George Johnson (boxer)

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George Johnson
Born(1938-12-15)December 15, 1938
Oklahoma City
DiedApril 9, 2016(2016-04-09) (aged 77)
NationalityAmerican
Other namesScrap Iron
Statistics
Weight(s)235 (1972)[1]
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights54
Wins22
Wins by KO11
Losses27
Draws5

George Raft "Scrap Iron" Johnson (December 15, 1938 – April 9, 2016)[2] was an American heavyweight boxer whose career spanned the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Johnson fought many of the top fighters of his era, including George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, Ron Lyle, Duane Bobick, Joe Bugner, Jerry Quarry, and Eddie Machen.[3]

Whilst a journeyman fighter he was nonetheless notorious for being extremely durable. He could take vast amounts of punishment. George Foreman said he had the best chin of all his opponents.[4] He retired in 1975 with a record of 22–27–5. He was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.[5][6][7][8]

Johnson was nicknamed "Scrap" by girls in his neighborhood in Oklahoma City when he was about seven years old, because he used a wheelbarrow to salvage machinery parts to earn money. By high school, his American football teammates tacked on the "iron."[9][10]

In 1969, after putting together a string of wins, Johnson was defeated by Sonny Liston in Las Vegas after seven rounds. Johnson had been scheduled to get married at midnight after the fight, but pushed off the wedding to the next day to recover. Johnson later claimed "Liston hit me so hard, I married the wrong woman."[11][12]

Professional boxing record

22 Wins (11 knockouts, 11 decisions), 27 Losses (12 knockouts, 15 decisions), 5 Draws[13]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 31–0 United States Duane Bobick RTD 4 13 Nov 1975 United States Met Center, Bloomington, Minnesota
Draw 14–1 United States Scott LeDoux PTS 10 14 Aug 1975
Saint Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota
SD for LeDoux overturned due to crowd response.
Loss 12–0 United States Leroy Jones PTS 10 18 Mar 1975 United States Honolulu, Hawaii
Loss 49–7–4 United States Jerry Quarry UD 10 25 Feb 1975
Honolulu, Hawaii
[14]
Loss 10–0 United States Johnny Boudreaux PTS 10 16 Sep 1974
Houston, Texas
Loss 29–2 United States Boone Kirkman UD 10 23 Oct 1973
Seattle, Washington
Win 4–6–1 United States Joe Tiger Harris TKO 3 2 Jul 1973 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win United States John Robinson KO 2 16 May 1973 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 5–17–1 United States Terry Sorrell KO 5 25 Apr 1973 United States Las Vegas, Nevada Sorrell knocked out at 1:41 of the fifth round.
Win 1–3 United States Dave Sherman TKO 2 11 Apr 1973
Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss 12–0 United States Ron Lyle KO 3 25 Mar 1972
Denver, Colorado
Johnson knocked out at 0:31 of the third round.
Loss 26–9–6
Juergen Blin
TKO 2 1 Oct 1971 Germany Hamburg, Germany
Win 7–8 United States MacArthur Swindell PTS 10 30 Jun 1971 United States Silver Slipper, Paradise, Nevada
Loss 28–2 Australia Joe Bugner PTS 10 3 Nov 1970 United Kingdom Royal Albert Hall, London, England [15][16]
Loss 19–0 United States George Foreman TKO 7 16 May 1970
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Referee stopped the bout at 1:41 of the seventh round.
Loss 34–4–4 United States Jerry Quarry UD 10 19 Mar 1970 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Loss 47–3 United States Sonny Liston TKO 7 19 May 1969 United States Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada Referee stopped the bout at 2:55 of the seventh round.[11][17]
Win 13–5–1 Canada Bob Felstein PTS 10 18 Feb 1969 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 3–13–1 United States Alvin Tiger TKO 6 2 Oct 1968 United States Silver Slipper, Paradise, Nevada
Win 5–6–1 United States Roy Wallace UD 10 22 Aug 1968 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 8–5–1 United States Ray White UD 10 28 Nov 1967
San Diego, California
[18]
Win 9–4–1 United States Earl Averette UD 10 26 Oct 1967 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 57–8–3 Italy Santo Amonti TKO 10 2 Aug 1967
Los Angeles Sports Arena
, Los Angeles, California
Referee stopped the bout at 1:19 of the tenth round.
Loss 15–0 United States Joe Frazier UD 10 4 May 1967 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California [19]
Win 25–3–4 United States Otha Brown TKO 7 15 Dec 1966 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California Referee stopped the bout at 0:59 of the seventh round.
Loss 49–8–3 United States Eddie Machen UD 10 29 Sep 1966 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 6–6 Germany Emil Umek UD 10 26 Jul 1966 United States Stockyards Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Loss 15–0–2 United States Jerry Quarry TKO 2 7 Apr 1966 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California Referee stopped the bout at 2:40 of the second round.
Draw 11–8–1 United States Chuck Leslie PTS 10 6 Jan 1966 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Draw 5–5–1 Mexico Manuel Ramos PTS 10 4 Nov 1965 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 9–2–1 United States Jimmy Harryman TKO 10 21 Oct 1965 United States Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California Referee stopped the bout at 1:18 of the tenth round.
Loss 12–1–2 United States Elmer Rush UD 10 27 Sep 1965 United States The Hacienda, Paradise, Nevada
Loss 7–2–1 United States Henry Clark PTS 10 23 Sep 1965
San Francisco, California
1-6.
Loss 32–7–1 United States Amos Lincoln KO 5 5 Aug 1965
Los Angeles, California
Johnson knocked out at 2:27 of the fifth round.
Win 8–3–1 United States Roy Rogers TKO 7 22 Jun 1965 United States Lubbock, Texas Referee stopped the bout at 2:30 of the seventh round.
Loss 7–1–1 United States Roy "Cowboy" Rogers UD 10 9 Nov 1964
Dallas, Texas
Loss 19–2 United States Thad Spencer KO 4 4 Aug 1964
Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss 17–17–2 United States Sonny "Policeman" Moore PTS 10 25 May 1964
Dallas, Texas
Win 17–16–2 United States Sonny Moore SD 10 14 Apr 1964 United States Lindsayland Auditorium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Draw 5–4–1 United States John L. Davey PTS 10 7 Apr 1964 United States Stockyards Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Win 0–2 United States Roy Crear SD 10 17 Mar 1964 United States Lindsayland Auditorium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Win 0–8 United States Leo Bennett TKO 2 11 Feb 1964 United States Stockyards Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Draw 35–10–1 United States Buddy Turman PTS 10 5 Nov 1962 United States Tyler, Texas
Loss 14–14–1 United States Ernie Cab KO 6 25 Apr 1961
Houston, Texas
Loss 11–0 United States Tod Herring KO 6 7 Mar 1961
Houston, Texas
Loss 34–10–1 United States Donnie Fleeman TKO 7 28 Nov 1960
Dallas, Texas
Win 0–3 United States Leo "Zorro" Bennett KO 1 15 Sep 1960 United States Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Bennett knocked out at 2:45 of the first round.
Loss 13–4–1 United States Floyd Joyner PTS 6 31 Aug 1960 United States Albuquerque Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Win 0–1 United States Benny Lee Bowser PTS 6 2 Aug 1960 United States Port Arthur, Texas
Win Donny Blue PTS 6 13 Jun 1960 United States Wichita, Kansas
Loss 3–1 United States Wayne Heath PTS 6 12 Apr 1960 United States Lindsayland Auditorium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Loss 1–0 United States Wayne Heath PTS 4 24 Nov 1959 United States Lindsayland Auditorium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Win 2–7 United States Ted Hester PTS 4 10 Nov 1959
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Loss 11–16–2 United States Johnny "J.C." Carroll TKO 2 9 Jun 1958 United States Tucson Sports Center, Tucson, Arizona

References

  1. ^ Ryan, Joe. Heavyweight Boxing in The 1970s: The Great Fighters and Rivalries, p. 133 (2013)
  2. ^ "The Secretariat of trial horses". Boxing.com. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  3. ^ Hudson, David L. & Mike Fitzgerald. Boxing's Most Wanted (2004)
  4. ^ "Best I Faced: George Foreman". The Ring. 2014-07-04. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  5. ^ California Boxing Hall of Fame Inductees, Californiaboxinghalloffame.com (via archive.com 26 June 2008 version of list)
  6. ^ Ortiz, Johnny (5 March 2005). Golden Era Boxers Enter California Hall of Fame, Boxing Scene
  7. ^ Stewart, Larry (3 March 2005). Imhoff Says Hundley's Line Isn't So 'Hot', Los Angeles Times (confirms hall of fame induction)
  8. ^ (8 April 1966). Boxer Fills Old 'Tradition', The Spokesman-Review
  9. ^ Barrett, Eldon (23 October 1973). 'Scrap Iron' faces Kirkman, Ellensburg Daily Record (UPI story)
  10. ^ (15 March 1970). There's A Ring to Scrap Iron's Name, Independent Press-Telegram
  11. ^ a b (20 May 1969). 'Scrap' Postpones Wedding After Fight with Liston, Owosso Argus-Press (Associated Press story)
  12. ^ Stewart, Larry (6 March 2004). He Liked Running With Tough Crowds, Los Angeles Times
  13. ^ Boxing record for George Johnson from BoxRec (registration required)
  14. ^ (27 February 1975). Quarry Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scrap Iron, Observer–Reporter (Associated Press story)
  15. ^ "Bugner passes stiff test". The Canberra Times. 5 November 1970. p. 32. Retrieved 28 January 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ 1970 Joe Bugner and George "Scrap Iron" Johnson ,boxers, Argentaimages.com, Retrieved 23 January 2014 (photo of Bugner and Johnson)
  17. Milwaukee Journal
  18. ^ Crowe, Jerry (15 May 2011). Ray "Windmill" White left his mark on boxing -- from behind, Los Angeles Times
  19. ^ (5 May 1967). Frazier Wins But No Kayo, The Miami News (Associated Press story)

External links