If Joe Calzaghe imagines Glen Johnson is going to hand him his IBF light heavyweight title on a plate, he would do well to look at the champion's path to the title.
Johnson, a 35-year-old Miami-based Jamaican, spent a long 11 years campaigning across the world before claiming a world crown. And on the way he was subject to decisions so bent that the ring announcers had to screw their glasses on to read the scorecards.
But Johnson's story is not quite the classic boxing tale of the hard-done-by underdog.
He was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, but moved to his new home of Miami at the age of 14.
There he discovered boxing and at the age of 24 made his professional debut, fighting at middleweight against Yurek Delrio.
A first-round KO win marked out Johnson as a rising prospect, and his talent was confirmed by a further 31 successive wins, 22 coming by way of knockout.
 |  I have never experienced anything in boxing like what Bernard Hopkins did to me |
As a rising star Johnson was treated appropriately, many of his fights being held close to his Miami home as he was groomed for a shot at the world crown. His chance came in September 1997. Unfortunately for him, it was against Bernard 'the Executioner' Hopkins.
"I have never experienced anything in boxing like what Bernard did to me," Johnson has admitted.
Hopkins' counter-punching punished the challenger for 11 rounds before Johnson's misery was ended by a furious and accurate attack.
Defeat Johnson could take, but the effect on his standing in the game was far more devastating.
Overnight he had gone from being 'the prospect' to 'the challenger,' the man who has to travel at late notice, fight on opposition territory, and subject himself to the whim of home-town judges.
Since the Hopkins defeat, Johnson has added eight wins to his record - but these have been matched by eight losses and two draws.
None of the defeats have been stoppages, though, and he maintains that each setback has been hugely controversial.
In November 1999 he chased IBF super middleweight champion Sven Ottke around a Dusseldorf ring for 12 rounds before seeing the decision go to the German.
Five months later he lost a points verdict to WBU champion Silvio Branco in Italy.
| There is nobody in boxing who has taken the road I've taken and made it |
And just two months after that he lost a split decision to highly touted prospect Omar Sheika, the only fighter on the records of both Calzaghe and Johnson (Calzaghe stopped Sheika in five rounds two months after the Johnson clash). Johnson moved up to light heavyweight, but his bad luck continued with controversial losses to Derrick Harmon and Julio Cesar Gonzalez.
Time seemed to be running out, but a big win over Eric Harding positioned Johnson for a shot at the vacant IBF light heavyweight crown.
Again he would have to travel, this time to Sheffield to face England's Clinton Woods in July 2003.
This was British fight fans' first real taste of Johnson and - even given the weight of national prejudice - nearly all agreed that he deserved the verdict over Woods.
The judges thought differently, though, and made the fight a draw, prompting a rematch in February, again in Sheffield.
It went to the scorecards once more, but this time there would be no denying Johnson's supremacy and he claimed the prize he had sought for so long, the championship of the world.
His pride and frustration came flooding out in a moving post-fight interview.
"I've beaten him (Woods) twice now and thankfully this time the judges agreed. I appreciate their work," he said.
"I have been struggling for a long time to feed my kids and I want to save enough money for them to go to college like I didn't.
"I've fought all over the world as the underdog against guys like this. I've beaten a lot of them and they've taken the wins away from me.
"This is unbelievable. There is nobody in boxing who has taken the road I've taken and made it."
Having finally claimed the title, Johnson could be expected to be the one making the demands, to call for challengers to fight on his terms, on his ground.
But with time working against him he is too much of a realist. He knows the ways of the boxing world, knows that he is unlikely to be the headline show.
| Calzaghe has had 14 defences, but I'm not impressed with a lot of the names on his record |
So Johnson will travel again, accepting a big purse in return for allowing Calzaghe to fight in Britain. "I've always fought in people's back yard, you know me, I'll take on all-comers anywhere," said Johnson.
"Calzaghe has had 14 defences which you have to take notice of, but I'm not impressed with a lot of the names on his record.
"I'm the best light heavyweight in the world, including Roy Jones Jr, so my message to Calzaghe is let's get it on."
For all Johnson's talent, desire, guts and experience, the suspicion has to be that Calzaghe has that extra touch of class.
When you factor in the age of the fighters, the Welshman's speed, and the inevitable edge given by home advantage, most would bet that Johnson's first defence of his title will also be his last.
But it would be a foolish man who ignored the package that Johnson brings to the table, and the final word is left to his manager Henry Foster.
"Glen has always been a road warrior," said Foster. "He's always had to travel to the other guy's front yard and we're not worried about Calzaghe having all his fans there."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
