Kevin Johnson was born on September 27, 1992 in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a tough part of town where violence was commonplace. His eldest sister Kendra served as the parental figure for Kevin and his six siblings, as his mother and father were mostly absent. Together the siblings experienced homelessness and moved around frequently, but still Kevin maintained a positive attitude, and he credits this positive attitude with the success he’s had thus far in life.
Kevin found a way to survive in that rough atmosphere, as he is a self-described “tough kid” for whom street fighting was a necessary way of life. He decided to work towards a better life to get his family into a better environment. Although school wasn’t his favorite, he kept to his goal of graduating from high school. At one point in time Kevin thought he might become a police officer, but as he put it, “Growing up in Detroit, you don’t know where your life is headed.”
It turned out that Kevin was headed for the boxing gym. When he was fifteen, he put aside his video games and tagged along with his brother and cousins, who had started frequenting the City of Detroit’s boxing program at the Crowell Community Recreation Center. There, Coach Boyd Gardner took Kevin under his wing and began training him. Coach Boyd was a professional fighter himself, who fought as a super featherweight out of the legendary Kronk Gym. All Kevin knew about boxing at the time was to “not get hit,” but he had a game attitude and never turned down a sparring opportunity of any kind. In Detroit Kevin had over 60 amateur fights, losing only ten of them.
In 2010, at the age of eighteen, Kevin moved to Las Vegas to pursue his boxing dream. Once again, his sister Kendra was instrumental in guiding him, while the rest of his family has been supportive as well. In fact, Kendra and her husband helped Kevin learn about the Mayweather gym and make the move to Las Vegas. There Kevin started frequenting the gym and got the opportunity to get noticed by legendary late trainer Roger Mayweather.
Kevin recalls working the mitts with Roger, and how serious and demanding he was. Roger was an inspiration to Kevin, and Kevin credits him with instilling his drive and determination to succeed at the professional level, along with his current trainer Otis Pimpleton. Kevin also considers his success a great spiritual blessing and acknowledges Jesus Christ as the source of all good things in his life. He considers Floyd Mayweather to be a role model that he can learn from in creating his own legacy.
For Kevin, moving from Detroit to Vegas has been a great blessing because it has created so many opportunities to be in the presence of greatness. In 2016, Kevin fulfilled his dream to turn pro. In 2021, he was signed by Mayweather Promotions, having had ten pro fights, with eight wins, four of them by TKO. One of his two losses was in 2019 against Mayweather fighter Richardson Hitchins. Kevin lost the fight on points, but he tested the highly rated Hitchins and made an impressive showing that got him noticed in the boxing world. His most recent victory was defeating Ryan Pino in February of 2020.
Kevin compares his style to Sugar Ray Robinson, Roger Mayweather, and Pernell Whitaker. His professional goals include winning all the championship belts, as well as eventually crossing over and pursuing other sports and even stand-up comedy. His personal goals also include giving back and helping the homeless and others in need.
Kevin encourages his fans to follow his example and stay positive in life, no matter what they’re going through. Boxing has taught Kevin hard work and dedication, and he tries to set a good example for others. Kevin’s advice to fans is to love what you do and put your heart into it, and that will make you the best you can be. Boxing has made Kevin a leader, and with these qualities, the sky’s the limit for his future.