The next big fight in Britain...

[bennie]

Sheffield's Clinton Woods and Glencoffe Johnson meet in an IBF light-heavyweight title eliminator over 12 rounds at the Ponds Forge Leisure Centre in Sheffield next Friday (September 5) for the right to face IBF (and WBC) champion Antonio Tarver.
The winner will assume the position of IBF mandatory challenger to Tarver.
Clinton was originally scheduled to meet Paul Briggs in a WBC title eliminator in Manchester, but the fight fell through after a dispute between promoter allegedly and the WBC involving Ricky Hatton (who was demoted in the WBC rankings from number two to three in place of Arturo Gatti; Warren has vowed to have nothing more to do with the WBC). Woods' management team were the next highest bidders and thus got the fight. Promoter Dennis Hobson said when the fight was announced in late July: "We have been negotiating with the IBF and they are happy for the winner of Clinton and Glencoffe Johnson to fight Tarver." The WBC were less happy. They have dropped Woods altogether from their rankings.
The 31-year-old Woods has racked up three straight stoppages since losing bravely to the mighty Roy Jones Junior in the sixth round in Portland last September. He has been training back in the States ahead of this eliminator under Tim Witherspoon and said in the build-up: "This is the hardest I’ve ever prepared and it had to be. I’m ready and looking forward to a hard, hard fight. This is the toughest fight of my career - Roy Jones aside - a much tougher than when I fought Yawe Davis in the WBC final eliminator (in September 2001). Johnson is a very good fighter and I know I’ll have to be at my very best next week."
Johnson, a Jamaican based in Miami, earned his eliminator by clearly outscoring Eric Harding for the vacant USBA light-heavyweight title in his last fight - the only man to have beaten Tarver (breaking his jaw in the process). He has already challenged for IBF titles at two weights - going 11 tough rounds with Bernard Hopkins before being stopped for the IBF middleweight crown in 1997 and pushing Sven Ottke closer for the super-middleweight crown in November 1999. Ottke really struggled with the hard-hitting, aggressive but clever style of the challenger and put in a big finish to edge home by scores of 115-113 (twice) and 116-112 in Dusseldorf.
It's fair to say - even in his own Sheffield - Woods won't have it easy with this guy.
British fans have already had a sample of Glencoffe's ability when in September 2000 at York Hall he outclassed Toks Owoh and halted him in six one-sided rounds. He also crushed Thomas Ulrich in six a year later in Berlin - but his willingness to take fights 'on the road' has led inevitably to several decisions going against him. He only got a draw against the unbeaten Daniel Judah in their 10-rounder in April, when most observers had him winning clearly and even the brash Judah (Zab's brother) looked embarrassed at the verdict and lifted Johnson into the air in a show of sportsmanship (Boxing Central's headline read: "Glencoffe Johnson gets robbed"). He looked similarly short-changed against Julio Cesar Gonzalez, Joseph Kiwanuka, Omar Sheika and Silvio Branco (the latter in Italy) - all of whom squeezed home on decisions that were roundly booed. "They have been ripping me off so much lately that when I was waiting for the decision, it was a very scary feeling," said Glencoffe of his unanimous points win over Harding.
In a record of 39-9-1 (27), Hopkins remains the only man to have stopped him.
Johnson is a throwback fighter in many ways, who has mastered his trade, keeps himself in good shape, and is able to compete with anyone. He once put together a winning streak of 32 and seems to be fighting as well as ever at 34 years of age. He trounced the fancied and much-avoided Harding by three scores of 116-112 last time out, applying educated pressure throughout. And his crushing six-round knockout of Thomas Ulrich two years ago looks better and better, given Ulrich recently ended the careers of Yawe Davis and Graciano Rocchigiani. It was Johnson's first fight at light-heavyweight and he never got a sniff at Ulrich's stablemate Dariusz Michalczewski afterwards. "The Tiger" seems to have fought everyone else in defence of his WBO light-heavyweight title, but not Johnson. The Jamaican is a bit too good for his own good and has struggled to get anyone to fight him. "It’s been a long time since I have been this active," he said of the three fights he's had this year.
Dangerous with both hands Johnson's 27 quick wins wins prove he is more than just a craftsman. Toks Owoh was cut down by precise left hooks in their one-sided affair three years ago - and anyone he can hit, he can hurt. His Sheffield opponent will be no exception.
But Woods has already boxed - and won - a world title eliminator against Yawe Davis in a WBC final eliminator two years ago at the same Sheffield venue he meets Johnson in. Davis, like Johnson, was a solid, experienced, well-schooled fighter, but Woods won clearly on all three scorecards after 12 quality rounds to earn himself the right to meet Jones.
The Sheffield star, one of the few fighters to have no connection with Brendan Ingle (he is managed by Dennis Hobson), really fancies his chances of dethroning WBC and IBF champion Tarver and took the same confidence into his fight with Roy Jones Junior in September last year. Clinton, having his first fight in the States but quite at home in gritty Portland, Oregon, didn't back off from the American superstar. He landed a solid right in the second, forced the fleet-footed Jones to stand and trade in the third and fourth, but the champion's heavy pot-shotting - particularly to the body - began to take its toll by the sixth and, on the prompting of Clinton's corner, referee Jay Nady stepped in midway through the round. Woods had stayed on his feet throughout!
"He's got a huge heart," said Jones afterwards.
Woods has boxed the three times since, a couple of routine confidence restorers that finished early and a tough seventh round stoppage of Detroit's Demetrius Jenkins in June that will have sharpened him up nicely for this one. Woods controlled that contest with clubbing right hands around the peekaboo guard of the Detroit fighter. But, Jenkins, who knocked out former WBA super-middleweight champion Frankie Liles a year ago, produced a number of straight rights to keep Woods on his guard.
"It were a tough fight," Woods admitted afterwards. "I was shaking my head at myself in there after I got caught with a few shots. I can tell you - he can really hit. He's tough and very heavy-handed. I’m happy that I stopped him because he's only been stopped twice before and one of them was to a cruiserweight."
And, as stated, it served as a perfect tune-up for next Friday's crucial eliminator.
Johnson can also bang of course, but tends to wear opponents down with a stream of head and body shots before the heavier artillery comes out. But Clinton is crafty, hard-punching, busy, brave - and has a solid chin on top. Ole Klemetsen is the only man to haver floored him as a pro and at 31, he will never have a better chance of securing a shot at two genuine world titles. Johnson is classy but aging. Woods (35-2) is a much better fighter for his Roy Jones Junior experience and they don't come any classier than Jones of course.
It may frustrate Woods after the time he had to wait around for a shot at Jones that he now has to box another eliminator. If he goes into the fight already thinking of Tarver, he could find himself in trouble.
But Clinton, a man who has always wanted to win genuine world titles not the lesser versions so readily available today, has never been one for expecting an easy ride. He took the same traditional route on his way up when he won British, Commonwealth and European light-heavyweight titles, all of which he never lost in the ring - as well as a Commonwealth title at super-middleweight. Yes, David Starie beat him for the latter title (Clinton moved up to light-heavy afterwards, so his claims he was weight-weakened ring true) and, yes, he's had other 'moments'. Ole Klemetsen floored him with a left hook of course (shipping one himself at the same time) and New Zealand's Sam Leuii stunned him in the third round of a Commonwealth title defence. But it's worth remembering that as well as being tougher to win than the 'joke' titles, the traditional titles are equally tougher to defend. Woods was defending against guys who really wanted it. He's learned, improved as a result; fought for an undisputed world title. "I've come through the hard way," he says himself. "You have to have it hard coming up or you are just not ready for opponents at real top level. I've had the right sorts of fights and now I’m 100 per cent ready for Johnson."
His whole boxing approach should be commended and recommended.
Clinton Woods wants a genuine world title. Two men stand in his way. Johnson and Tarver. Only Tarver will remain so come next Friday. Woods gets home on points.

[REAL_DEAL]

good write up

woods should win this fight i feel, i feel johnson will tired quickly and woods should win a wide points margin, but you never know,

[get in the ring]

Smashing write up of the fight.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm seriously leaning towards Glencoffe now in this fight. I'm not sure what Woods performance from the past suggests that he may be able to deal with a quality fighter like Johnson, who is on hot form (Ring Magazine fighter of the month). I look at Woods' last performance, and I think he looked very sloppy and ate to many right hands...possibly due to the low key importance of the fight, possibly not. Maybe we are going overboard on Woods a bit, he has't really beat any of the top names in the division, and Glencoffe is a huge step up for him. Most ranking systems have Glen rated above Woods.

I'm just worried that Johnson may know too much for Woods, and simply out work and out hustle him down the stretch. Johnson is a very busy fighter, especially early and he throws a great variety of shots. I'm not sold on Clinton's defence to be honest and think he could have some problems in this fight.

At first I thought Woods would win this one on points, with his superior ambition and home crowd acting as elements in his favour. But now, I'm thinking Johnson wins this, and he may outwork Woods over the course of the 12 rounds.

It's a fascinating fight which could really go either way!!!

[Goz]

It is a cracking match-up and Bennie's write up just set the scene even better, I'll have to remind myself to re-read it on Friday.

I've always felt that Clinton was possibly a tad over-rated, one of those fighters that got to where he did more by default than cutting a swathe through the Light-Heavyweight rankings. Just kind of hung around for few years, the odd respectable win over the likes of Davis and Klemetsen but basically treading water waiting for his turn.

That said, this doesn't mean he won't beat Johnson, I just don't see him as an over-whleming favourite.

I reckon it will go the full course and be an incredibly tight decision, the hometown factor might just nick it for Clinton.

[TT]

Clinton could challenge anyone in that division on his day...

He does lose concentration at times but definately is able enough to compete with the best...

He hasn't had many 'Top' bouts tho'..... The only two that possibly come to mind is Jones Jr. and Starie...

Glengoffe is definately a test for him and Clinton could get caught cold...