Cherneka Johnson all in for undisputed clash with Shurretta Metcalf

NEW YORK — Cherneka Johnson had her eye on Madison Square Garden ever since a bantamweight unification fight was added to this event.

As the reigning WBA titlist, Johnson figured she would eventually fight whoever came out on top. What she didn’t count on was getting a shot at all four belts on Friday’s Netflix card. 

When Dina Thorslund had to vacate the WBC and WBO belts in late May after she unexpectedly became pregnant, Johnson got the call asking if she’d be interested in stepping in to face IBF titleholder Shurretta Metcalf for the undisputed championship. 

It didn’t take long for Johnson to make up her mind.

“There was no hesitation, I was like, ‘Yep, let’s do it,’” Johnson, 17-2 (12 KOs), told BoxingScene.

Though she wasn’t in camp mode yet, she was in the gym working on her skillset. A key adjustment was made when training camp began - specifically, its location.

Johnson, 30, trained in Montreal for this fight - the hometown of her manager, Matt Casavant, to prepare for the time zone. 

The opportunity also marks her United States debut, and on the biggest possible stage - underneath the third fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. She never imagined this exact scenario, but had always been in it to chase the biggest opportunities.

“That’s almost every fighter’s dream, to fight at Madison Square Garden on a card full of quality women fighters showcasing their skills to the world,” said Johnson. “I wouldn’t have committed my whole life to boxing and chasing greatness and wanting to be the best if I didn’t at some point see myself getting there.”

Against Metcalf, 14-4-1 (2 KOs), Johnson will have to contend with a veteran with a snappy, consistent jab who, at 5’7”, is two inches taller and fights in a style that utilizes that to her advantage. The 40-year-old from Dallas, Texas has won four straight, including the world title in her most recent bout in October, just out back at The Theater at MSG. 

“She obviously brings her height and the length of her limbs that are different from my previous opponents, but at the end of the day I’ve leveled up myself and I’ve got the best team around me,” said Johnson. “We’ve got a great game plan to disarm her and all of her tools and what works best for her.”

Johnson is also coming into the bout with significant momentum behind her. She won her first world title in 2022, outpointing Melissa Esquivel to win the IBF junior featherweight title. Her reign ended two fights later in a ten-round, unanimous decision defeat to Ellie Scotney, who also appears in a unification bout on Friday’s loaded show. 

The fight was her last at 122lbs. Johnson moved down in weight to challenge - and dethrone - WBA bantamweight titlist Nina Hughes. Their first meeting last May 12 saw Johnson eventually claim a majority decision. The bout’s conclusion was marred by a cringeworthy error by the announcer, who initially named Hughes the winner before having to correct himself.

A rematch this past March settled matters more conclusively, as Johnson stopped her in the seventh round.

“For me it was like, you can shut up, you can stop complaining,” Johnson pointed out. “You whine about the announcer, you feel like you got robbed because you came to Australia, but I proved to her ‘Look how much better I am than you.’ I’m not one to make a fuss or cry about things, or say things that are nasty but I’m gonna prove why I’m the champion.”

Johnson has long ago exceeded the expectations anyone had for her when she first laced up a pair of gloves at age 14. 

Born in Tauranga, New Zealand, a few hours south of Auckland, Johnson and her family moved to Australia when she was 11. 

“It’s a better lifestyle, there’s a fair bit of gangs and drug use there, the economy isn’t as great as in Australia, so my family brought us over for a better life,” said Johnson.

Always a “tomboy” who enjoyed playing tackle football with the boys growing up, Johnson enrolled in a boxing fitness class at a local Police-Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) gym, which is similar to the PAL program in the United States. She learned the proper way to punch from the class instructor, former IBF lightweight champion Phillip Holiday. When it was clear that Johnson was more suited to competitive boxing than boxercise, she enrolled in a more serious gym and traveled the world as part of the Australian national team, competing at the World Championships in China and Bulgaria, while also boxing in Germany, Wales and South Korea.

Now she finds herself fighting on a card headlined by the most storied rivalry in women’s boxing history. Johnson says that, while she admires both fighters, she’d like to see Serrano get one in the win column after two close wins from Taylor.

“It would be nice to see Amanda get the nod on this one and make it 2-1, and the trilogy could potentially continue. I feel like Amanda’s got something on her shoulders to prove and I think she’s gonna do that,” said Johnson.

Being on such a big card gives Johnson an opportunity to make a name for herself as well on the world stage. Casavant believes this fight will springboard her to stardom as well.

“‘Neekz’ winning and becoming undisputed bantamweight champion on a historical Netflix boxing event is a game changer,” said Casvant. “She will become known to a larger audience and I believe she has been one of the best kept secrets in boxing. She is the total package in terms of what you want to market as a pro fighter and above everything else she has a fan friendly style.”

For Johnson, the fight is an opportunity to not only make personal history, but to put a spotlight on women’s boxing in the Oceania region. A win would make her the first Australian undisputed champion since Kostya Tszyu at the beginning of this century, and the first woman from Australia or New Zealand to claim such honors.

“It would be like an honor, not only do I get to represent Australia, I get to represent New Zealand and I get to represent the quality of fighters from Australia and New Zealand,” Johnson pointed out. “I was born in New Zealand and I like to acknowledge where I come from, but I live and represent Australia. It’s gonna put women’s boxing on the map for us.”

Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for jeetwin68.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at .