The Boxing Examiner

One-on-One with Chris “Showtime” Johnson

TheBoxingExaminer.com recently had a chance to chat with Chris “Mr Showtime” Johnson about all things boxing…

Chris Johnson started his boxing career in Kitchener, Ontario at the age of 8. With more than 250 amateur bouts, Chris captured a Bronze Medal for Canada at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He turned professional shortly after the Olympics where he built an impressive professional record of 27-3-1 before retiring in 2001. He currently runs his own gym in Mississauga, Ontario

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TBE:  First I’d like to say congratulations to you and Steve on recapturing the IBF Jr Featherweight title.

CJ: Thank You.

TBE:  Can you give us your assessment of Steve’s performance?

CJ:  Since the Caballero knockout I think this was the best performance that he had, I think that this just builds his confidence.  What I could see throughout the fight was spurts of brilliance, but it was just spurts and that has to do with his confidence, slowly but surely it’s coming back.  I think that the next fight he’ll pop up to the next level because Steve Molitor is all about confidence so once you see that confidence you’ll see a great Molitor

TBE:  Do you know what’s next for Steve Molitor in terms of fights?

CJ:  No, I don’t know.  I hear rumours that it might be (Jason) Booth, but that’s rumours I really have no idea!  My job as trainer is to make sure he’s ready and he will be.

TBE:  You have opened your own gym in Mississauga can you tell us a bit about your gym?

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CJ:  I opened a gym called Clancy’s Boxing Academy, I love it because with my own gym it’s a passion, I’ve been in different gyms since starting my career as a trainer in 2003 and I’ve been in and out of so many gyms.  I realized that the only way that Chris Johnson can be successful is to run my own facility and that’s what I’ve done.  It’s probably the best thing I’ve done as far as the freedom aspect of it, I’m free to do whatever it is I want to do, If I want to close the gym at 12am that’s what I do, it’s a breath of fresh air.  I’m usually there from 11am until 8pm it’s a labour of love, all I want to do is make champions!

TBE:  You’re building quite a stable of prospects and rising stars!

CJ:  Like I said it’s a labour of love.  This is what I’ve been doing my entire life.  People laugh at me or ridicule me when I say that I will change the sport in this country.  It’s not a joke it’s something I truly believe in and I dedicate my life to it.  It’s my passion and I believe that if you believe you can do the impossible.  This is my destiny!

TBE: Tell us about some of the fighters you have in the gym that are coming up?

CJ:  Let’s start with the amateurs, I have a 15 year old phenom Zolt Daranyi, this kid is unbelievable, I have Kingsley Alexander who is a bright young southpaw very intelligent all these guys have only been boxing for a few years their futures are bright.  Then of course there is Colin Fish, this kid is unbelievable.  He is National Champion and won the best boxer award at the Nationals and I look forward to him winning an Olympic Gold medal he has that type of talent and there are many more kids in the gym so I’m excited. 

TBE:  What pros do you have in the gym?

CJ:  We’ve got Sammy “The Bull” Vargas who just had his 3^rd win in Montreal and Victor Lupo who also fought on that card in Montreal and he looked great like a Champion, a star in the making and there is Andrew Singh Kooner who will be fighting for the NABA title on May 15^th in Brampton and of course there’s “The Canadian Kid” Steve Molitor 2x Jr Featherweight Champion and Logan McGuinness 10-0 probably the brightest young star rising in Canada right now.

TBE:  You mentioned your young Canadian amateur champion Colin Fish, we heard reports that he just came back from England can you tell us about that trip?

CJ:  Oh yeah, Colin was over there sparring with WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch getting him ready for his fight with Mikkel Kessler in the Super Six World Boxing Classic.  He enjoyed himself very much and he gained valuable experience from Carl Froch.  These are the types of experiences that will catapult him not only in the amateur ranks but also in the professional ranks.  I won an Olympic Bronze medal not a gold and I won the NABF title not a world title, I know I had the talent to make it to the highest level but it never happened and that is my dream for these young fighters I have now, to make it to the highest levels.

TBE:  You mentioned the Olympic Bronze medal you won in the ’92 games.  That was the first year the electronic scoring system was implemented, you lost in the semi’s to Chris Byrd a future Heavyweight champion and I know you met him twice before that and beat him both times and I’m sure you were the odds on favourite for Gold do you blame the scoring system for your loss?

CJ:  To be honest to this day I still think it was a mistake in the scoring, but I think they think they would look unprofessional if they were to correct it.  I truly believe that after that first round it should have been 7-1 my way instead of 7-1 his way.  I remember distinctly look up at the score after the first round and I said to my coach “Arnie they made a mistake go check it” and Arnie went and checked it and they said no it’s right.  I was really hurt and dejected and it threw me off my game.  It was like a balloon and all the air came out.

TBE:  Do you think the popularity of boxing in Ontario and the rest of Canada is on the rise?

CJ:  Every sport or everything needs somebody to start it, to bring it main stream attention.  Then everybody else will follow.

TBE:  Your saying that kids that might see the success of a Steve Molitor for example might either join a gym or amateurs that wouldn’t have had a reason to turn pro will say maybe I can win a title too.

CJ:  When I started my pro career I went to the United States and trained with some of the best fighters and trainers in the 80’s.  The difference between here in Canada is we can train fighters we just can’t put the finishing touches on them and we won’t ask for help.  Down there if they have taken a fighter as far as they can they’ll will seek out help to move that fighter to the next level, to put the finishing touches on him.  In every other country I’ve been in they help each other out and there is no jealousy or envy, here there is jealousy and envy.  Nobody wants to give up their fighters even for the fighter’s own good.

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TBE:  Is there anything you’d like to say in closing?

CJ:  What I want to do is build the sport in this country, that’s my purpose here; I’m not here to belittle anyone or anything like that I’m just here to build the sport to the highest level.  I remember when I was coming up as an amateur I remember other teams saying I didn’t know there was fighters in Canada.  I want to build respectability for boxing in Canada.

TBE:  Thank you for taking the time to talk with TheBoxingExaminer.com.

CJ:  Thank you, keep doing what you’re doing!

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