looks like he was just looking for some kind of excuse. The bout was scheduled to be the main event this Friday on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Now Johnson is looking at a possible rematch in September against Javier Jauregui (48-11-2) for the number one spot in the IBF. Johnson was stopped in the 11th round last November when the two met for the vacant IBF lightweight bout. Jauregui went on to lose the belt to Julio Diaz in May on a majority decision. Johnson said he is training hard and looking forward to a possible rematch against Jauregui.

Johnson’s father, Bill Johnson is currently training former middleweight champ William Joppy (34-3) at the PAL for an upcoming fight against rising super star, Jermaine Taylor (21-0). This would prove to be a very interesting match up.

Looks like we need to put out an A.P.B. on former Atlantic City resident, John “the Eastern Beast” Brown (23-12). He was last seen in California getting stopped in the first round by Rolando Reyes back in November. No one from Atlantic City has heard from him in quite some time. I hope all is well for the former NABF and USBA super featherweight champ and 3x world championship challenger.

Former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champ, Virgil Hill (49-5) has just informed me that he is looking at a fight against either Russian sensation, Valery Brudov (28-0) for the regular WBA cruiserweight belt (since current champ Jean Mormeck is being elevated to "super champ") or IBF champ Kelvin Davis (21-2) in November. Sounds like two tough choices.

Former bantamweight world champ, Wayne McCullough will be featured on the undercard of the James Toney-Rydell Booker WBC heavyweight title eliminator bout on September 23 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA against TBA. Heavyweight Cedric Boswell will take on former world cruiserweight titlist Imamu Mayfield in a ten round bout also. Toney-Booker will be televised live on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period”.