TUREANO JOHNSON: ‘FIGHTING JASON QUIGLEY IS A HAPPY FEELING!’

MIDDLEWEIGHT TUREANO JOHNSON POUNDS THE MITTS AT A MEDIA WORKOUT IN NEW YORK CITY. PHOTO BY TOM HOGAN/HOGANPHOTOS/GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS17JUL

BY MICHAEL WOODS

This one is probably an actual crossroads fight. Tureano Johnson is coming off a loss, then a draw. He’s 35 years of age and we all know that in all regions of life, the talons owned by Father Time can appear particularly sharp and nasty.

On Thursday night, Johnson takes on younger gun Jason Quigley, a 28-year-old Irishman who holds a 16-0 (with 12 knockouts) record. Johnson seems to be in a good place mentally, as he told RingTV.com (where his fight will be screened) that his camp has been stellar..

“This has been a well-planned camp and decision to fight,” Johnson said. “When we got the news, it was an immediate ‘yes’ with no hesitation. In fact it was a fight we were hoping and looking forward to when we watched (Quigley) live fighting Glen Tapia. A good camp makes most go well.”

Admission: I enjoy interacting with the Bahamas-born Johnson. Man is polite as heck.Join DAZN and live stream more than 100 fight nights a year!

“How have you been?” he asked me, right off the bat, a bit rare for an athlete, even one to whom you’ve spoken many, many times over the years.

And you, Tureano?

“I’m definitely more than 10. This is a beautiful fight and a good win for me, tailor made for me! One, (Quigley) hold a title (NABF middleweight). Two, that title was a gift to him that I believe he shouldn’t have had. And three, there are levels to boxing and he’s nowhere near my quality. Don’t get me wrong; the boy can fight. He poses a threat to anyone, including me, but with the experience, strength and speed with my overwhelming conditioning, yeah, it feels great being the challenger.”

He explained more so why he’s feeling so on point leading into the match. “I really do feel great. I’m with Andre Rozier, my head coach. But I can’t leave out the other coaches. Terrence Simpson and Lenny Wilson, who assists Andre here in New York. And Isidoro Nicolas, from Cuba, who’s my strength and conditioning coach in Atlanta at the X3SPORTS gym.”

So was Johnson (20-2-1, 14 KOs) down after losing to Sergey Derevyanchenko and then drawing with 26-13-1 Fernando Castaneda, not to mention his December 2018 fight versus David Lemieux was scrapped at the last minute because Lemieux was hospitalized after having difficulty making weight? “There is nothing sad in this camp or me. We lost a legend of a fighter, ‘Sweet Pea’ Pernell Whittaker; that’s sad. Fighting Quigley is a happy feeling!”

Sergiy Derevyanchenko (left) vs. Tureano Johnson. Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions

Golden Boy Promotions executive Robert Diaz checked in with RingTV.com and answered as to what he sees the stakes being in this fight, part of an eight-bout card at Fantasy Springs Casino, in Indio, California.

“A very important fight for both. Winner moves into big fights; loser however must think whats next. Very good even fight that will tell us where winner is!”

Readers, who likes the vet in this face-off? Or who thinks that youth will be served and hold on to his strap? Tell us in comments section.