Kirk Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirk Johnson |
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| Real name | Kirk Cyron Johnson | |||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Bubba | |||||||||||||
| Rated at | Heavyweight | |||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 81 in | |||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Canadian |
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| Born | June 29, 1972 North Preston, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 41 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 37 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 27 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kirk Cyron Johnson (born June 29, 1972) is a Canadian former professional boxer. He competed from 1993 to 2010. He once fought for the WBA heavyweight title in 2002.
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Kirk Johnson's Amateur Boxing Career
Before becoming a professional, Kirk Johnson had a successful amateur boxing career. He represented Canada at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. In the quarter-finals, he lost to David Izon from Nigeria, who later won a silver medal.
Amateur Highlights and Achievements
Kirk Johnson achieved several important wins as an amateur boxer.
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Overall, Kirk Johnson had a strong amateur record with 76 wins and only 7 losses.
Kirk Johnson's Professional Boxing Career
Kirk Johnson began his professional boxing career on April 24, 1993. His first professional fight was against Andre Smiley.
Challenging for the WBA Heavyweight Title
In 2002, Kirk Johnson had a big chance to win a world title. He fought John Ruiz for the WBA Heavyweight Title. In the tenth round, Johnson was disqualified from the fight. He was losing on points before the disqualification.
Fighting Vitali Klitschko
On December 6, 2003, Johnson faced the strong Ukrainian boxer and future champion Vitali Klitschko. This fight took place in New York at Madison Square Garden. Klitschko defeated Johnson by knockout in the second round.
Johnson weighed 260 pounds for the Klitschko fight, which was his heaviest weight ever. In contrast, he weighed 232 pounds when he had one of his biggest wins against Oleg Maskaev in 2000. Maskaev later became a WBC Heavyweight Champion.
Making a Comeback
After the fight with Klitschko, Kirk Johnson worked to make a comeback in his boxing career.
- In July 2004, he knocked out Gilbert Martinez.
- In June 2005, he won a fight against Cuban boxer Yanqui Díaz.
- In March 2006, he fought Javier Mora. Johnson suffered a knee injury during this fight, which was first ruled a loss for him. However, this decision was later changed to a "No Decision," meaning the fight result was canceled. Johnson fully recovered from his knee injury.
On April 29, 2010, after not fighting for four years, Johnson returned to the ring. He defeated Douglas Robertson by TKO in the first round.
Kirk Johnson ended his professional boxing career with a record of 37 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no contest. He won 27 of his fights by knockout.
Community Impact and Scholarship
In 2003, Kirk Johnson had to withdraw from a planned fight due to an injury. After this, he became involved in a legal matter with the Halifax Regional Police. Johnson raised concerns about how he was treated. As a result, he was awarded money for damages and travel expenses.
More importantly, the police service was ordered to create a special scholarship in Kirk Johnson's name. This scholarship is given every year to a student from his hometown of North Preston. Since 2003, many students have received these awards, helping them with their education.
Professional Boxing Record Summary
| 41 fights | 37 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 27 | 1 |
| By decision | 10 | 0 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
