Comeback Boston boxing star Johnson chasing one last big title dream

So he will be trying to once again kickstart his career on a bill at Notts County FC's The Nest venue on Saturday, 25th April.

The 40-year-old is a former British and Commonwealth champion and his only defeat was a world title fight in 2018 when he challenged Artur Beterbiev for his IBF world light heavyweight title in Chicago.

Having not fought for more than a year, Johnson retired from professional boxing in November 2022, but reversed his decision and returned to the ring in December 2023 stepping up a weight divisions to compete at cruiserweight.

His first comeback contest saw him stop Darryl Sharp in Manchester in December 2023, followed by two points victories against Viktar Chvarkou in Grantham in June and September 2024.

But since then he has been unable to find an opponent and seen his world ranking expire due to his inactivity.

“It has been frustrating,” said Johnson, who has 23 professionals wins and that one defeat to his name.

“I had the three wins at cruiserweight after coming back and we did have a big fight secured out in Kazakhstan against a former WBA world champion.

“But that fell through when he pulled out and have just been sat on the sidelines again for a year unable to get a fight.

“So I have decided to get onto one of these small hall fights now just to get back my rankings status and get a bit of ring rust off and hopefully go again and get one last crack of the whip.

“It will now all depend on the opportunity. If I get the opportunity I truly believe that with a proper camp and proper sparring, I still think I can produce my best stuff.

“I think I can achieve good things if I get the opportunity.

“But boxing is a business and we are not in control of it.

“I am just putting myself out there trying to get an opportunity. If it comes it comes and if it doesn't it just wasn't meant to be.”

He added: “I don't know who my opponent is but it's not something I worry too much about as long as I am fit.

“At the end of the day he's not going to be a world beater, but he will also be someone half decent who can fight a little bit as the fight would not be sanctioned if he wasn't.”

Promoter and manager Carl Greaves said: “It has been a frustrating time for Callum as he has been inactive for over a year so has lost his world ranking.

“Before that he was WBO number two. But he has been unable to get the big fights he wanted in that time. Nothing was happening for him

“I will now be his manager and trainer, which is excellent. It has been a long time coming and it is exciting – we should have been working together years ago.

“On his last comeback he was struggling to make the weight at light heavyweight so he moved up to cruiserweight.

“I know he is 40 but he is a big puncher and has only lost one fight. He's lived a clean life and I am pretty confident he will do all right. He seems happy.

“We will start out in the smaller halls and get him his ranking back and then go for the big fights again and get him back in the mix.”

Johnson is scheduled to make his ring return on the "#BigCityBoxing2" card promoted by Carl Greaves Promotions (CGP) in association with Trilogy Promotions and BCB Promotions.

The card also features fighters such as Callum Blockley, Connor Millward, and James Ling, with a main event featuring Tyler Rivers against Sajid Abid for the Midlands Area Welterweight Title.

At regional level, Johnson held the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018 and the British light-heavyweight title in 2018 while, as an amateur, he won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Having previously been made a Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Boston, Johnson had a road named after him in his home town of Boston.