Southern California heavyweight Damian "Bolo' Wills returns to the national spotlight next month to battle fellow prospect Kevin Johnson August 3 on Showtime. The normally mild-mannered Wills vows to punish Johnson after reading demeaning comments he made to this website.
 
"I'm (gonna) murder that guy,' Wills said, speaking by phone. " I went on Boxing Talk and that headline I seen was him talking about how he was gonna embarrass me and make me quit. That was highly disrespectful I thought.'
 
"In my whole career I've never told another fighter I'm gonna make him quit or anything like that. Now, I'm (gonna) make his ass quit on his back.'
 
An impressive win by either fighter will significantly raise their stock in the talent-starved heavyweight division. For Wills, 27, who is coming off a November TKO loss to unbeaten Chris Arreola, a win is necessary to remain considered a legitimate prospect.
 
"Most definitely, it's a must win for me,' he said. "It's a great opportunity. I think it'll put me right back into the position I was before Arreola.'
 
Prior to that fight, the son of former heavyweight contender Mark Wills had finally scrapped his way to respectability while learning on the job in the professional ranks. Wills turned pro in 2002 with no amateur experience, and had only started seriously training 2 years prior after his uncle Cedric Wills introduced him to trainer Terry Claybon in an effort to help his nephew get a new start in life after a troubled past.
 
He went 15-0 with 13 KO's against an assortment of journeymen before being held to a draw by veteran Sedreck Fields in June 2005. Almost 9 months later, Wills avenged
the draw by soundly out boxing Fields en route to a unanimous decision win.
 
 Victories over former contender Yanqui Diaz and spoiler Cisse Salif followed, before Wills suffered the stoppage loss to Arreola on the Mayweather-Baldomir undercard in Las Vegas. Wills had some good moments, but trailed on points when the bout was halted in the 7th round. Bolo's conditioning and dedication were questioned afterwards, but the fighter claims a hand injury hampered his preparation.
 
 "I had been injured. I couldn't spar,' he said. "My trainer wanted to call the fight off. I was demanding him to take the fight.'
 
"I had to go to the emergency room 2 weeks before the fight. They told me to take 2 or 3 months off. I was like ‘I can beat this guy with one hand'. That didn't happen. Before that, I'd never lost a fight in my life. It really hurt.'
 
The sting will be twice as bad if he loses to Johnson, whose pre-fight boasts have rankled the Hollywood resident. Wills says he has a business proposition for Johnson.
 
"When I'm done knocking him out, he can become my sparring partner.'

M

Send questions and comments to: desiquietman@yahoo.com