Callum Johnson will come out of retirement and return to boxing at cruiserweight.
Johnson last fought in 2021. With a record of 20-1 with 14 knockouts, the 37-year-old has decided the time is right for him to return.
“I’ve got bored of this retirement. I’m going to come back and have a go at cruiserweight, one last roll of the dice,” the former light-heavyweight said to Sky Sports News, revealing his motivation to reignite his boxing career.
“I can’t live the rest of my life without having a go. Even if I have one fight when I’m back, I’ll be able to live the rest of my life in peace, but I feel I’ve got two, three, four good fights left in me.”
The decision to move up to the cruiserweight division was not a spontaneous one. Johnson admitted he had contemplated the move for a while due to difficulties in making the light-heavy limit.
“I’ve been struggling to make the weight for a long time,” he explained. ”
Chris Billam-Smith says a rematch with Lawrence Okolie could be on the cards, followed by a possible unification bout with Richard Riakporhe.
He is confident in his physical abilities to compete at the new weight class. Johnson is well aware of the challenges that lie ahead and acknowledges the stacked competition in the British cruiserweight scene.
READ ALSO Boxing:Joshua-Dillian Whyte rematch fight for Ang 12
“That’s another thing, if you look at what’s happening in the domestic scene, it’s like the light-heavyweight scene. The cruiserweights now are right up there,” Johnson said, expressing his eagerness to re-enter the fray.
“I’m not bothered who it’s against. I’m not stupid, I know I can’t just come back and say ‘I want to fight him,’ because it’s not going to work like that and I might never get the opportunity.
Chris Billam-Smith sent the hometown crowd wild as he delivered Lawrence Okolie’s first knockdown of his professional career.