Ringside Report Looks Back at Former Boxing Champion Johnny “Bump City” Bumphus (1960-2020)

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

The professional debut in 1980, of this future super lightweight champion and a welterweight title challenger twice, Johnny “Bump City” Bumphus, 29-2 20 KO’s, graced the ring with far more than the guile of his craft, and the beauty of his movement. Bump City was much more, according to his nephew in a local news report, he was “…a crafty dude with the gloves. He was an exciting boxer.”

Bump City was young when he came to the sport – only 8 years old. But by 1980 he was on the verge of the US Olympic squad. He was ranked the number 1 lightweight by the US amateur Boxers and Coaches Association. He had already been a winner of the national AAU featherweight title as well as the conqueror of all in the 1979 Golden Gloves at 132 lbs.

He was slated to be part of the Olympic team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. But then he fell victim to the political landscape internationally of the time; the United States were to lead a boycott of the Games being held in Moscow that year which meant that he was unable to compete. Having made it onto the team, however, he did not make it onto the fateful flight taking the team to the USA v Poland box off that crashed and killed a golden crop of boxers from the USA.

By the time that he had completed his amateur career it had included well over 350 fights with 341 of them apparently recorded as victories. You can see why he would have graced the Olympics with such beauty and why now his professional debut was greeted with fanfare; much was expected and anticipated.

What the amateur code lost, the professional ranks mustered to marvel at as Bob Arum swooped and signed him as his professional journey for this southpaw began. 8th November 1980 in Nevada it started with a first round stoppage of Mike Michaud. The first step was confident, but the tag of being a prospect can hinder as well as help. He began by showing however, that nothing was going to be a hindrance to him. Twenty-two fights in, he was unbeaten and, it was clear he was rather special and now more than a prospect. He was even marketed by Main Events as one of “Tomorrow’s Champions,” and was placed in that promotion along with equally lauded and expected fighters, Tony Ayala JR., Bobby Czyz and Alex Ramos.

Within those 22 fights he had gathered up a points win against Lorenzo Garcia of Argentina for the WBA super lightweight belt. It was January 1984, less than 4 years from turning pro and Bumphus had got off the canvas, when Garcia had dropped him to win the belt. It was a lucky 15 round points win but still a word title.

It was not long in his possession as he lost it in June 1984 to Gene Hatcher in New York. It was a scrap which became a Ring Magazine fight of the year. He had been dominating Hatcher when he got knocked out in the 11th round – and he never really got back from that defeat as it was a shock to more than just him.

By now the fights that came outside of the ring almost caught as many headlines for him as some were rather upset at the decisions being taken inside the ring! Having lost the WBA title his life allegedly began a downward spiral that included drug addiction, though at the time we were seemingly unaware of it all as his performances continued to show the glimmer of someone who could really fight.

Bumphus was not a name on everyone’s radar but in the UK, we did get to see him up against Lloyd Honeyghan in 1987 originally with the WBC and IBF welterweight titles on the line. By the time we saw him enter the ring against Honeyghan we were aware that had Bumphus beaten Hatcher then a fight with the UK’s Clinton McKenzie would have seen him defend his super lightweight belt first. Instead Bumphus ended up in a further controversial fight when Lloyd Honeyghan marched over and whacked him one at the end of the first round. Despite wearing sparkly silver shorts and being far from anonymous, the referee missed Honeyghan walking over to take down Bumphus. Like in his world title win, Bumphus had already been down, this time in the first round. Mayhem ensued, just like at the end of the Hatcher fight until the referee calmed down Bumphus’ trainer and called the fighters back into the ring to begin the fight again. Unfortunately, Bumphus was clearly shaken and gone from what had happened and Honeyghan finished the job.

Politically it was also another example of how Bumphus got caught up in politics and his career, and no doubt he suffered as a result. It was a scheduled 15 round fight sanctioned by the IBF with the WBC, who had reduced their title fights to 12 rounds, refusing to sanction the fight for their title. Had Bumphus won he would only have been given the IBF belt…

Unfortunately, having scaled the highest summits of his sport, he continued to plumb the depths of life and his retirement came right after the Honeyghan fight. Retirement brought drug related issues that scarred the man we knew. In 1991, US news sources reported, Bumphus had killed a man in an argument over crack cocaine. When the other man drew a knife and stabbed Bumphus a number of times, Bumphus killed him. As the case was ruled self-defense, Bumphus did not face prosecution.

Perhaps as a result of this Bumphus made a concerted effort, to clean himself up. Boxing certainly looked to him, to support him and despite not keeping great health, he stayed active in the boxing scene. Bumphus was reportedly seen often attending Golden Gloves fights and participating in a reunion of the boxing greats in his home including shortly before his death.

His is a story to respect and remind us of the perils that may come once the pearls of success have long lost their lustre, as it ended with him at the tender age of only 59, being lost to heart failure. A salutary tale, but one filled with the joy he brought when he fought and left in the shadows of our memory.

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