Glen Johnson?s loss to Lucian Bute on Saturday may well have been more than just a one-sided drubbing in which the ?Road Warrior? won only a single round on all three judges? scorecards. It could also be yet another indication that boxing?s ?Old Heads? of the early 21st century are nearing the end of their remarkable run of contests in which they?ve schooled men often young enough to be their sons on the finer points of the sweet science.
At 42, Johnson is not old enough to be the 31-year-old Bute?s daddy. But the hard-nosed Johnson went in as a live underdog in his challenge for the undefeated Bute?s IBF super-middleweight title. At the very least, Johnson was expected to provide as tough a test for Bute as he did for the likes of Chad Dawson, Tavoris Cloud and Carl Froch. That was not to be, as Lucian took Johnson to Bute camp over 12 repetitive rounds. Bute is a heavy hitter, but Johnson has a hard head that has enabled him to last the distance in all but one of his fights. How many more beatings like this can Johnson take, though, before their cumulative effects begin to show as he advances in age?
Earlier this month, 43-year-old James Toney suffered a similar shut-out defeat at the hands of Denis Lebedev for the WBA?s ?interim? (don?t ask) cruiserweight title. Like Johnson, Toney has retained his durability. But that?s about all he has left. Toney?s speech has been slurry over the past few years, and permanent neurological damage is staring him in the face if he doesn?t retire.
