Harold Johnson (boxer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harold Johnson |
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Johnson in 1954
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Harold Johnson |
| Nickname(s) | Hercules |
| Rated at | Light Heavyweight Middleweight |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | August 9, 1928 Manayunk, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 19, 2015 (aged 86) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 88 |
| Wins | 76 |
| Wins by KO | 32 |
| Losses | 11 |
| No contests | 1 |
Harold Johnson (born August 9, 1928 – died February 19, 2015) was a famous American boxer. He was known for being a world champion in the Light Heavyweight division. He held important boxing titles from 1962 to 1963. These included the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), World Boxing Association (NBA/WBA), and The Ring magazine light heavyweight titles.
Contents
Harold Johnson's Boxing Journey
Harold Johnson was born in Manayunk, Philadelphia. He started boxing while he was serving in the United States Navy. In 1946, he became a professional boxer. He won his first 24 fights in a row!
Early Challenges and Rivalries
Harold's first loss was in 1949 to a boxer named Archie Moore. Moore became Harold's biggest rival. After this loss, Harold won four more fights. One of these wins was against Jimmy Bivins, who later became a Hall of Fame boxer.
Interestingly, Harold's father, Phil Johnson, was also a professional boxer. Both Harold and his father fought the same boxer, Jersey Joe Walcott. Both of them lost to Walcott. Harold lost his fight in 1950 because of a back injury.
Harold and Archie Moore fought many times. After five more wins, Harold fought Moore three times in a row. These fights happened between 1951 and 1954. Harold lost the first fight, won the second, and lost the fourth one.
Fighting for the Title
In 1952, Harold fought Bob Satterfield twice. He lost the first fight but won the second by knockout. He also beat a strong heavyweight boxer named Nino Valdez. The next year, Harold defeated former World Heavyweight Champion Ezzard Charles. This was a very close fight.
After eight years as a professional, Harold finally got a chance to fight for a world title. This was his fifth fight against Archie Moore in 1954. Moore was the World Light Heavyweight Champion at the time. Harold knocked Moore down in the 10th round and was ahead on points. But Moore fought back hard and stopped Harold in the 14th round.
In 1955, Harold had a tough fight against Julio Mederos. He collapsed after the second round. Because of this, he was not allowed to box for six months.
Becoming a World Champion
The National Boxing Association (NBA) took away Archie Moore's title because he didn't defend it enough. In 1961, Harold Johnson fought Jesse Bowdry for the empty NBA title. Harold won by a technical knockout in the ninth round. He was finally a world champion!
Harold defended his title successfully two times. First, he stopped Von Clay in just two rounds. Then, he beat Eddie Cotton in a close fight.
Harold became the undisputed World Light Heavyweight Champion in 1962. He beat Doug Jones in a 15-round fight. He defended this title once more against Gustav Scholz in Germany. However, in 1963, he lost his title to Willie Pastrano in a very close decision.
Harold Johnson never fought for a title again. He retired from boxing in 1971. He had an amazing record of 76 wins, 11 losses, and 32 knockouts.
Awards and Recognition
Harold Johnson's boxing skills were recognized many years later.
- In 1992, he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
- In 1993, he joined the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
He was also ranked as one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time.
- In 1999, the Associated Press named him the 7th greatest light heavyweight of the 20th century.
- In 2002, The Ring magazine ranked him 7th on their list of "The 20 Greatest Light Heavyweights of All-Time." They also placed him 80th on the list of "The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years."
Harold Johnson passed away on February 19, 2015, at the age of 86.
Images for kids
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Johnson in 1954
See also
- List of light heavyweight boxing champions
