Tag Archives: Tiger Johnson

Mike Ohan, Jr. lands dream fight vs. U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson

Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden


Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (L) is ready for Tiger Johnson
(photo by Emily Harney / Fightography)
 
QUINCY, Mass. (November 10, 2022) – Former New England Welterweight Champion Mike Ohan, Jr. (16-1, 9 KOs) is preparing for his potential career-changing fight on December 10th against 2020 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (6-0, 4 KOs) at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City.
 
Johnson vs. Ohan, Jr. is a scheduled 8-round welterweight match on a Top Rank card, headlined by a Heisman Night fight featuring Teofimo Lopez against Jose Pedraza, which will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Ohan, Jr. isn’t overly concerned about fighting a much-hyped prospect, who is promoted by event promoter Top Rank,, at the mecca of boxing on a much larger viewing platform.
 
“I’ll embrace it,” Ohan, Jr. “I’ve fought a lot of top guys in the amateurs like Jamaine Ortiz, who just fought Vasiliy Lomachenko. I feel like I belong at the top level with them, but they started competing earlier than me in the amateurs. I was 16-17 and had a lot of catching up to do.   
 
“This is what all the years of me working so hard has been for. It’s been a dream of mine even as a kid, before I started boxing. It’s starting to payoff; I need to executive the game plan on fight night.”
 
“I couldn’t be prouder of Mike and what he has accomplished so far in boxing,” Ohan’s promoter, Granite Chin president Chris Traietti commented. “He’s a great guy with great work ethic, and he has a ton of heart. He jumped all over this opportunity when it was presented. This is why guys fight; to hopefully get a chance to shine at an event like this at Madison Square Garden. Mike grinded and grinded, now he has his well-deserved opportunity at stardom.”
 
Ohan, Jr. is the son of a retired pro boxer, (14-6-2, 11 KOs), who served as a sparring partner for the great Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
 
The 24-year-old Johnson, fighting out of Cleveland, was a highly decorated U.S. amateur boxer who was a member of the 2020 .USA Olympic Boxing Team. He was a 2-time winner of the USA National Championships (2016 & 2017), as well as a gold medalist at the 2016 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, and 2014 USA Junior Olympic National Championships.
 
“He’s a great fighter,” Ohan, Jr. talked about his upcoming opponent. “Everything he does, he’s excellent at, not just good. I have to bring my A game to prove I belong. All the greats have adjusted to the situation and that’s what I have to do. I’ve put in all the blood, sweat and tears. Whatever he throws, I’ll be ready.”
 
Fighting in Madison Square Garden is the ultimate venue for Ohan, Jr. along with most fighters. Some may feel that the cards are stacked against Ohan, Jr., but he clearly isn’t worried about all the hoopla associated with fighting at MSG on ESPN+ against the event promoter’s highly touted boxer.
 
“It’s just going to be me and him in the ring,” Ohan, Jr. concluded. “Madison Square Garden is an historic place. Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson…all the greats have fought there. I love boxing history and I’m blessed to be fighting there. I do live closer to New York City than him and I’m sure people will come out for me.
 
“At the end of the day, though, everybody will know who I am. An impressive performance will raise my stock, but I’m going in the ring to win!”
 
INFORMATION:  
Facebook.com/GraniteChin
Twitter: @Granite_Chin
Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (L) is ready for Tiger Johnson(photo by Emily Harney / Fightography) QUINCY, Mass. (November 10, 2022) – Former New England Welterweight Champion Mike Ohan, Jr. (16-1, 9 KOs) is preparing for his potential career-changing fight on December 10th against 2020 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (6-0, 4 KOs) at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City. Johnson vs. Ohan, Jr. is a scheduled 8-round welterweight match on a Top Rank card, headlined by a Heisman Night fight featuring Teofimo Lopez against Jose Pedraza, which will be streamed live on ESPN+. Ohan, Jr. isn’t overly concerned about fighting a much-hyped prospect, who is promoted by event promoter Top Rank,, at the mecca of boxing on a much larger viewing platform. “I’ll embrace it,” Ohan, Jr. “I’ve fought a lot of top guys in the amateurs like Jamaine Ortiz, who just fought Vasiliy Lomachenko. I feel like I belong at the top level with them, but they started competing earlier than me in the amateurs. I was 16-17 and had a lot of catching up to do.    “This is what all the years of me working so hard has been for. It’s been a dream of mine even as a kid, before I started boxing. It’s starting to payoff; I need to executive the game plan on fight night.” “I couldn’t be prouder of Mike and what he has accomplished so far in boxing,” Ohan’s promoter, Granite Chin president Chris Traietti commented. “He’s a great guy with great work ethic, and he has a ton of heart. He jumped all over this opportunity when it was presented. This is why guys fight; to hopefully get a chance to shine at an event like this at Madison Square Garden. Mike grinded and grinded, now he has his well-deserved opportunity at stardom.” Ohan, Jr. is the son of a retired pro boxer, (14-6-2, 11 KOs), who served as a sparring partner for the great Marvelous Marvin Hagler. The 24-year-old Johnson, fighting out of Cleveland, was a highly decorated U.S. amateur boxer who was a member of the 2020 .USA Olympic Boxing Team. He was a 2-time winner of the USA National Championships (2016 & 2017), as well as a gold medalist at the 2016 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, and 2014 USA Junior Olympic National Championships. “He’s a great fighter,” Ohan, Jr. talked about his upcoming opponent. “Everything he does, he’s excellent at, not just good. I have to bring my A game to prove I belong. All the greats have adjusted to the situation and that’s what I have to do. I’ve put in all the blood, sweat and tears. Whatever he throws, I’ll be ready.” Fighting in Madison Square Garden is the ultimate venue for Ohan, Jr. along with most fighters. Some may feel that the cards are stacked against Ohan, Jr., but he clearly isn’t worried about all the hoopla associated with fighting at MSG on ESPN+ against the event promoter’s highly touted boxer. “It’s just going to be me and him in the ring,” Ohan, Jr. concluded. “Madison Square Garden is an historic place. Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson…all the greats have fought there. I love boxing history and I’m blessed to be fighting there. I do live closer to New York City than him and I’m sure people will come out for me. “At the end of the day, though, everybody will know who I am. An impressive performance will raise my stock, but I’m going in the ring to win!” INFORMATION:  Facebook.com/GraniteChinTwitter: @Granite_Chin 

Team USA knocks off Team Ireland, 7-3 on USA Boxing’s 2018 USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour stop #2; SPRINGFIELD RESULTS

Team USA middleweight Troy Isley was named Most Outstanding Boxer of the night

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 16, 2018) – Team USA defeated Team Ireland, 7-3, last night (Thursday) on the second stop of the three-city 2018 USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour, at MassMutual Center MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.

Team USA defeated Team Ireland in team scoring, 8-4, last Monday in the first dual and it also clinched the team title last night, holding a 2-0 advantage with one more match-up to go in the series.
Thursday night’s final score was somewhat misleading, though, much more competitive than the final team score may indicate, as the first five matches ended in 2-1 split decisions, all in favor of Team USA.
Gifted California bantamweight Marc Castro won his second straight bout on this tour,defeating George Bates, 2-1, in the Fight of the Night.
Most Outstanding Boxer of the night, Virginia middleweight Troy Isley, the 2017 Elite World Championship bronze medalist, locked up the team victory and series clincher in the seventh match of the night with an up-close-and-personal unanimous decision over game Irish middleweight Gerard French.
The USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour concludes Wednesday, Mar. 21 at The Manchester Downtown Hotel in New Hampshire. The action will commence at 7:00 p.m. ET for up to 12 world-class amateur bouts, which will all be live streamed, free of charge, on USA Boxing’s website (www.usaboxing.org). Presented by Corona Premium and serving as a fundraiser for another partner of the show, the Manchester PAL Boxing Club, tickets are $20 for general admission, $30 for reserved ringside seats, and available to purchase on Seacoast Ticket Agency’s website, www.seacoastticket.com, the official ticket distributor for the event.
Irish heavyweight Kiril Afganasev edged 2017 US National bronze medalist Adrian Tillman, 3-0, for the second consecutive time on this tour. The taller Afranasov was too strong inside, once again, for Tillman.
American light heavyweight Khalil Coe decisioned six-time Irish National champion Caoimhin Hynes for the second time in a row by the identical scoring, 3-0, by effectively using his superior height and reach advantage.
Eight-time Irish National Champion Brett McGinty avenged his opening night loss, winning a 2-1 decision against National AAU champion Nikita Ababiy.
Southpaw Paddy Donovan gave Ireland its first win of the night, upsetting Cleveland welterweight Quinton Randall, a 2017 Elite World Championship team member, in the sixth match, by way of the first 3-0 unanimous decision of the evening.
 
2016 Youth World Champion Delante “Tiger” Johnson took a split decision from Irish light welterweight Caoimhin Ferguson, 2-1.
California light welterweight Charlie Sheehy kept the American freight train rolling, taking a split decision from eight-time Irish National champion Wayne Kelly.
In a rematch of last Monday’s match, heavy-handed American welterweight Oshae Jones, a 2017 Elite Women’s Continental Championships silver medalist, won a hard-fought split decision over Grainne Walsh for the second time in a row. Jones dropped Walsh in the opening round, but the Irish boxer battled back in another second spirited confrontation.
In the opening match of the evening, Virginia light welterweight Amelia Moore, in her first international bout, upset World Championships silver medalist lightweight Kellie Harrington, 2-1.
Complete individual & team results:
 
SPRINGFIELD RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Kiril Afanasev, Dublin, Ireland
WDEC (3-0)
Adrian Tillman, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Khalil Coe, Jersey, City, New Jersey, USA
WDEC (3-0)
Caoimhin Hynes, Belfast, Ireland
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Brett McGinty, Derry, Ireland
WDEC (2-1)
Nikita Ababiy, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Troy Isley, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
WDEC (3-0)
Gerard French, Anrtim
WELTERWEIGHTS
Paddy Donovan, Limerick
WDEC (3-0)
Quinton Randall, Katy, Texas, USA
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS
Tiger Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
WDEC (2-1)
Caoimhin Ferguson, Atrium
Charlie Sheey, Brisbane, California
WDEC (2-1)
Wayne Kelly, Laois, Ireland
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Marc Castro, Fresno, California, USA
WDEC3 (2-1)
George Bates, Dublin
WOMEN WELTERWEIGHTS
Oshae Jones, Toledo, Ohio, USA
WDEC (2-1)
Grainne Walsh, Offaly, Ireland
WOMEN LIGHTWEIGHTS
Amelia Moore, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
WDEC (2-1)
Kellie Harrington, Dublin, Ireland
USA: 7            IRELAND: 3
 
 
To stay up to date on the USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour click here.
USA vs. Ireland Schedule
March 21: The Manchester Downtown Hotel, Manchester, N.H.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing