Kelly

Jamaican light heavyweight boxer Glen 'Road Warrior' Johnson lost to American Chad Dawson in a title fight on Saturday, April 12.

What's significant about the result? Somebody should call the FBI or Interpol because Johnson was flat out robbed! He should file a complaint with somebody because we haven't seen a rip-off like this one, since three morons stole four paintings in Zurich earlier this year. This decision was like a general election in a corrupt country, tief!

Here was a guy who at age 39 beat the crap out of a guy 14 years his junior. It was Dawson, not Johnson, who was wobbly after big right hands. Dawson's trainer basically told him to start running when Johnson's shots were starting to take effect. It was Dawson who the crowd started to boo when his running tactics were recognised. And it was Dawson who had to 'hug up' Johnson when his legs were about to go and thus stopped himself from falling. When the decision came, the audience booed Dawson like he was telling bad jokes at the Apollo.

Knock him out

And yet, he still has the belt. There's a saying in boxing that when you're fighting a guy in his hometown, you have to knock him out just to get a draw! (I must point out that Dawson was born in South Carolina - the fight took place in Florida - but Glen is a Jamaican fighting a born-and-raised American in America.)

There's no worse feeling than knowing you did your best (and better than the other guy) and yet he gets all the riches. The people's respect is great, but you can't exactly spend that at the supermarket. This was just the latest in questionable decisions to go against Johnson.

Press coverage

But what ticks me off more than anything else is the press coverage or lack thereof that you get on guys like Johnson. Lee Boyd Malvo leads newscasts, Kevin Brown makes headlines and Colin Ferguson is front-page news. But the Glen Johnsons of this world, i.e. the hard-working, law-abiding, proud Jamaican who never soils the flag, get zilch. Nada! There are plenty of Jamaicans like that. Give their all and get nothing in return. Like the teacher who gives years of service and her pension is so small, beggars give her money. The construction worker who makes other persons' homes beautiful and has zinc as his walls. You get the idea.

Johnson did win a title four years ago, so at least he has had some success. But a lot of folks are still waiting for their own championship belts.

Keep fighting with me at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com.

Challenger Glen Johnson (right) connects with a right to the jaw of WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson during the third round of the championship boxing match on Saturday in Tampa, Florida. Dawson won by unanimous decision. - AP