Stevie Johnston gets an opportunity to reclaim the WBC Lightweight belt he lost to Jose Luis Castillo only three months prior. Fighting in front of his hometown crowd, Johnston starts off well, tagging Castillo with clean left hands in the first two rounds; however, in the third, they start slugging it out as in their first encounter, allowing Castillo to bull his way back into the fight. Johnston again takes over in the second half of the fight, but Castillo closes strongly, stunning Johnston at the end of the eleventh and out punching him in the twelfth. After twelve rounds, Johnston is originally declared the winner by majority decision before the verdict is reversed to a majority draw after the scorecards are checked over, allowing Castillo to escape Denver with his title intact.

Jose Luis Castillo vs. Stevie Johnston II

Jose Luis Castillo captures his first title in controversial fashion when he edges WBC Lightweight Champion Stevie Johnson by majority decision. After two rounds that appear too close to call, Johnston lands the first clean blows of the bout with some straight left hands in the third. In the fourth, Castillo loses a point for holding and hitting. They start throwing punches non-stop for most of the remainder of the bout, resulting in a number of incredibly close rounds. After twelve, the judges see Castillo notching just enough of them to lift the title.

Stevie Johnston vs. Jose Luis Castillo I 

Stevie Johnston vs Alejandro Gonzalez

Stevie Johnston vs Angel Manfredy

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtu...

Cesar Bazan vs Stevie Johnston II

Stevie Johnston vs Cesar Bazan

Stevie Johnston vs George Scott

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.asianb...

Stevie Johnston vs Hiroyuki Sakamoto

In a match between southpaws, the champion gave a lackluster performance and also had a point deducted for butting in the fifth following a clash of heads which left Johnston badly cut over the left eye. Whatever Mendy tried in the opening four rounds did not seem to work against a smaller man who stepped around him, jabbing from head to body, and generally dictated matters. Undoubtedly Mendy won the sixth and seventh as Johnston took a breather and he came again to share the spoils during the last three sessions, but it was not enough.