Ringside Report Looks Back at Boxer Golden “14 Karat” Johnson

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

Nicknames are a premium in boxing. I managed to give all of my own kids their own nicknames. As they grew up, they shed them.

Boxers never shed theirs. But imagine being given a birth name like Golden – who needs a nickname then! But they still gave him one – 14 Karat! Born in 1974, Golden Johnson 25-8-3,18 KOS, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Johnson went on to become a multi weight NABF champion. He was also an IBF titlist at lightweight and fought for the WBO intercontinental welterweight belt when it looked like he was going to have a “golden” period towards the end of his career. He also got an invitation, apparently, to the Olympic trials in 1992 for Barcelona.

Now, if you are going to make a name – beyond a nickname – for yourself in the ring, debuting by knocking out the first professional you share a ring with in the first round is a perfect way to start. And on the 3rd of September 1993, Johnson did just that to Chris George in San Antonio.

But such is the upside-down world of boxing, losing in your next fight was not an ideal next step, as he did against a local favorite Pedro Calderon, on the 9th of October 1993 in Condado, Puerto Rico. He got knocked out in the 2nd round. In fact, his first year was hardly inspiring as he just managed to have a positive win record – only just!

His first title came in 1998, when he fought James Crayton in Mashantucket for the NABF lightweight title which was vacant at the time. His win came courtesy of a unanimous verdict. It followed him shocking people by beating Juan Lazcano and setting up that glorious chance at the belt.

His professional record was now looking a hell of a lot better than it did after his first year and the opposition really began to reflect that. But his first defense did not quite go according to plan as he was to lose his title in a split decision loss to Israel Cardona on the 16th of October 1998 in the Indian Gaming resort in Miami. Cardona held the USBA lightweight championship and was a former IBO world champion, so at least two belts were on the line and a very positive trajectory for the winner was on offer. Johnson may have lost but the decision was, according to many, tight.

And so, his reputation did not suffer.

How do we know? On the 9th of January 1999, he got his shot at the IBF lightweight title against an undefeated Shane Mosley. Mosley was the reigning champion and he managed to stop Johnson in the 7th round. Mosley was imperious that night.
Johnson just licked his wounds and came back.

Johnson would have managed to get the NABF super lightweight title back again when he got a split decision win against Teddy Reid on the 21st of July 2000 – except he came in over the limit so was not going to walk away with the title.

And so, like so many fighters, he realized his time at the lower weight was done and he needed to move up. On the 22nd of March 2001, he went in against Bobby Heath in San Antonio and stopped Heath in the 6th round. The NABF welterweight title was now his courtesy of that win!
But momentum was never really in his favor, and he couldn’t get a winning rhythm. No matter what was left of his career, though, he was going to enjoy big nights, but he was never to enjoy world titlist status again.

On the 15th of March 2002, he was to defend that welterweight title – successfully – when he knocked out Chantel Stanciel in New York. It led to a July fight, in Norfolk, against Cosme Rivera Yocupicio for the WBC continental Americas super lightweight title. He lost.

Just two months later he was in Las Vegas opposite Sebastian Valdez for the WBA Fedecentro welterweight title. He lost again.

What followed was some time out of the ring – around 2 ½ years. When he returned it was to take on Freddy Hernandez for the vacant IBA Americas welterweight title. Yet another split decision, this time in his favor, meant he was stacking up some impressive titles at a regional level.

His next title fight though was in 2006, when he was to feature in a split decision draw with Larry Mosley for the vacant WBO NABO welterweight title. 7 years after that world title fight, he saw off Oscar Diaz in an eliminator for the vacant WBO intercontinental welterweight title, but then came up against Antonio Margarito and was beaten. It was to be his final fight, at Madison Square Gardens as a co-main event along with Miguel Cotto taking on his former foe, from 7 years ago, Shane Mosely. Johnson shared the ring with Margarito for less than 1 round. He hit the deck twice before making acquaintance with the canvas for a 3rd time forcing the referee to intervene and the fight was off.

So was Johnson’s career – he never fought again. But whilst he danced and was under the spotlight, Johnson was, without a shadow of a doubt, a full 14 carats worth of entertainment!

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