By GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor

Glen Johnson - file

Despite battering and eventually scoring an impressive technical knockout over Hugo Pineda on Saturday night, Jamaican-born boxer Glen Johnson is convinced the Colombian provided valuable practice for his world light heavyweight championship fight against American Chad Dawson in April.

According to Johnson, 39, who is originally from Clarendon but now resides in Florida, United States, Pineda and Dawson are somewhat similar in body build and ring styles. The 5' 11" fighter expects the 25-year-old World Boxing Council (WBC) champion to be a tougher opponent and "slightly faster," but he vows Dawson, like Pineda, will not take him by surprise.

"Both are southpaws over six feet tall," Johnson explained yesterday. "You have two guys who will stand in front of you (and fight).

"He (Pineda) is a tall fighter, which is good practice for Chad Dawson. There are some similarities with the two."

TKO

Pineda proved that much on Saturday, engaging Johnson in a slugfest before he was first dropped in the seventh round and then stopped in the eighth when referee David Fields ruled he was taking too much punishment.

"We slugged it out. He was on the retreat, but I hunted him down and gave it to him," Johnson said about the scheduled 10-rounder, which was staged in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

"I got him to fight me where I wanted him."

Johnson, who upped his ring record to 47 wins, 11 losses and two draws Saturday night, said he will not be taking the American lightly. He respects his talent.

"Dawson is a good fighter," he said, "young guy with good hand speed. Good quality.

"And," he added with emphasis of the 6' 3" undefeated fighter with a record of 26 wins featuring 17 knockouts, plus one no-contest who won the WBC title in February 2007, "he is the champ.

"I do not underestimate him. That's the last thing I would want to do."

Johnson, who returned to Florida on Sunday, said he will take a "one or two weeks" to recuperate from the Pineda fight before returning to the gym to prepare for his April 12 showdown with Dawson, scheduled for Tampa, Florida. He has no doubt he will be ready.

"I'm real sharp," Johnson said. "I am sharp now."

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.