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By: Hans Themistode
Chad Johnson might be accustomed to getting his body in tip-top shape, but for his foray into the boxing world, he quickly realized how difficult it truly is to get prepared for a fight.
The former NFL wide receiver is set to make his pro boxing debut this coming Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul.
Johnson, 43, is matched up against 33-year-old Brian Maxwell. In terms of experience, Maxwell has Johnson beat by a mile. With that said, he hasn’t exactly flourished under the bright lights either. Although Maxwell has dabbled in boxing, MMA and Bare Knuckle boxing – he’s struggled to pick up any wins. His MMA record currently stands at 2-2. In Bare Knuckle, he picked up losses at the hands of Ulysses Diaz, Tee Cummins and a first-round stoppage defeat to Jared Cummins.
Still, while he appears to pose little to no threat, Johnson left no stone unturned in terms of his preparation. With this being the first time he’s lacing up the boxing gloves, he sought the help of both Jermell and Jermall Charlo, twin brothers who hold world titles in the boxing world.
While they gave him instructions on how to handle himself in the ring, Johnson revealed that he got the opportunity to spar with them as well. Needless to say, those sparring sessions didn’t go too well.
“I got f*cked up,” said Johnson when describing their training sessions. “It was fun but hard. I enjoyed it.”
With only a few days left, Johnson appeared to be fully focused on what he has to do to pick up the victory. Their contest is currently scheduled for four two minute rounds as opposed to the traditional three minutes in a typical boxing match.
To go from catching NFL passes to throwing punches in the ring will be a big adjustment Johnson admits. That being said, he believes he’s ready for his one and only time in the squared circle
“Absolutely not,” said Johnson when asked if he could make boxing a permanent profession. “One time is good enough for me. I’m ready to fight.”
