Boxing Preview: Carl Johanneson – Ricky Burns

One of the most anticipated contests to take place so far this year in England is scheduled for Leeds Town Hall tonight as reigning British Super Featherweight Champion Carl Johanneson puts his belt at risk against a man who should provide “Ingemar” with his stiffest test to date, Ricky Burns, on a Frank Maloney Promotion.

Johanneson, 25-2 (18), matriculated in the tough East Coast gyms of America and fought in the US for the first four years of his professional career. A high pressure style took Johanneson to a spotless record for his first twelve bouts until the Leeds native ran into tough Philadelphia based southpaw Koba Gogoladze in 2003. The towering Georgian floored Johanneson spectacularly early on in the eight round bout but the Englishman clawed his way back to lose a close split decision.

Shortly afterward Johanneson returned to his native Britain and immediately caged the vacant WBF title with a third round stoppage over the far more experienced Carl Greaves. Johanneson defended that belt two times before suffering a disastrous first round stoppage loss at the hands of Russian spoiler Leva Kirakosyan in 2004.

Undaunted, Johanneson returned to the ring six months later and went on his current tear that has seen him rack up seven consecutive wins, all within the distance. The crowning achievement of this run was an impressive fourth round rubout of tough Billy Corcoran for the vacant British Super Feather title in July of last year. Johanneson has defended the domestic crown once already, a sixth round dismantling of slick boxer Femi Fehintola in November.

While Johanneson wins his fights by grinding down his rivals, the man in the opposite corner tonight in Leeds employs an entirely different strategy. Ricky Burns, 15-1 (3), has risen to the top class of the 130 lb division in the UK on the strength of his impressive boxing skills.

The Scotsman leaped from obscurity in 2005 when as a ten fight novice, he took on then British Lightweight Champion Graham Earl in a non title bout over eight rounds in London. Burns gave the Luton man a shocking boxing lesson to take a wide points decision, a feat even more impressive considering that super feather Burns and Earl weighed in for the bout as light welterweights.

Burns ably moved through two domestic level opponents before coming through a close four rounder with cagey veteran Alan Temple. The twenty three year od then challenged European, Commonwealth and British Super Featherweight Champion Alex Arthur in February of last year.

Burns had success early in the all-Scottish battle as he picked the advancing Arthur off with some of the best pure boxing skills in Britain. Gradually, Arthur closed the gap to mount a searing body attack in the middle rounds that gained him control the rest of the way to take a unanimous points decision win.

The Arthur fight strategy will almost certainly provide the blueprint for Johanneson, who will seek to cut off the ring and force Burns into the kind of trench warfare that the Scotsman will do his best to avoid.

To date, no domestic based competition has been able to ward off the marauding Johanneson but Burns is likely the best boxer that the British Champion has yet encountered in the ring and fans could be in for a Fight of the Year type contest.