The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Having gotten off to such an impressive start to his professional boxing career in the US, Taureano ‘Reno’ Johnson has ran into a road block - trying to find opponents willing to give him an opportunity to fight.

With his first 11 fights under his belt since he moved to Atlanta to launch his pro career on March 5, 2010, Johnson is frustrated after his pending September 21 fight was called off. Now he will have to wait until October 27 to get back in the ring, but he’s not sure who his opponent will be.

“Right now, I just finished talking to my manager. We’re trying to get a fight in Florida before the end of the month, but we have a fight confirmed for October 27 in California,” Johnson said. “I don’t know who the opponent will be because it seems like I can’t get an opponent in the ring.”

With about three weeks left before he heads to California, Johnson said he’s concentrating on his “strength-training and sparring.”

Whoever his opponent is, Johnson said he’s hoping to use him as a tune-up for the possibility of taking on Billy Joe Saunders for the Caribbean and Commonwealth middleweight titles.

Saunders, a southpaw from England, won the vacant Commonwealth title on April 28 with a first round knockout over Tony Hill in Kensington, London.

Saunders, 23, has successfully defended the title twice - first on June 1 with a 12 round unanimous decision over Bradley Pryce and second on September 14 with a second round knockout over Jarrod Fletcher - at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. With the performances, Saunders has improved his record to 15-0.

Johnson, five years older at age 28, said his management team is working on trying to have the title fight staged right here in the Bahamas.

“Billy Joe Saunders has to accept the fight,” said Johnson before any venue can be looked at.

“We both have very good records, we both went to the Beijing Olympics (in 2008), but I finished in a higher round than he did. Right now, he’s the Commonwealth champion and he has to first accept the fight.

“Once he does, the negotiating team will work out the details to try to get the fight in the Bahamas. I’m really looking forward to that because it would be the first time that I will get to fight at home since turning pro.”

In the meantime, Johnson said he’s also keeping his fingers crossed in hopes that he will end up getting a good opponent who can give him the work that he needs in the ring on October 27 so that he can properly prepare for the anticipated title fight against Saunders in about five months.