The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

POISED to take a major step forward in his career in his quest toward a major title fight, Bahamian prize fighter Tureano Johnson promises to take advantage of his opportunity.

It was announced yesterday that the October 17 bout was recently added to the list of HBO televised fights on the card and the 31-year-old Johnson made a bold promise to his fanbase at home and abroad.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that has been awarded to me, to be able to fight in the IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator,” he said.

“It was long awaited, I feel like I am halfway there on the path to accomplishing my goal to becoming a world champion and with Golden Boy Promotions at my side I know it’s inevitable. HBO Pay-Per-View is a major platform and I’m excited to have been chosen and featured as one of their televised fights. I know that the fans have high expectations and they will not be disappointed.”

Johnson, ranked fourth by the IBF (18-1, 13 KO), is slated to face Eamonn O’Kane (14-1-1, 5 KO) at Madison Square Garden, New York, on October 17.

The fight will be on the undercard of the HBO Boxing Pay-Per-View, highlighted by the highly anticipated Gennady Golovkin versus David Lemieux bout.

The winner of the Johnson/O’Kane bout will become the mandatory challenger to the IBF title currently held by Lemieux. It now joins the list of televised bouts on the card which also includes the aforementioned main event in addition to Ramon Gonzalez versus Brian Viloria. Luis Ortis versus Matias Vidando.

“I am looking forward to proving I am the next great middleweight champion on October 17,” O’Kane said. “I have been waiting for this opportunity my whole career and now that it is finally here I am glad it will be at the ‘Mecca of Boxing,’ Madison Square Garden.”

Golovkin vs. Lemieux is presented by K2 Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with GGG Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management.

It will be the first fight for Johnson since he made the switch from Roc Nation Sports to Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions.

Golovkin and Lemieux have long been targets of Johnson since his fifth round TKO over Alex Theran last January in his debut of Roc Nation Sports.

With just one fight under his belt under Roc Nation Sports and inactivity since the Theran bout, Johnson made the move to Golden Boy Promotions.

Gary Shaw co-promotes the dangerous Johnson for his next couple of bouts, but has sold his contract to Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy outfit. “Tureano is a great fighter and will beat O’Kane,” he said to ESPN.com. “He will go on to win the world title.”

With his change in promoter, Johnson has also decided to revamp his whole team, bringing in a new trainer and manager. “With a new team, trainer (Tyrone Jones), manager (Garcia O Staley Sr of Titanium Sports & Entertainment) and promoter in Golden Boy, I would say I have made a golden decision,” Johnson said. “The legacy lives on.”