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Marcellus Joseph Johnson, better known as Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson (born August 13, 1971), is an American former boxer. A fast and skilled southpaw, Johnson won titles at flyweight and super flyweight twice. He also was a pound-for-pound ranked stalwart during the prime of his career, which ran from 1990 to 2006. If Johnson's resume was largely devoid of star names, it was because standout fighters of the day, such as Johnny Tapia, Danny Romero, Michael Carbajal and Ricardo López are widely considered to have avoided him. Johnson was the first African-American boxer to capture a world flyweight title. In 2012 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Amateur career

Johnson was an amateur standout, and was the 1989 United States Amateur Light flyweight champion.

Professional career

Flyweight

Johnson, defeated Francisco Tejedor to win the IBF Flyweight title in 1996. Although he never attained significant popularity due to his weight class and lack of defining fights, he went on to become one of the top pound for pound fighters in boxing for several years. Johnson conceded in a 2001 interview that his decision to manage his career independently during his peak, rather than signing with an established promoter, contributed to his inability to secure high profile fights, "I realized I had to have some management like a Don King or a Bob Arum or a Duva to get these fights."

Super Flyweight

Johnson defended that crown seven times until April 1999, when he rose to win the IBF's junior bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision over Ratanachai Sor Vorapin at Washington, D.C.'s MCI Center, which is now the Verizon Center. He defended the Super Flyweight title twice. However, his career was interrupted when he was sentenced to a year in prison on a drug related parole violation as well as domestic assault charges involving his wife. While incarcerated, he was stripped of his IBF title due to inactivity.

Bantamweight

Johnson returned to the ring in 2001, scoring two consecutive wins. In his third fight at Bantamweight Johnson lost in an upset to up and coming Rafael Marquez by split decision over 10 rounds later that year. This bout was clouded by the fact that Johnson was docked two points for holding. In the rematch the following year, Marquez took Johnson apart, winning by TKO in the 8th round. Johnson never regained his stature following the losses, although he did upset WBO Super Flyweight champion Fernando Montiel in 2003. Johnson went on to lose by KO in the 8th round to both Ivan Hernández for the WBO Super Flyweight. Johnson retired following his second straight loss in February 2006 after falling by eighth-round knockout to current WBC featherweight titleholder Jhonny Gonzalez, who has knocked out 10 consecutive opponents in as many straight wins since last losing in May 2009.

Professional boxing record

44 Wins (28 Knockouts), 5 Defeats (3 Knockouts), 0 Draw, 1 NC
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	44-5	Jhonny González	KO	8 (10), 1:08	2006-02-25	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	This is a non-title fight as Johnson couldn't make weight.
Loss	44-4	Iván Hernández	KO	8 (10), 2:42	2004-09-25	FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee	Lost WBO World Super Flyweight title.
Win	44-3	Paulino Villalobos	UD	10	2004-07-17	Baysox Stadium, Bowie, Maryland
Win	43-3	Luis Bolano	KO	4 (10), 2:40	2004-03-06	Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut	Retained WBO World Super Flyweight title.
Win	42-3	Fernando Montiel	MD	12	2003-08-16	Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut	Won WBO World Super Flyweight title.
Win	41-3	Ricardo Medina	UD	8	2003-06-28	DC Armory, Washington, District of Columbia
Loss	40-3	Rafael Márquez	TKO	8 (12), 2:41	2002-02-23	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	IBF World Bantamweight title eliminator.
Loss	40-2	Rafael Márquez	SD	10	2001-10-06	Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas

Family

Too Sharp is married to Valeeka Carter Johnson and has eight children, all eight of whom live in the Washington, DC area. Of which, three daughters are currently attending college (VSU, Morgan State and Winston-Salem). One of Too Sharp's daughters died in Baltimore, MD due to lung problems. Arrangements were held in SE, DC on Nov. 11, 2013.

References

1. Thomas Hearns leads HOF ballot. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-14.
2. "TOO SHARP" JOHNSON: BOXING'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FLYWEIGHT CHAMP. Ring TV.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-14.
3. "Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson". International Boxing Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
4. ^ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2001/feb/5/20010205-021004-3579r/?page=all
5. Mark Johnson – Boxer. Boxrec.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-10.

External links

• Boxing record for Mark Johnson from BoxRec (registration required)

• 1971 births
• Boxers from Washington, D.C.
• Flyweight boxers
• International Boxing Federation champions
• Living people
• Super-flyweight boxers
• World Boxing Organization champions
• Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers
• World flyweight boxing champions
• World super-flyweight boxing champions
• World boxing champions
• International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees
• American male boxers