Cherneka Johnson is a New Zealand-Australian professional boxer with the IBF female junior featherweight title since 2022.
Born in New Zealand, she represents Australia in international competitions. She is known for her speed, power, and skill in the ring, as well as her bold and confident personality outside of it.
She has won several major boxing titles and has faced some of the best fighters in her division. She is also one of the first boxers to partner with OnlyFans, a platform that allows her to connect with her fans more personally and diversify her income.
Cherneka Johnson was born on March 3, 1995, in Tauranga, New Zealand, and she will be turning 29 years old soon. She has three siblings. She is of Mori descent, the indigenous people of New Zealand.
She moved to Australia with her family when she was 16 and settled in Brisbane. She attended St. Peter Claver College, a Catholic school in Ipswich, Queensland.
Johnson began her boxing career in the amateur division in 2011 after she moved to Australia. When fighting in international competitions, she would represent Australia.
She won the 2011 Junior World Championships in the bantamweight division, came fifth in the 2013 Youth World Championships, and reached the top 16 in the Elite World Championships in 2012 and 2014.
She also won three Australian national championships and three Golden Gloves championships. She ended her amateur boxing career, competing in over 60 amateur boxing fights.
Cherneka Johnson is a proud Mori and Australian. She has a tattoo of the Mori flag on her left arm and the Australian flag on her right arm.
She also has a tattoo of her brother’s name, Levi, on her chest. She lost her brother in 2022 when he was stabbed to death outside a Brisbane nightclub.
She was devastated by his death and vowed to honour his memory by continuing to fight. She dedicated her recent win over Susie Ramadan to him, saying, “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 is also one of the first boxers to join OnlyFans, a platform that allows her to share exclusive content with her fans and earn extra money.
She announced her partnership with OnlyFans at her weigh-in for her fight against Ellie Scotney in 2023, wearing only body paint and a bikini.
She said she wanted to expand her brand and connect with her fans more personally. She also said she was not ashamed of her body and wanted to inspire other women to be confident and empowered.
Johnson made her professional boxing debut in 2016 against Thailand’s Napaporn Ruengsuwan, who was also making her professional debut.
Johnson won the fight by second-round stoppage. She then won two more fights, ending her 2016 year with a first-round stoppage of Thailand’s Ratsadaporn Khiaosopa.
In 2017, Johnson won four more fights, including a unanimous decision over Filipino boxer Gretel de Paz for the WBA Oceania female bantamweight title. This was her first regional title and her first 10-round fight.
A few months later, she fought for the WIBA world bantamweight title against Thailand’s Rungnapha Kaewkrachang. Johnson won the fight by stoppage in the fourth round, becoming the second Mori to win a world boxing title.
In 2018, Johnson defended her WIBA title against Thailand’s Siriphon Chanbuala, winning by knockout in the second round.
She then moved to the super-bantamweight division and fought for the vacant IBF female junior-featherweight title against Mexico’s Melissa Esquivel in 2022. Johnson won the fight by majority decision, becoming a two-weight world champion.
In 2023, Johnson fought Shannon O’Connell for the WBA Gold female bantamweight title, a secondary title that could lead to a shot at the WBA regular or supertitles.
The fight was close and competitive, but O’Connell won by split decision, handing Johnson her first professional loss. Johnson bounced back later that year, defeating Singapore’s Nurshahidah Roslie unanimously.
In 2024, Johnson is scheduled to face Britain’s Ellie Scotney in a rematch for the WBA Gold title. Scotney is an undefeated prospect who gave Johnson a tough fight in their first encounter, which Johnson won unanimously.
Johnson is confident she will repeat her victory and move closer to a unification fight with the other world champions in her division.
Throughout her career, Johnson has won several awards and accolades, such as:
Cherneka Johnson has been involved in some controversies in her career, such as:
Cherneka Johnson’s net worth is estimated to be about $3 million.
She earns money from her boxing career and her partnership with OnlyFans and other sponsorships.
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