Leavander Johnson facts for kids

Leavander Johnson (born December 24, 1969 – died September 22, 2005) was an American boxer. He came from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Leavander was a lightweight boxer, meaning he competed in a specific weight class.

He once held the world title from the International Boxing Federation (IBF). He won this important title on June 17, 2005. He fought an Italian boxer named Stefano Zoff. The referee stopped the fight in the seventh round, giving Leavander the win. Sadly, Leavander lost his first defense of this IBF title. After that fight, he collapsed and passed away a few days later from brain injuries.

Leavander Johnson's Boxing Journey

Leavander Johnson started his professional boxing career in 1989. Before that, he had a very successful amateur career. He fought in over 130 amateur matches.

As a professional, he quickly became known as a promising boxer. He stayed undefeated for his first 22 fights. One of those fights ended in a draw.

Early Career and First Title Shot

His next big fight was against another young, undefeated boxer, Sharmba Mitchell. Leavander won this fight by knocking out his opponent in the eighth round. This victory earned him his very first chance to fight for a world title.

On August 6, 1994, Leavander fought Miguel Ángel González. This match was for the WBC Lightweight world title. The fight took place in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Leavander lost this fight in the eighth round, which was his first professional loss.

Chasing the World Title

Leavander got his second chance at a world title in May 1997. This time, he challenged Orzubek Nazarov for the WBA lightweight world title. Again, Leavander was not successful. The fight was stopped in the seventh round, marking his second loss.

He did not fight for another world championship for six and a half years. During this time, he had another loss. He was disqualified for headbutting Michael Clark during a fight in Atlantic City.

In November 2003, Leavander fought Javier Jauregui for a vacant IBF world title. He lost that fight too. After this, he only fought once in the next 18 months.

Becoming a World Champion

Then came his big moment: another shot at the IBF world title against Stefano Zoff. Leavander won this fight! This victory was the most important moment of his boxing career. He finally became a world champion.

The Final Fight and Legacy

Leavander defended his IBF title for the first time on September 17, 2005. He fought against Mexican boxer Jesús Chávez. The fight was stopped early in the 11th round. Leavander had received many punches from his opponent.

After the fight, Leavander was able to walk out of the ring. However, he collapsed in his dressing room shortly after. He was quickly taken to the hospital. He had emergency surgery. After the surgery, doctors put Leavander into a special sleep called a coma to help him heal.

At first, there were fears he might not survive the night. But he lived into the next week and showed some small signs of getting better. Still, his condition remained very serious. Sadly, his health stopped improving. On September 22, 2005, his family made the difficult decision to let him rest. He passed away that afternoon, surrounded by his family.

Leavander Johnson's career record was 34 wins. Of those, 26 were by knockout. He had 5 losses, 2 draws, and 1 fight that ended with no result.