BoxRec

I was just being an anorak & looking through some old records (Humberto Gonzalez lost to Rolando Pascua who lost to Julio Cesar Borboa whose career ended to Harold Grey whose career ended to Carl Johanneson ) when I remembered that Carl's first dozen or so fights were in the States.

So looking at his Wiki page it says he served 4 years in the British Army. He turned pro in North Carolina in the high school gym of a tiny town of 1,200 people on a bill containing 8 fighters, 5 of whom were making their debuts, 2 of whom had big losing records & the main event was a 5-0 novice. This was a month before his 22nd birthday.

So how did a bloke in the British Army suddenly end up fighting in smaller venues on the East Coast of the USA? Did he join the army at 16 & had a gap between leaving the army & turning pro in America or did something drastic happen?

I know there's quite a few of you Northern Lads connected to the game so I'd love to hear some background information.

Also, what's Carl up to these days?

Cheers

Johanneson linked up with his old amateur boxing trainer, John Durkin, who had emigrated to New Jersey. Carl's uncle is Albert Johanneson, the first black player to play in an FA cup final.

He was excellent at his best. What a doing he gave Ricky Burns!

Tomasino wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 06:43 He was excellent at his best. What a doing he gave Ricky Burns!

He was one punch away from knocking Kevin Mitchell out as well. People seem to forget that.

His career would have been very different had he won that fight.

His career can be split into two distinct parts (pre-Mitchell and post-Mitchell). allegedly paid him a huge purse for the Mitchell fight (three-times what most boxers at British title level get these days) and he used that money to lick his wounds with...in the pub...for two years.

While he came back and fought for the British title again, he was never the same fighter after that two year lay off.

fun fighter. his fights with that bald armenian guy were painful to watch.

Carl was a Burmantofts boxer before he joined the army. Whilst with the army he lost a Leeds derby versus Levi Pattison in the ABA's when he was stopped. He did go to America to link up with Durkin like Bennie said, but whilst there his partner died forcing him to come home heartbroken. Never a chatty type, he was even more withdrawn but linked up with the controversial Rick Manners, who did enough talking for both...
Carl could really bang and dropped pro middleweights in the gym. I saw him not too long ago at an amateur show and he's a solid 12st minimum. His legs are like tree trunks.

jamamb wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 07:11 fun fighter. his fights with that bald armenian guy were painful to watch.

Levan Kirakosyan, he was truly Carls bogeyman.

mickey1975 wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 07:24 Carl was a Burmantofts boxer before he joined the army. Whilst with the army he lost a Leeds derby versus Levi Pattison in the ABA's when he was stopped. He did go to America to link up with Durkin like Bennie said, but whilst there his partner died forcing him to come home heartbroken. Never a chatty type, he was even more withdrawn but linked up with the controversial Rick Manners, who did enough talking for both...
Carl could really bang and dropped pro middleweights in the gym. I saw him not too long ago at an amateur show and he's a solid 12st minimum. His legs are like tree trunks.

Yeah he was a strong strong man, if his feet were a bit lighter hed have been world level IMO

Cheers everyone. I knew I could rely on you.

Did Durkin train anyone else decent?

Wake up call wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 07:02

Tomasino wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 06:43 He was excellent at his best. What a doing he gave Ricky Burns!

He was one punch away from knocking Kevin Mitchell out as well. People seem to forget that.

His career would have been very different had he won that fight.

His career can be split into two distinct parts (pre-Mitchell and post-Mitchell). allegedly paid him a huge purse for the Mitchell fight (three-times what most boxers at British title level get these days) and he used that money to lick his wounds with...in the pub...for two years.

While he came back and fought for the British title again, he was never the same fighter after that two year lay off.

He hit Mitchell that night with everything. Great fight that was.

dave_smith wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 16:20

Wake up call wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 07:02

Tomasino wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 06:43 He was excellent at his best. What a doing he gave Ricky Burns!

He was one punch away from knocking Kevin Mitchell out as well. People seem to forget that.

His career would have been very different had he won that fight.

His career can be split into two distinct parts (pre-Mitchell and post-Mitchell). allegedly paid him a huge purse for the Mitchell fight (three-times what most boxers at British title level get these days) and he used that money to lick his wounds with...in the pub...for two years.

While he came back and fought for the British title again, he was never the same fighter after that two year lay off.

He hit Mitchell that night with everything. Great fight that was.

I was there that night, cracking fight, also saw him live against Sykes , lost on points but dropped Sykes heavily

I was there against Sykes. Sat ringside with George Groves!

Counter-puncher wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 08:01

mickey1975 wrote: ↑23 Dec 2017, 07:24 Carl was a Burmantofts boxer before he joined the army. Whilst with the army he lost a Leeds derby versus Levi Pattison in the ABA's when he was stopped. He did go to America to link up with Durkin like Bennie said, but whilst there his partner died forcing him to come home heartbroken. Never a chatty type, he was even more withdrawn but linked up with the controversial Rick Manners, who did enough talking for both...
Carl could really bang and dropped pro middleweights in the gym. I saw him not too long ago at an amateur show and he's a solid 12st minimum. His legs are like tree trunks.

Yeah he was a strong strong man, if his feet were a bit lighter hed have been world level IMO

him and burns are a good example of how hard work and the right attitude can lead to a career better than talent alone would suggest. if he had the same determination and work ethic as ricky he would have been world level, he had ricky beat in every physical department.
i can remember being angry as f**k watching his second fight with kirakosyan (sp?) at the lack of commitment and self belief after the pasting he dished out to ricky. it showed he could dish it out when in with a much lighter puncher but wasn't willing to suck it up himself when it needed grinding out.

On his day, he was some fighter

Levan Kirakosyan, blast from the last. A crippling puncher: Scott Lawton and Gomez rated him the hardest hitter they'd ever been in with. Johannesson seemed to get overwhelmed and put in his shell by the power whereas Gomez was able to gut it out and turn the fight around despite being hurt in the fifth.

One of his early fights was onboard a WW2 aircraft carrier.

I remember he was meant to fight eddie nevins and something happened and the fight was called off so eddie nevins fought a gym mate of mine at the time,peter allen,and peter beat eddie nevins,didnt claim the central area title for some reason but had a crack at carl Johansson and at that time he went the longest with him think it went 9 rounds. Peter was a journey man but always went in the ring to win,didnt class himself as a journeyman

Loved watching Carl. A very introverted, quiet person (his eyes always seemed to display a certain sadness) he came alive in the ring. His doo with Mitchell one of the best fights I've watched live. It's a fight he could have won too. Glad he seems to be doing OK.

banjo wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 12:08 One of his early fights was onboard a WW2 aircraft carrier.

Please elaborate Banjo

Taansend wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 16:21

banjo wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 12:08 One of his early fights was onboard a WW2 aircraft carrier.

Please elaborate Banjo

He fought on USS Intrepid in New York on the same card as Victor Polo.

banjo wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 17:04

Taansend wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 16:21

banjo wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 12:08 One of his early fights was onboard a WW2 aircraft carrier.

Please elaborate Banjo

He fought on USS Intrepid in New York on the same card as Victor Polo.

Holy sh!t, that's the bill where Beethoven Scotland died (I know I spelt his name wrong)

Taansend wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 21:04

banjo wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 17:04

Taansend wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 16:21

Please elaborate Banjo

He fought on USS Intrepid in New York on the same card as Victor Polo.

Holy sh!t, that's the bill where Beethoven Scotland died (I know I spelt his name wrong)

That's the one, George Khalid Jones was never quite the same man after that even after Scottlands wife encouraged him carry on boxing, he fought a few more years before being stopped by Glen Johnson in his final bout.

banjo wrote: ↑25 Dec 2017, 07:23

Taansend wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 21:04

banjo wrote: ↑24 Dec 2017, 17:04

He fought on USS Intrepid in New York on the same card as Victor Polo.

Holy sh!t, that's the bill where Beethoven Scotland died (I know I spelt his name wrong)

That's the one, George Khalid Jones was never quite the same man after that even after Scottlands wife encouraged him carry on boxing, he fought a few more years before being stopped by Glen Johnson in his final bout.

I remember when Scottland was a young prospect & a boxing magazine had their jokey next year predictions piece & they said he was going to go far because he had good rhythm & a tight defence .

For those not old enough to remember Scottland here's a nice piece written just after his death..........

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/09/sport ... death.html

I remember giving Johanneson a real chance going into the Kirakosyan rematch but he was blown away