I Go Down Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois But I

I Go Down Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois But I forgotten heavyweight hit harder than them all – Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson has shared the ring with a who’s who of heavyweight greats during his 20-year stint in professional boxing.

The American veteran started out as a contender, building up a respectable 22-0-1 record in his first six years in the paid ranks before landing a WBC title shot against Vitali Klitschko in 2009.

He lost the fight via unanimous decision, and after falling to a second defeat against Tor Hamer in the Prizefighter 25: heavyweight final, his career took an entirely different route.

In the preceding years, Johnson established himself as one of the most recognisable journeymen in boxing, sharing the ring with the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Andy Ruiz Jr, to name a few.

He has since lost 20 out of his last 29 fights and currently holds a 36-22-2 record.

Yet his durability and defensive craft mean only three men have been able to stop him at the time of writing (Joshua, Petar Milas and Martin Bakole).

Given that he wasn’t able to withstand the punishment of the aforementioned trio, the expectation is that one of them would be considered the hardest hitter he has ever faced.

However, when the question was posed to him by Russian newspaper Sport Express, Johnson picked an opponent he actually beat.

“Alex Leapai from Australia,” he replied. “Alex Leapai is the physically strongest boxer I have ever met in my life.