Middleweight standout Tureano Johnson (18-1, 13 KOs) will have a chance to put himself in a prime position this month when he takes on Eamonn “King Kane” O’Kane (14-1-1, 5 KOs) in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) Middleweight World Title Eliminator.

Johnson, who represented The Bahamas in the 2008 Olympics, has been very vocal about getting a meaningful fight over the past few months, and will have a chance to prove himself on October 17, in the “mecca of boxing”, Madison Square Garden.

The winner of the fight will become the mandatory challenger for the IBF Middleweight Championship being contested in the main event between World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Organization (IBO) and WBC “interim” champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and IBF Middleweight Champion David Lemieux.

The co-featured bout of the pay-per-view telecast will feature WBC Flyweight Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez against two-time former world champion Brian Vilora.

Johnson, 32, considers it a great opportunity to be a part of such a major event and said he plans to give it his all for boxing fans around the world.

Johnson would have likely had a title shot by now if it were not for a controversial stoppage loss to Curtis Stevens last year.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that has been awarded to me, to be able to fight in the IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator,” he said in an interview with World Boxing News. “It was long awaited, I feel like I am halfway there on the path to accomplishing my goal to becoming a world champion and with Golden Boy Promotions at my side I know it’s inevitable. HBO pay-per-view is a major platform and I’m excited to have been chosen and featured as one of their televised fights. I know that the fans have high expectations and they will not be disappointed.”

Since the controversial loss to Stevens, Johnson has won four consecutive fights, with three coming by way of knockout. In that span, he captured the WBC “Continental Americans” belt, the WBC “Silver” title, and the World Boxing Association (WBA) “international” title.

O’Kane will be fighting outside of the United Kingdom for the first time in his career. At 33, he as earned the IBF “intercontinental” belt and the Irish middleweight belt, plus the WBC “International Silver” title.

Johnson recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions after a short time under Roc Nation Sports. Under Roc Nation he had just one fight, a fifth round TKO over Alex Theran in January. But after a long stretch of inactivity, Johnson decided to make the switch.

The championship event will be produced and distributed by HBO beginning at 9 p.m.

 

Middleweight standout Tureano Johnson

 

Middleweight Eamonn O'Kane

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