Ear To The Street
A Rise, A Fall, A Resurrection
After becoming a pro, Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson loss one his early bouts but thereafter put together a 10-year-long string of victories before anyone was able to defeat him again. In 1993, Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson won his first title as a pro, then in 1996 he went on to become the first African American Flyweight World Champion as he defeated Francisco Tejedor with a 1st Round knock-out. Mark came into this fight as the number one contender, and he caught Tejedor with a blinding inside left cross that stupefied Tejedor and left him flailing on the canvas like a fish out of water.
In a class where large numbers of Hispanics contended for the title, it was no small feat for Mark to not only have won the IBF title but also to have defended it at least 6 times before moving up in weight. This, he did in 1999 moving up yet again in search of the fight that would catapult him into the seven digit purse range.
Unfortunately, Johnny Tapia vacated his title rather than risk it fighting the unstoppable choo choo train in Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson. Nevertheless, Mark cruised to victory winning the IBF Super Flyweight Title in a unanimous decision over the Mongolian fighter Ratanachai Sor Vorapin. What was notable about this fight is that Mark accomplished another first. The venue was the newly built MCI Center, and Mark became the first fighter to win a World Title in that building.
Mark seemed unbeatable at this stage in his career; no one appeared to be coming even close to winning against him until he went up against his worst nightmare, Uncle Sam. This was the one fighter that was able to knock Mark out of boxing all together until he was freed from Federal prison to resume his illustrious boxing career.
An unofficial record that Mark is said to have broken is the incredible story when he fought Enrique Orozco. Sources say Mark was seriously injured in that fight and according to Mark, Orozco had shattered Marks eye socket in the first round. Somehow, Mark was able to suffer his way through the bout and in the 12th round Mark unleashed a palisade of upper-cuts, 42 in all, that sent Orozco tumbling to the canvas.
Mark also mentioned that he suffered his worst defeat yet when he went up against Rafael Marquez, not because he was beaten up by the guy, but because after being named the winner of the fight, the decision was reversed following a recount of the cards. Mark found out two hours later while watching television that he was being stripped of his win due to a 2 point deduction for a punch after the bell that Mark unleashed on Marquez. After dual losses to Marquez, Mark was later able to connect a short string of victories and win the WBO Jr. Bantamweight Title.
The grand finale of Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson's storied career came when he raised his arms in triumph after being inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY where he joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Iron Mike Tyson, and Sugar Ray Leonard who stated, "Mark Too Sharp Johnson is the greatest bantamweight boxer who ever did it."
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