MIAMI, Florida (CMC) — Henry Foster, the manager of Jamaica’s veteran light heavyweight boxer Glen Johnson, is excited by the title eliminator bout his world-rated boxer has landed against American Yusaf Mack for late January.

In spite of his damaging defeat against American Chad Dawson last month, the ageing Johnson was given a career lifeline earlier this month when the International Boxing Federation (IBF) booked him for a title elimination bout against Mack on January 30 in Las Vegas.

“Glen is confident he can beat this guy,” Foster said in a Miami Herald newspaper report.

Approaching 41 years old and past his best, Johnson’s clash with Dawson last month in Connecticut was considered a “crossroads” bout for the Jamaican native since a defeat could have meant the end of his bid to recapture a 175-pound world title.

Dawson beat the still very lively Johnson on a unanimous points decision — 117-111, 115-113, 115-113 — on November 7 for the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim world title but Johnson now gets a quick chance to rebound with his signing to tackle Mack in five weeks.

Foster empathised with Johnson over his loss to Dawson and accused the young American of being evasive in the contest, afraid of going toe to toe with Johnson.

“This is a guy who ran the whole 12 rounds,” Foster said of Dawson.

Experts speculated possible retirement for Johnson, who turns 41 years old on Saturday, but Foster said the Caribbean fighter was hardly bruised in the bout and there was nothing about his performance suggesting he was ready to retire.

“As far as the fight (with Dawson), Glen was totally unmarked. For Glen, it was unsatisfying. He wasn’t about to end (his career) based on that fight,” Foster told the Miami Herald.

Foster is thrilled that next month’s bout with Mack gives Johnson an opportunity to show that he still has what it takes to become a world champion again.

“When we realized Glen had a good standing with the organisations, this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up,” Foster said.

“It’s all about the championships. Glen wants the belts,” Foster said.

The winner of the Johnson-Mack bout will become the IBF’s mandatory challenger to light-heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud, of the USA.

The 29-year-old Mack has a ring record of 28 wins (17 knockouts) against two wins and two losses.

Johnson has lost two of his last four bouts — both to Dawson — and has a current ring record of 49 wins (33 knockouts) against 13 losses and two draws.

He has been among the most prominent light heavyweights in the world this decade — a three-time world title challenger before winning the IBF championship in February 2004 when he landed a 12-round unanimous decision over Britain’s Clinton Woods.

Johnson won the World 2004 Fighter of the Year Award for his victories over legendary Roy Jones and the highly rated champion Antonio Tarver.