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Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 14:19
by drunkenpiper36
Think I saw this guy once around 1988 or 89. Used to enter the ring in a coffin and dressed like a vampire. Seemed like a respectable journeyman who was in some good middle weight fights. Apparently after he retired, he became a bus driver in his hometown.

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 15:31
by palooka
Did he drive the bus dressed like dracular? Think he drives a bus in Doncaster.

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 16:02
by Caractacus
drunkenpiper36 wrote:Think I saw this guy once around 1988 or 89. Used to enter the ring in a coffin and dressed like a vampire. Seemed like a respectable journeyman who was in some good middle weight fights. Apparently after he retired, he became a bus driver in his hometown.
Hey Druckenpiper,
You wouldnt by any chance happen to live in Rapid City,South Dakota would you?
Because thats were I saw him fight a local boxer.

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 16:28
by Ambling Alp II
He had a few fights on TV in the early 1980s; I believe they were on ESPN and NBC. Always thought a match with Frank "The Animal" Fletcher would have been a natural.

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 16:52
by Broomhall
Ambling Alp II wrote:He had a few fights on TV in the early 1980s; I believe they were on ESPN and NBC. Always thought a match with Frank "The Animal" Fletcher would have been a natural.
Got banged out by John "the beast" Mugabi who also beat Frank "The Animal" Fletcher. There is some footage of Johnson on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDX9w4HmheM

and Mugabi V Fletcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKBL5dmNL2g

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 18:01
by drunkenpiper36
Caractacus wrote:
drunkenpiper36 wrote:Think I saw this guy once around 1988 or 89. Used to enter the ring in a coffin and dressed like a vampire. Seemed like a respectable journeyman who was in some good middle weight fights. Apparently after he retired, he became a bus driver in his hometown.
Hey Druckenpiper,
You wouldnt by any chance happen to live in Rapid City,South Dakota would you?
Because thats were I saw him fight a local boxer.

Nah. I'm from the Chicagoland area, and saw him on TV. I don't even remember who he was fighting or even if the broadcasting was live. This was late 80's.

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 27 Aug 2014, 11:18
by Caractacus
drunkenpiper36 wrote:
Caractacus wrote:
drunkenpiper36 wrote:Think I saw this guy once around 1988 or 89. Used to enter the ring in a coffin and dressed like a vampire. Seemed like a respectable journeyman who was in some good middle weight fights. Apparently after he retired, he became a bus driver in his hometown.
Hey Druckenpiper,
You wouldnt by any chance happen to live in Rapid City,South Dakota would you?
Because thats were I saw him fight a local boxer.

Nah. I'm from the Chicagoland area, and saw him on TV. I don't even remember who he was fighting or even if the broadcasting was live. This was late 80's.
I saw him fight in March 1984.

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 27 Aug 2014, 11:31
by Ambling Alp II
Broomhall wrote:
Ambling Alp II wrote:He had a few fights on TV in the early 1980s; I believe they were on ESPN and NBC. Always thought a match with Frank "The Animal" Fletcher would have been a natural.
Got banged out by John "the beast" Mugabi who also beat Frank "The Animal" Fletcher. There is some footage of Johnson on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDX9w4HmheM

and Mugabi V Fletcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKBL5dmNL2g
Thanks for the links. Fletcher's has some entertaining fights as well. His mom would be standing up, screaming her lungs out.
Mugabi was a really good fighter (for a while at least) and a couple of levels better than Fletcher and Johnson.
"The Beast", "The Animal", "Vampire", they did have some cool nicknames didn't they?

Re: Wilbert "vampire" Johnson

Posted: 27 Aug 2014, 13:05
by palooka
Yeah, the nick names were made for TV; they were very decent fighters as well and would put on a real show.