Killeen's Johnson finally gets chance to showcase his skills Posted On: Thursday, Oct. 1 2009 05:35 AM By Alex Byington
Killeen Daily Herald

Throughout much of his five-year professional boxing career, Marcus "Too Much" Johnson has gotten too little love.

Under contract with Don King for much of that time, the former Killeen boxer didn't feel the famous promoter had his best interests in mind. But now, fighting under a different promoter, Johnson is waiting for his time to shine.

"With Don King, I really didn't have anything coming to me, but with (promoter Lou) DiBella, he's just really working to get my name out there," Johnson said by phone Wednesday.

That effort comes to fruition tomorrow when Johnson makes his prime time television debut fighting Victor Villereal on Showtime's boxing program "ShoBox" as the undercard to the Allan Green vs. Tarvis Simms bout at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Okla.

"It's a good feeling. I'm going out there to show off my talent, and I want to impress and show everybody from Killeen what I've been doing," Johnson said. "Living in Houston now, I want to show everybody that I'm still about Killeen and I just want to make it big for them. So this is exciting for me."

"ShoBox" will begin airing at 10 p.m. with Johnson-Villereal leading the card. As the first fight on the docket, Johnson recommends anybody interested in watching to tune in early.

"I'm going to go through him real fast just to show them that I need harder fights, better names, because I'm ready to really get out there and get another step closer to a title shot," Johnson said. "With this opportunity, this is going to really propel me to that next level."

An amateur national champion the same year he graduated from Ellison, Johnson has been training for this opportunity since his father strapped gloves on he and his older brother at 4 and 6 years old, respectively.

Johnson took those teachings and put them to good use in 2004, when he advanced to the U.S. Olympic trials and box-offs at just 18 years old before falling to eventual gold medal winner Andre Ward both times at 178-pounds.

Now 23, Johnson has shown an ability to win and win big, going into Friday's fight undefeated (17-0) with 14 knockouts and riding a five-bout knockout streak. For him, it's all about impressing the crowd.

"I don't like to leave it up to the judges. I like to go in there and please the crowd, because in boxing, you make it when you have fans. The fans make the fighter," Johnson said. "You have to have that style where you go in there and take charge and go for broke and knock them out. I'm going in there to knock whoever I fight out. Please the crowd and get in and get out."

At his fighting weight of 168-pounds, Johnson is climbing up the super middleweight ranks at breakneck speed, hoping with each bout he can move closer to his ultimate goal – winning a world title.

"It's coming together now. I was just looking to build up my record but know I'm ready to start fighting more notable opponents, more cover opponents and getting the bigger wins so I can hurry up and get my name out there," Johnson said. "... I think I have world champion potential, and a lot of people that know me believe that too.

"And when people see me fight, they feel that," he added.

Taking advantage of his first televised fight is only a stepping stone in a plan he's had for himself since his days in Killeen. And with his future finally coming together, he understands the importance of coming up big in front of a world-wide audience, not only for himself, but for his hometown as well.

"This is a chance of the lifetime for me and I'm going to go out there and leave it all in the ring. I'm going for broke," Johnson said. "I'm taking no chances and going out there 100-percent. I'm going to show everybody that they have someone to look up to in Killeen."

Contact Alex Byington at alexb@kdhnews.com or at (254) 501-7566.