Bahamian professional boxer Taureano Johnson will make his debut with Roc Nation Sports tonight, in what he considers to be the biggest fight of his career.
Johnson will be defending his World Boxing Council's (WBC) Continental of Americas middleweight title, and will also be fighting for the WBC Silver middleweight championship and the vacant World Boxing Association's (WBA) International middleweight championship, against Colombian Alex Theran in the co-main event of the "Throne Boxing" telecast from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The bout is set to be broadcasted live on Fox Sports 1.
"Holding the WBC Silver title, which is one of the titles that we are fighting for - that is a prestigious title. It is a title that will enable you to fight the No. 1 contender or for the world championship, so yes indeed, this is the biggest step of my life," said Johnson. "In this fight the fans can expect to see the most explosive Taureano Johnson they have ever seen. By winning this, I should be able to get to fight some of the top guys in my division like David Lemieux of Canada or Billy Joe Saunders of England."
Both fighters sport the same win/loss record of 17-1, however, Johnson has won 12 of his fights by knockout, while Theran has just 10 knockouts.
Johnson's only loss was a controversial one. It came to Curtis Stevens in April of 2014. Since then, Johnson says that he has made great strides in his career, and notes that the experience has helped to fuel his hunger.
"I am going to be three times the Taureano I was in the Curtis Stevens fight. In fact, if you look at me now compared to when I fought Curtis Stevens, I was a nice boy," Johnson said. "This time Taureano is going to come out meaner, stronger, move faster, more smarter, more slicker. I am going to come out even more dangerous and the fans can expect an exciting fight. It's going to be non-stop, fist-throwing, and sorry to say, it is going to be a nasty, blood-shedding kind of fight."
Johnson, 30, recently signed a contract to fight with Roc Nation Promotions, which is headed by legendary rap artist Jay-Z. They are promoting their first hybrid fight/live music event. At the show, two-time platinum recording artist Fabolous is set to take the stage between fights. Also, legendary announcer Michael Buffer is expected to make an appearance. Other special guests include Jay-Z himself, Rihanna, Carmelo Anthony, CC Sabathia, Victor Cruz, Sam Dew, Sentigold, Melany Fiona, Wardell and Big Sean.
"All of us at Roc Nation Sports are thrilled to announce our first boxing event along with our first series and television deal," said David Itskowitch, Chief Operating Officer of Roc Nation Sports' boxing division. "An evening of exciting fights, great music and fantastic entertainment will be a fitting way to kick off 'Throne Boxing,' a series that will stand alone on the boxing landscape."
Johnson said that the move to join Roc Nation will help to catapult his career to a new level.
"With Gary Shaw as my promoter, he has been very generous to allow me to fight on many occasions, even fighting back in The Bahamas. Now with the merger of Roc Nation and Gary Shaw, it leaves me with phenomenal possibilities. It is the biggest move in the boxing world today," said Johnson. "I think with the publicity with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, they are out there with all of the sports and all of the entertainment. They are going to grab a lot of attention. I believe it is the most dynamic move in my life - the merger being complete and actually happening."
Theran said that he is ready for the 10-round fight and expects to put all of his skills on display against Johnson.
"I am very excited and very motivated. I know this is a very important fight here in New York and I am very well prepared," Theran said, "I am very well prepared and know that he will come at me with big punches. I am ready for the strong rounds and it is going to be a very entertaining fight. I notice that his technique lacks. I saw he is a slow mover compared to me - I am very quick."
Tonight's telecast is set to get underway at 10 p.m. The opening bout will be a welterweight battle between Chris van Heerdan and Cecil McCalla and the main event will feature welterweights Dusty Hernandez-Harrison and Tommy Rainone.
Johnson is currently ranked at number eight in the WBC and number 12 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO). With a win tonight, he is expected to move into one of the top five positions in the WBC. One dollar for every ticket purchased for this edition of "Throne Boxing" will be donated to the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
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