File photo shows Sports Minister Portia Simpson Miller (right) presenting International Boxing Organisation (IBO) light heavyweight champion, Glen Johnson (centre), with a photograph at the Jamaica Boxing Association (JBA) luncheon in his honour at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on January 17 this year. At left is JBA former president, Leroy Brown. - FILE
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CMC):
JAMAICA'S INTERNATIONAL Boxing Organisation (IBO) light-heavyweight champion Glen Johnson was crowned Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) at their Awards Banquet at the Mandalay Bay resort on Friday night.
Johnson, who scored three huge triumphs during 2004, including a victory in February over Britain's Clinton Woods to claim his first world title the International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt was also hailed as the Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine, considered the 'bible' of boxing publications.
"It's wonderful for me to be part of an event this big. It's a privilege for me and I'm honoured that people have taken time out to do this for me," Johnson said about his award.
Johnson said the presentation validates the hard work and sacrifice he has made in his 12-year professional career.
"Awards like this are based on opinions of the work you put out there and how they think of it and how they judge it. I'm just glad to be receiving this award," he said.
The 36-year-old Johnson enjoyed a bumper year in 2004 that started with a points win on February 6 over Woods for the IBF belt.
He then crushed highly regarded American Roy Jones in a ninth round knockout in September, and defeated Antonio Tarver, also of the USA, on December 18 for bragging rights as the world's best light heavyweight.
RING RECORD
In one of the biggest light heavy-weight title fights in recent years, Johnson (IBF) and Tarver (World Boxing Council) gave up their world titles because the world governing bodies for their titles refused to sanction the bout that earned the two fighters their biggest ever paydays -- Tarver, US$3 million, and Johnson, US$1 million.
Johnson has a ring record of 42 wins (28 knockouts) against nine losses and two draws, and is the third Caribbean boxer after Trinidadian Leslie Stewart and Jamaican Mike McCallum to land a world light heavyweight title.
In preparation for a June 18 rematch with Tarver, Johnson has already started training for the bout.
