Four years ago, Taureano Johnson was at the height of his amateur boxing career. At 24, he had just completed representing his country in quality fashion at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
However, a promising career would stall just two years later, with Johnson campaigning as a professional. In Beijing, Johnson did not win a medal, but he ended up being ranked the No. 5 amateur welterweight in the world. Johnson had made a nation proud. He was fabulous in the three bouts he engaged in. He totally outclassed Grenadian Rolande Moses in his first round match to advance for a meeting with the tough Olexandr Stretskyy of the Ukraine.
In this bout he was at this best. My view is that he was never better before and certainly not since. Stretskyy was tough and game, but the Bahamian had too much going for him. The result was never in doubt and Johnson moved on to the next round against Chinese national hero Hanati Silamu.
With the mighty hometown element in his favor, the tough Silamu got the points win, but in losing the decision, Johnson impressed the boxing world. His market value was solid. He had a number of options. He was approached by a number of professional-interest individuals.
There was though, the one very good option that I spoke to him about after his bout with Silamu. On the bus going back to the Olympic Village, I pointed out to the Bahamian sports elite that the offers for him to turn pro would come, but he had the great choice also of remaining an amateur.
That way, he would most likely retain his government subvention for the rest of his amateur career, enjoy traveling around the world, competing and representing the land of his birth. Also, the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) had made a decision to begin tournaments that would offer good purses for the top performers.
The first of these was scheduled for the Soviet Union in 2009. Most emphatically, I told the young boxer that as an amateur, all his expenses were paid but as a pro, he would have to assume full responsibility for his camp, airline tickets, training and medical costs, etc. He shook his head, in apparent awareness of the position he was in. As an amateur, his reputation was sky-high. As a professional, he would be starting all over again because he did not have a medal to boost his initial professional market rate.
Well, he opted to turn professional. He's has gone through management difficulties and his career stalled in 2010. He did not fight for a year and a half. He finally now seems to have picked up his career again. He won a fight in January to push his record to 5-0. However, Johnson is 28. The window of success is closing, rather rapidly.
I've painted this picture because Johnson has been a truly marvelous sports ambassador for his country. Perhaps, he will still hit a positive stretch that will take him into regional and then world title prominence. Then again, perhaps he would have been better off, staying on in the amateur ranks as one of the very best welterweights in the world. Athletes are thus advised always to seek to make the best choices for the future as competitors.
Best wishes to Taureano, but one has to wonder about what other high-level performances he might have had during the past four years if he had decided to maintain his amateur status.
To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at fredericksturrup@gmail.com

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