Sport

Johnson eyeing mid-year rematch

Glen Johnson - file

miami, florida, cmc

JAMAICA'S INTERNATIONAL Boxing Organisation (IBO) light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson is expecting a mid-year date for his rematch with American Antonio Tarver.

Johnson, 35, won a split decision when the two met in December last year in a big-money fight in Los Angeles for bragging rights as the world's best light heavyweight boxer, and Johnson is anxious to get back into the ring.

Excited return

"I am very excited about coming back to the ring. I have a rematch with Antonio coming up and I am looking forward to it," he said.

Johnson said it is confirmed that the fight will happen and he is now awaiting details from the television network Home Box Office (HBO).

"HBO accepted the fight and they said they will give us a date in June or July. We are just waiting on the figure, the date, and the place," Johnson said.

Their December 18 contest was close. Johnson won 115-113 on the scorecards of judges Chuck Giampa and Melvina Lathan and lost 116-112 on Marty Denkin's card, to improve his ring record to 42 wins (28 knockouts) against nine losses and two draws.

Tarver slipped to 22 wins (18 knockouts) against three defeats but earned US$2.5 million for the fight.

Johnson got US$1 million, the biggest pay-day of his career, and is also eyeing a possible rematch with undisputed world middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, who handed him his first career defeat in July 1997.

"I am wide open you know. Bernard Hopkins said on TV that he would like to do a rematch and I am looking forward to doing that if it is possible," Johnson said.