Cherneka Johnson prepares for Nina Hughes rematch following controversial error by announcer

The pair faced off in 2024, with Johnson prevailing, albeit in barely believable circumstances which sparked widespread controversy.

An error by the announcer meant Hughes was declared as the winner following their fight, only for the decision to be re-announced just moments later after the mistake became apparent.

For Kiwi-born Johnson, the bizarre circumstances left her in a whirlwind of emotions.

“Firstly (I felt) disappointment and upset and then also because I do have a heart, I felt for (Hughes) and her team as well,” she said.

“Like imagine if that was me in her shoes thinking that I had won and then they re-announced the winner, so the emotions were very high.

“I do quite a lot of visualisation so to not be able to enjoy that moment that I had visioned how I would of liked to, to go from such a low to such a high, it’s hard to feel those emotions.”

Now, Johnson, 30, is more determined than ever to defend her title and has a few secret weapons in her arsenal she hopes to deploy when the pair meet at Qudos Bank Arena.

“(I am) very confident, I’m the bigger, stronger girl,” she said.

“Come fight night, the new game plan and the new tools that we’ve added to our toolbox, I don’t think she’s going to be able to keep up with it.

“For them, all they are going off is what I had in the last fight, which was a strong jab, strong defence.

“We want to go in with the element of surprise and make it more of a statement as to why I won the last fight.”

Despite her confident persona in and out of the ring, self-doubt has plagued the star for much of her career.

“Self-doubt has been a huge (challenge) in that we all have those voices in our heads at times and it’s about mentally overcoming your own thoughts,” Johnson said.

“A lot of people can say they’re confident but do they really feel it and it’s about finding that balance of really feeling that you’re confident in yourself.”

After battling those mental demons for much of her early career, she is now stronger than ever and revealed how she has overcome those barricades.

“Probably over the last year and a half and two years is where I’ve really done a lot of work into myself,” Johnson said.

“I do a lot of breath work, meditation, affirmations and just having the right people around you that support what you’re saying and believe in what you’re saying as well.”

Johnson went viral in 2023 when she wore a painted-on top to her weigh on following the launch of her collaboration with OnlyFans.

Asked if she intends on going viral again ahead of this bout, Johnson delivered a simple yet effective warning shot to her rival.

“I want to let my boxing performance go viral,” she said.

Since forming that partnership, Johnson said she’s earned more from OnlyFans than she has in her entire boxing career.

However, she hopes more high calibre fights like can help raise the platform of women’s boxing.

“I feel like I’ve accomplished becoming a world champion but it is about getting the big money fights now,” she said.

“Women’s boxing doesn’t pay anywhere near what it does in the men’s.

“I am entertaining as a fighter, people usually want to tune in to watch women’s boxing and women’s boxing is on the rise so I feel like it is about creating more awareness around women’s fights and getting paid for it.”

Originally published as Cherneka Johnson prepares for Nina Hughes rematch following controversial error by announcer