By: Staff Writer
March 2, 2021
Tureano Johnson, world title contender in the middleweight division, told Caribbean Magazine Plus that it has been over five months since he suffered that horrific lip injury in his last fight where he challenged for a minor title on his way to a world title shot against Mexican superstar, Jaime Munguía where he said his lip is “fine” and he would give thanks to God as he is doing just fine now. “The doctors had immediately worked on me and my lip is like it had never been damaged before, but it was a crucial moment and I must give God thanks for the results afterwards,” he added.
Johnson also said: “I’m back into training now. I’m on the wall and a lot of work has to be done. I’m fighting for more than myself. I’m back into training and I’m doing what God blessed me to do.”
The 2008 Olympian feels ready to represent himself and his country again so he can provide for his family and he still enjoys “beating people up.”
He added: “I’m back into training at the moment. I’ve been training. I just took a month off training, just trying to recap what took place and fix the mistakes that we’ve made, but we’re back into camp back into training and getting in shape.”
Johnson’s longest layoff was in 2016 where he went the entire year without a fighting, with his last fight coming in October, 2015 and his next fight in March, 2017 but he promises not to miss a step as he vies for world title contention once again.
Johnson also told us for his next fight he is looking at making a comeback in his native country, The Bahamas. “Unlike those that were taking place at home, we’re going to bring home quality fights to the Bahamas. No more lacklustre.”
“I feel as though the stigma that folks have on the Bahamian boxing community that you know, we just bring trash around with and rightfully so, our Bahamian public ought to feel. So, we have fighters and we are bringing quality opponents.”
A “big match” is being planned for The Bahamas, although Johnson didn’t give us a specific date he is targeting, but he is looking for “the next big name” in Bahamian boxing. But in the meantime, he’s just waiting for his “next title shot and I will seize every great effort,” he said.
But while he waits for his next title shot, Johnson is working on his outreach programme called the “Big Brother Outreach ministry” that he started back in, 2017 which is “near and dear to his heart” and has the support of members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and several other key sponsors who have helped him and his programme along the way along with the emotional and strong home support of his wife Natasha who is working “diligently” with him and supporting him all the way.
Johnson also told us about his life now and how he is spending his downtime waiting for the next big fight while he trains and continues to heal up, where he said: “My life now is not a complex one, it is one that you have to stay busy in your day to day focused.”
“You cannot lie down and die,” describing his last fight as a “discouraging moment” because he was winning the fight before he suffered that horrific cut on his lip that forced the referee to stop the contest in round six. But he is not commiserating over it and is moving on, he said: “I’m here for a reason and a purpose, and our purpose is bigger than myself. So I was down for a moment but I’m up and I’m back working again.”
Johnson has not stayed far away from boxing due to his injury or the COVID-19 as he commentates from time to time, as he said commentating “opened up opportunities,” for him but “his office is in the ring,” despite his second calling being a fight commentator.