On This Day In Boxing History!

1971: Mark Johnson Was Born!

Mark Johnson

Born: August 13th, 1971

Residence: Washington, District of Columbia

Birth Place: Washington, District of Columbia

Birth Name: Marcellus Joseph Johnson

Pro-Debut: February 24th, 1990

Alias: Too Sharp

Division: Flyweight

Stance: Southpaw

Height: 5′ 3″    

Reach: 63″

Record: 44-5, 28Ko’s

Career: 1990-2006

IBF Flyweight Champion - 1996 May 4 – 1999 Apr

Became the first African-American to win a world title at flyweight when he knocked out Francisco Tejedor in one round to win the vacant IBF Flyweight Championship May 4th, 1996. Johnson successfully defended the title seven times.

IBF Super Flyweight Champion - 1999 Apr 24 – 2000

WBO Super Flyweight Champion - 2003 Aug 16 – 2004 Sep 25       

Inducted International Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 2012

Mark Johnson, born Marcellus Joseph Johnson in Washington DC is a boxer in the Super Flyweight division. As an amateur standout, and was the 1989 United States Amateur Light flyweight champion.

Johnson, nicknamed "Too Sharp", defeated Francisco Tejedor to win the IBF Flyweight title in 1996. Although he never attained significant popularity due to his weight class and lack of defining fights, he went on to become one of the top pound for pound fighters in boxing for several years. Johnson defended the Flyweight title seven times before moving up in weight to win the IBF Super Flyweight title in 1999 via unanimous decision over Ratanachai Vor Vorapin. He defended the Super Flyweight title twice before moving up again to Bantamweight.

In his third fight at Bantamweight Johnson lost in an upset to up and coming Rafael Marquez by split decision over 10 rounds in 2001. This bout was clouded by the fact that Johnson was deducted two points for holding. In the rematch the following year, Marquez took Johnson apart, winning by TKO in the 8th round. Johnson never regained his stature following the losses, although he did upset WBO Super Flyweight champion Fernando Montiel in 2003. Johnson went on to lose by KO in the 8th round to both Ivan Hernandez for the WBO Super Flyweight and Jhonny González, signaling the end to Johnson's illustrious career.

2002: Bob Arum, Boxing Writers Kevin Iole, Royce Feour

And Two Crew Members Survive Fiery Plane Crash!

On this day August 13th, 2002, a small jet carrying Top Rank boxing promoter Bob Arum, boxing writers Kevin Iole, Royce Feour and two crewmembers survived a fiery plane crash at Big Bear City, California, airport.

The aircraft piloted by Joseph Tophan and co-pilot Craig Terry carrying the 70 year old Top Rank head Bob Arum, Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel marketing director Scott Voeller, the hotel’s director of events H. C. Rowe, boxing writers Royce Feour and Kevin Iole from Las Vegas to attend the opening day of training camp for Oscar De La Hoya, who was scheduled to defend his World Boxing Council Super-Welterweight title against Fernando Vargas on September 14th. Encountering what was described as severe wind shear the small craft overshot a runway at Big Bear Airport, 100 miles east of Los Angeles crash-landed and skidding into a dry pond.

Co-pilot Craig Terry forced the door open and everyone miraculously exited safely seconds before the back end of the Cessna Citation 550 twin-engine jet quickly became engulfed with flames.

Upon hearing the tragic news De La Hoya was overcome in awe with Arum's resiliency during the pre-fight media presser, which went on as scheduled.

August 13th

1900: James Ferns KO15 Eddie Connolly

1903: Frankie Neil KO2 Harry Forbes

1913: Charles “Stockton Cyclone” Turner passed

1923: Luis Ángel Firpo TKO2 Charley Weinert

1947: Heavyweight George “Leiperville Shadow” Godfrey passed

1948: Juan Evangelista Venegas wins Puerto Rico’s first Olympic medal

1951: Joey Giardello W8 Otis Graham

1953: George Benton TKO6 Jimmy Franklin

1954: Zora Folley W10 Kirby Seals

1961: Doug DeWitt was born in Youngstown, Ohio

1971: Mark Johnson was born in Washington, D.C.

1974: South African-based cruiserweight Sebastian Rothmann was born in Tel Aviv, Israel

1983: Milton McCrory W12 Colin Jones

1988: Aaron Williams TKO5 Daniel Thetele - Thetele passed from injuries sustained in the fight

Undefeated Philadelphia cruiserweight prospect Andre "Thee" Prophet (12-0-1) was tragically killed at age 20 in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in North Philadelphia

1993: Juan Coggi W12 Jose Barboza

1994: Alex Sanchez KO1 Carlos Juan Rodriguez.

Manning Galoway TKO6 Anthony Jones

Riddick Bowe NC4 Buster Mathis Jr.- should’ve been DQ’d for striking Mathis down on one knee

Diego de la Hoya cousin of Oscar De La Hoya was born Mexicali, Mexico

1995: Eloy Rojas W12 Nobutoshi Hiranaka

1996: Keiji Yamaguchi W12 Carlos Murillo

1998: Undefeated welterweight and 2020 U.S. Olympian Delante "Tiger" Johnson

Was born in Cleveland Ohio

Welterweight Freudis Rojas was born in Las Vegas

1999: Mark Johnson WTD8 Jorge Lacierva

2002: Bob Arum, along with boxing writers Kevin Iole and Royce Feour, and two crewmembers survive a fiery plane crash at Big Bear City, California, airport.2005: Hassim Rahman W12 Monte Barrett

Ricardo Mayorga W12 Michelle Piccirillo

Alejandro Garcia W12 Luca Messi

Luis Collazo KO 8 Miguel Angel Gonzalez

2005: Hassim Rahman W12 Monte Barrett

Ricardo Mayorga W12 Michelle Piccirillo

Luis Collazo TKO7 Miguel Angel Gonzalez

Alejandro "Terra" Garcia W12 Luca Messi

Oliver McCall TKO4 Przemyslaw Saleta

2006: Al “The Savage Slav” Hostak passed age 90

2011: Abner Mares WMD12 Joseph Agbeko

Juan Palacios TKO9 Armando Torres

Kimbo Slice makes his pro-boxing debut stops James Wade in 10 seconds

2016: Naoko Shibata WMD10 Maria Salinas

2022: Teofimo Lopez TKO7 Pedro Campa

2024: Vergil Ortiz Jr WMD 12 Serhii Bohachuk

Angelo Leo KO10 Venado Lopez