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“Training went very well and we’re putting on the finishing touches. The hard work is done.” Orlando Cuellar
Orlando Cuellar, trainer of Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson (51-14-2, 35 KOs) says he’s expecting an easy night when his fighter takes on WBC super middleweight champion Carl “Cobra” Froch.
Johnson and Froch will meet in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, June 4 and televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing starting at 9 PM ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Johnson and Cuellar have been working together since 2003, when Johnson (then a full-time construction worker) surprisingly beat top contender Eric Harding for the USBA Light Heavyweight title. They have gone on to win the IBF title against Clinton Woods, knock out Roy Jones and beat Antonio Tarver, among others.
Cuellar says he knows his fighter, knows what he can do, and doesn’t see him having any problems against Froch.
“For us, Froch will be an easy fight. If Glen did as well as he did against Chad Dawson, we believe he should do very well against Froch. Froch isn’t as fast or mobile as Dawson. Glen has faster hands and feet. He has better body work and better defense. The only advantage Froch has is age and Glen has shown he’s only gotten better with age.”
Johnson, says Cuellar, is a natural super middleweight.
“This is our second training camp at 168 lbs and he’s a lot more used to it. The first time around was the first time in years he made 168 and we were all anxious to see how he would perform. This time around, we have the momentum from the previous fight and we realize how well what we did worked and we’re employing the same techniques. We’ve just made a few adjustments to the style of Froch. My mentality is if you can do it in training; you can do in the fight. Judging by that, we are expecting him to look very good. I’ve always believed Glenn would be at his best at super middleweight. He is going to be amazing on June 4.”
Having been together so long, Cuellar says he and the fighter have their routine down like clockwork. “He’s a low maintenance guy. Glen is an old-school fighter who works hard. He’s a real pro who is easy to work with. We do bag work, sparring, regular gym work and then we work on shots that our opponent may give up as far as holes on his defense. We explore ways we can confuse his defense and hit him with shots he doesn’t see coming.”
With thousands of fans coming all the way from Britain to watch their man Froch, Cuellar says they are in for a big disappointment. “The fight won’t go the distance. Glen will win by KO. I’m sure of it.”
Carl Froch vs. Glen Johnson is presented by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Matchroom Sports and Caesars Atlantic City.
Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $100, and $50, can be purchased through the Boardwalk Hall ticket office and Ticketmaster. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, at any Ticketmaster retail outlet or in person at Boardwalk Hall box office.
