Reggie Johnson (boxer)

Johnson made his professional debut in 1984.

He won the WBA Inter-Continental middleweight title in 1989, and the USBA middleweight title in 1990, before losing a disputed split decision in 1991 against James Toney for the IBF and lineal middleweight titles, a fight in which he notably knocked Toney down in the second round.^[2]

In 1992 he won his first world championship by winning the vacant WBA middleweight title in a close decision over Steve Collins. After three successful defenses, including a decision over the undefeated Lamar Parks, Johnson lost the belt to fellow southpaw John David Jackson. He twice failed in attempts to regain the WBA title, both by hotly disputed decisions to Jorge Castro in Argentina.

He later moved up to light heavyweight, winning the IBF title in 1998 against the undefeated William Guthrie with a rare one-punch knockout in the fifth round, a fight in which Guthrie left the ring on a stretcher. Johnson defended the title twice before losing by a wide decision to Roy Jones Jr. in a unification bout for the WBA and WBC titles in 1999.^[3]

In 2001, Johnson returned to boxing and won the NABF and USBA light heavyweight titles, which he then lost in 2002 following a close decision to Antonio Tarver in an IBF world title eliminator. At age 35, Johnson then retired.

He returned in 2005 for one fight, then in 2008 Johnson scored a split decision win over former light heavyweight world champion Julio César González.^[4]