The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN just over a week, Tureano ‘Reno’ Johnson will step back into the ring to take on American Eamonn O’Kane at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The 12-round undercard bout on Friday, October 17 will be carried live on HBO Pay-Per-View show that will be highlighted by the main event between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux.

“My preparation for the fight has been excellent,” said Johnson in an interview with The Tribune from Washington, DC where he is training under his new coach Tyrone Jones. “Definitely, you are going to see a different type of fighting from me and you’re going to see an even more improved fighter also.”

This will be the first appearance for the 31-year-old Johnson in the ring since he won the vacant WBA International and WBC Silver middleweight titles on January 9 over Alex Theran in Madison Square Garden in a five-round decision. The fight will serve as an IBF title eliminator for the rights to face the winner of the Golovkin vs Lemieux match-up.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Johnson of the chance to get a shot at a world title. “I’ve always made it known that I’m a credible world champion and I deserve the opportunity to fight for a world title. I’m glad that it’s going to happen this way, than for me to ask to fight Triple G or David Lemieux or Miguel Cotto, all who hold world titles.

“With me being in the rankings, it puts me in a mandatory position where there is no way anybody can say no. I am so grateful to God for making all of this happen for me, fighting in a world title eliminator.”

Johnson comes into the fight with an 18-1 win-loss record with 13 knockouts, while O’Kane is 14-1-1 with five KO.

“There isn’t much to know about him, but I pretty much know about his fighting style,” Johnson said of O’Kane. “It’s sufficient for me at this moment. He’s a strong, durable guy and yes, we do have a game plan in store for him. At the same time, you will see a lot of the old Tureano and a lot of improved Tureano.”

Since he started with Jones, Johnson said he has added a jab to his repertoire.

“You will probably see about a two per cent change with me throwing at least 2-3 more jabs than I usually do in the fight,” Johnson said. “You will also see a more endurance Tureano as well as much more technical fighter from Tureano. So you will see a more improved fighter.”

If all things go as planned, Johnson said he doesn’t intend to go the distance.

“My training has been going so well, it’s hard to tell,” he said. “I don’t know if my opponent is going to be able to take this amount of onslaught punches that I will throw at him. It may last a few rounds or it may just go to the scorecards. Either way, my hand will be raised as the victor.”

Still without a management team since he split up his last group, Johnson said Jones and his sister Kayla Johnson, who will also be in his corner, have been working diligently to get him ready and he has been subject to the longest training camp that he has ever encountered because of the magnitude of the fight.

“We couldn’t spare anytime,” Johnson said. “So definitely, everything is going as planned.”

In the United States, Johnson said the Americans have been energised and everywhere he has gone, they have been talking about the show.

“They’ve heard me from time to time calling out O’Kane and Triple G and now I have the opportunity to be in the same arena with them,” he said. “So once winning this fight, which I am most certain of, the fans will get a chance to see me go for a world title shot very soon.”

To the Bahamian public, also supportive of his efforts, Johnson advised them to “continue to keep me in prayers. Of course, the good Lord has brought me this far and I’m praying that he will continue to bless me, my wife, my daughter and the rest of my family as we continue this journey.”

Note: Reno Johnson’s family, expected to be in the stands for the fight, are all set to hold a souse-out 6:30 am to noon Monday (October 12) at the Pinewood Gardens Park for his father Erwin Johnson, who is recovering from an illness.