It’s been a couple of years since Glencoffe Johnson beat out Clinton Woods over two close fights to win the IBF Light-heavyweight belt, and in that time a lot has changed. Johnson flattened Roy Jones, topped Antonio Tarver, lost the Tarver rematch and has since trodden water.
 
Woods won Johnson’s old IBF belt, outboxed Julio Gonzalez, stopped old foe Jason DeLisle and has looked better and better in each performance since his duels with Johnson.

Now, with two-and-a-half years having passed since their second match, Woods and Johnson square off again on Saturday, this time at the Reebok Centre in Bolton, England. Once again, this fight figures to go right to the wire, and the big question is...who has changed the most in the last 20-odd months?

Johnson had a magnificent 2004. In February he outpunched Woods to win a highl;y competitive but clear decision. Then he shocked a comebacking Roy Jones Jr, comprehensively battering the former great before turning out his lights in the ninth round. Then, in December, he relinquished his IBF belt to take on world no.1 Antonio Tarver in an unofficial ‘People’s Light-heavyweight Champion’ match up. Despite being a big underdog, Johnson just didn’t stop punching from bell to bell. Many preferred Tarver’s cleaner work, but it didn’t matter. Johnson got the decision and many media scribes immediately nominated him ‘Fighter of the Year’.

However, the new no.1 had enjoyed a long career, and at 36 years of age some expected the wheels to fall off at any minute. Whilst that hasn’t quite happened yet, Johnson couldn’t maintain the momentum of 2004. Tarver outscored him in a rematch, and the Jamaican journeyman-cum-champion has since stayed busy with two low key wins over decent George Jones and Richard Hall, stopping the former in ten and widely outpointing the latter over twelve in his most recent performance, advancing his record to 44-10-2 (29).

It is arguable if Johnson, who will be 38 in January, can regenerate the same intensity he had in 2004 when he last fought Woods. England’s Woods, however, has seemed to go from strength to strength since the Johnson fights. After winning an IBF eliminator, Woods got the call to fight for Johnson’s old IBF belt after he relinquished it ready for the Tarver fight. His co-challenger, Rico Hoye, was an unbeaten puncher, and most neutral observers expected Woods to go down fighting, living up to his ‘nearly man’ tag that had plagued him since the two Johnson fights.

In front of his home towners in Sheffield, though, Woods controlled the action, repeatedly nailing the American until the one-sided match was stopped in the 5th. Woods was the new champion...but his first challenger was another tough one. Julio Gonzalez, who had gone the distance with a prime Roy Jones Jr and beaten Dariusz Michalczewski, was one of the dangermen of the light-heavyweight division. Woods, however, outboxed him throughout, weathering a few tough rounds when the game Mexican-American fought back hard, and claimed a unanimous decision in his best fight to date.

Following that superb win, Woods took an easy voluntary defence, looking sharp and confident as he battered Austalia’s Jason DeLisle to a 6th round stoppage to move to 39-3-1 (24). This fight demonstrated Woods’ improvement, as the same DeLisle had pushed him hard over 12 rounds just after the Johnson rematch. Woods, in a recent interview with Boxingtalk’s Spud Woollatt, confirmed his new-found form, telling him, “I am definitely stronger, fitter and mentally so much more confident and all of that says to me Glencoffe Johnson is going to lose this fight.”

So, on paper, it’s tempting to say that Johnson may have faded, even just a little, since their last fight, whilst Woods has improved considerably. But does this change the result? After all, some fighters just have another’s number, whatever the situation. In their first two matches, Woods was generally outworked by the shorter, stockier Jamaican. Johnson kept bulling forwards, throwing educated clusters of punches, whilst Woods fought at a much more measured pace. In fact, the Sheffield man seemed reluctant to let his hands go, even as the rounds ticked by. He was considered lucky to escape with a draw in the first match, and Johnson would not be denied second time around.

And whilst the 34 year old Woods seems a little sharper now than he was then, and Johnson may have slowed slightly, they have the same basic styles. Woods likes to keep his distance, boxing in an upright, European manner, working off the jab and slotting in clever counter punches. He hits fairly hard, and has a decent chin...but can he up the workrate to the extent he’ll need to if he’s going to negate all of Johnson’s non-stop attacks?

And also consider than whilst Johnson is essentially a come-forward type, he also has considerable skill. His punches are well picked and varied, and he knows just when to apply pressure, when to take a breather, when to clinch rounds with well-placed flurries and how to control the ring. Even if he’s slowed a little, all of those other attributes will stay with him to the end.

Put it altogether, and I think you’ve got a close championship match, almost guaranteed to go the distance. The question is whether the judges will like Johnson’s volume or Wood’s measured counter punches. With the fight on home territory, and bearing in mind that it took two fights for Johnson to get his deserved win, this might just tip the scales in the favour of the Englishman.

And the huge carrot being dangled for the winner is a big money match up with super-middle champion Joe Calzaghe, who has been pencilled in to face each of these men in the past, only for the fights not to come off. Frank Warren, who surprisingly won the purse bids for this fight despite Woods’ regular promoter being Dennis Hobson, has publicly stated his intention is to put Johnson in with Calzaghe, so there is extra incentive for Woods to perform. “I am delighted people are saying that,” he stated. “It will make it all the sweeter when I beat Johnson to spoil this party people are planning.”

The Pick: Expect a close and hard fought twelve rounder, with some decent exhanges and quality work from both men. Each fighter will raise his hands at the final bell thinking he has won, and it will be up to the judges to pick a winner. With the fight being on home territory for Woods, and bearing in mind the numerous decisions to have gone against Johnson in the past, I think that this might be another one. England’s IBF champion retains by the narrowest of margins. WOODS SD 12

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