Cherneka Johnson defends her undisputed bantamweight title against former champion Dina Thorslund on August 8 at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The 10-round bout headlines the fifth edition of MVPW, live on ESPN.
Johnson (18-2, 7 KOs) of Tauranga, New Zealand makes the second defense of her title. In her first defense last December, the 31-year-old defeated Amanda Galle by unanimous decision.
The Gold Coast, Australia-based Johnson unified all four major belts last July, defeating Shurretta Metcalf by fourth-round TKO after stepping in as a replacement for Thorslund. With the victory, she retained her WBA title, claimed Metcalf’s IBF belt, and secured the vacant WBC and WBO straps vacated by Thorslund.
“I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and for this fight to come together the way it has makes it even more exciting! Now is my time to show what I am truly capable of,” Johnson said. “This is the fight I always knew would bring out the best version of me, and I plan to do exactly that – take my belts home, take her pound-for-pound ranking, and claim the bantamweight queen title.”
Two-division champion Thorslund (23-0, 9 KOs) was scheduled to face Metcalf, but withdrew from the matchup due to pregnancy and relinquished the belts. The 32-year-old native of Copenhagen, Denmark returned to the ring in January with a unanimous decision victory over Almudena Alvarez.
“I’ve been waiting for this fight since I had to give up my two world titles due to an unexpected pregnancy,” Thorslund said. “Sadly, I lost the baby, and with that I not only lost the family I had dreamed of, but also the titles I gave up for it. That experience has given me an even stronger hunger to come back and reclaim everything that was once mine.”
“Cherneka Johnson needs to be at her absolute best against me, because I’m returning with a level of motivation I’ve never had before. And let’s not forget one important thing – I’m the only undefeated fighter between the two of us, and I still will be after this fight.”
The bouts featured on the Johnson vs Thorslund undercard are expected to be announced shortly.
Tickets for the event go on sale Saturday, June 13 at 11:00 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.