AFTER a dominant victory earlier this year, Cherneka Johnson returns to action in an unconventional, undisputed showdown against Shurretta Metcalf on the Taylor-Serrano III undercard at Madison Square Garden.
Then-WBC and WBO bantamweight titleholder Dina Thorslund, 23-0 (9 KOs), had been the original opponent for IBF champion Metcalf, 14-4-1 (2 KOs), when the card was first revealed, but the undefeated Dane’s pregnancy led to her withdrawal.
Instead, with Thorslund’s now-vacant titles also up for grabs, WBA champion Cherneka Johnson, 17-2 (7 KOs), has stepped in to make the title bout an undisputed one, further adding to what is being dubbed as the greatest ever all-female card.
Johnson won the IBF title in 2022 but lost it to Ellie Scotney the following year. She bounced back to win the WBA crown in a disputable majority decision victory against Nina Hughes on home soil.
In March, the pair ran it back, but this time around, Johnson was able to pull off a more conclusive win, dominating Hughes before the towel came in during the seventh round to cap off a career-best performance from ‘Sugar Neekz’.
As for Metcalf, the Texan lost three of her first five pro contests but has since defied the odds to rise to the peak of the sport, outpointing Miyo Yoshida in late 2023 to pick up the IBF Inter-Continental strap at 118lbs.
Yet, despite losing to Metcalf, it was Yoshida who proceeded with a world title challenge in her next fight and sprang the upset against Ebanie Bridges to assume the Aussie’s position atop the division.
For her first defence, Yoshida collided with Metcalf for a second time in an attempt to avenge her defeat. Still, the 37-year-old instead met the same fate, losing another unanimous decision that this time saw Metcalf crowned as IBF world champion.
Consequently, both women now come into a surprise undisputed title fight fresh off the back of their best wins to date. Each will fancy their chances of moving to the next level and reigning supreme over the division.
CHERNEKA JOHNSON VS SHURRETTA METCALF FIGHT PREDICTION
Whilst 40-year-old Metcalf is as tough as a two-dollar steak, the amateur pedigree and experience at the top level that Johnson possesses makes her hard to side against, particularly after the beatdown she put on Hughes last time out.
Johnson was a three-time national amateur champion and appears to have found her footing as a professional now. Meanwhile, Metcalf’s story is an inspirational one, but she has yet to face an opponent of Johnson’s calibre.
Boxing News predicts that Johnson will outbox a game Metcalf for the vast majority of this 10-round affair, claiming both a comfortable unanimous decision and the undisputed bantamweight title status.
