Cherneka Johnson sustained a terrible cut above her forehead early in her 10-round defense against Susie Ramadan on Saturday night, winning a unanimous decision to retain her IBF women’s junior featherweight title on the undercard of the Devin Haney-George Kambosos II fight.
“Sugar Neekz” had to survive one of the worst cuts many boxing fans had ever seen to maintain her world championship belt on Sunday, but her biggest blow came weeks before when she tragically lost her brother.
Boxing can be a brutal and gruesome sport, and Cherneka Johnson experienced this more than anybody else on Saturday night.
Why was Cherneka Johnson red-faced during her fight against Susie Ramadan?
In the second round, a clash of heads left Johnson with a nasty cut above her brow. Blood began to pour from the incision, covering both her and Ramadan.
Johnson was unable to see, but she was able to continue after being patched up by her team. The blood had stopped flowing from the wound by the end of the fight, but it was still starkly apparent on her face.
Fights have been stopped for far less in the past, but on this occasion, the referee permitted the action to continue.
Talk about battling through adversity 😤 #HaneyKambosos2 pic.twitter.com/YXsXfQAnmK
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 16, 2022
Although blood flowed down her face, Johnson fought hard and won by unanimous decision. Even though it appeared dramatic, she was able to keep her strategy and defeat her opponent.
Stop. The. Fight. This is insane. pic.twitter.com/uJxw303Q8i
— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) October 16, 2022
Grisly cut on Cherneka Johnson over at #HaneyKambosos2 pic.twitter.com/9rajuW3bRR
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) October 16, 2022
“I freaked out a bit in the first round with the cut and felt the blood in my eye but I just tried to stay calm,” Johnson said after the fight. She also added, “I knew I could get through it if I stayed on my jab and didn’t get stuck in a brawl.”
Johnson was determined to fight because she had dedicated the fight to her brother, Levi, who was cruelly stabbed to death just a month before.
“I’m dedicating this to my brother and I’m so glad I got the job done, I know he’s here in my corner,” Johnson said.
