Undefeated welterweight Delante Johnson (16-0, 7 KOs) has every reason to feel motivated in the lead-up to his November 7 showdown with Puerto Rico’s Nicklaus Flaz (15-2, 10 KOs).
The 27-year-old finds himself in the first main event of his career, headlining an internationally broadcasted ProBoxTV card against an opponent ranked in the top 15 of the IBF and WBO’s 147-pound rankings. Essentially, the fight is a big opportunity for a pair of prospects to make a statement and gain recognition from a boxing world that has spent years either overlooking or outright dismissing them.
For this reason, the man known as ‘Tiger’ is chomping at the bit and ready to pounce.
“I ain’t going to lie man, I was excited,” Johnson said to FightsATW.com of his reaction to first hearing about his main event placement. “I didn’t really expect to be the headline. For some reason, I thought it was going to be like a co-main. I didn’t really know what was going to come. When I saw that it was a headline, when I found out, I was happy. It made me go even harder in the gym. It was a big motivation seeing that.
“I think it’s going to be a fun fight for me. We’ve been working on so much; just tightening up on things. I feel a lot stronger than before. I think I’m going to shock a lot of people.”
Providing answers to doubters and naysayers is not a foreign concept to the Cleveland native. In fact, it might even be said that it has been a central theme in his life. Reflecting on his youth, Johnson recalls many years of financial turmoil he and those close to him faced. He also remembers the hardships that came with it, such as constant fist fights as a young kid and not finishing high school.
“I don’t come from a family that has a lot of money. I come from a struggling background,” he candidly told. “As a family, my parents and my brothers, we all struggled together growing up. I’ve faced a lot of adversity growing up outside of boxing. At times, it affected my boxing because of the financial struggles we were going through.”
From such tribulations, a resilient attitude and resolute focus have emerged.
“I had to stay strong my whole upbringing,” Johnson said. “I just had to stay strong, stay focused and stay disciplined, but you know, it all paid off.”
Developing this strength has gone hand in hand with Johnson’s boxing journey. After walking in and out of the sport during his formative years, he ultimately found solace in ‘the sweet science,’ a pursuit passed on to him by the many fighters who have come before him on his father Donte’s side of the family. In fact, he can recall the exact moment it all clicked and came together, itself another case of having to prove himself.
Despite a decision loss to Ryan Garcia in the semi-finals of the 132-pound youth national amateur championships in 2016 and subsequently missing qualification for the world titles in Saint Petersburg, a small twist of fate created an opportunity for Johnson to shape his future should he be willing to grasp it.
“2016 is like the highlight of my life, it saved me,” he said. “Before the tournament, I had already dropped out of high school and my parents and I spent the last of what we had to get me to that tournament.
“When I lost, I had to come home (and) get a job. I did tables like a waiter at hotels. I was a bus boy. I did that, then I got a call from USA Boxing saying that Ryan Garcia and the number two (Bryan Lua) turned pro, so they brought me in as the number three to go to Youth Worlds; that was in Russia. I came back to boxing. I trained real hard for like two or three weeks, went to Colorado (to the Olympic Training Center) then went to Russia and got a gold medal. That was my big break.
“I didn’t even have a passport. I couldn’t even get a passport because I couldn’t afford it. I was real close to not even going to Colorado. What happened was, that same week, my mom came home and handed me the money because she won it at the casino. She came home, handed me the money and told me to go and get my passport and I was able to go.
“I got a second chance man and I took advantage of it.”
The achievements continued to accumulate from that point forward. A bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games was followed by a quarterfinal finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Now, Johnson is aiming for similar success as a professional.
Perfect through 17 contests so far, criticism has come over the rate at which ‘Tiger,’ a member of the Top Rank stable, has transitioned away from a quote-unquote “amateur style” since turning professional. His answer to that is simple: count him out if you dare. After all, he’s been winning against a stacked deck his entire life and believes he will continue to do so moving forward, starting with Flaz on November 7.
“Everybody has their own time and whenever my time comes, I execute,” Johnson concluded. “Whenever I get my opportunity, I execute. Now I’m having my first headline; we’re going to execute and we’re going to show the world what I’m made of.
“Flaz has a lot of buzz on him and I have a lot of buzz, so I feel like it’s a good fight. It’s a great matchup for the fans to see and this is just another stepping stone for me. I’ve been having challenging fights my whole career so this is nothing but another stepping-stone that I have to get through and we’re going to execute like I always do.
“Nobody expected me to go to the Olympics. Nobody expected me to do the things that I did in my career. Nobody expected me to be signed to Top Rank; one of the biggest promotions in the game. I beat the odds. I’ve beaten a lot of odds in my life. That’s something I’m going to continue to do.
“I always rise to the occasion. A lot of people are counting me out, so I have a chip on my shoulder. This fight is going to be personal for me.”
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