Delante 'Tiger' Johnson went the eight-round distance for the second straight time.

The outcome was exactly the same for the 2020 U.S. Olympian, who outpointed New Orleans’ Jonathan Montrel. Judges Antoine Bell (80-72), Tony Martin (80-72) and David DeJogne (80-72) all scored for Cleveland’s Johnson, who offered a disciplined performance in their ESPN+ aired junior welterweight contest Saturday evening from Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.

Johnson overcame a shoulder injury to prevail in his previous outing and was at full strength on Saturday. Montrel was game early in the fight and even hurt the unbeaten prospect with a right hand in round three.

The moments were too few and far between, however, for the visiting Montrel (15-2, 10KOs), Johnson obeyed the commands of his head trainer and former contender Prenice Brewer, who called for a more assertive attack at close quarters and patience from the outside. It led to a sound boxing performance delivered by the former amateur standout who advanced to the Tokyo Olympic quarterfinalist.

Johnson grew braver in the later rounds after he piled up an early lead. Montrel was briefly hurt by right hands in rounds six and seven, neither which threatened to end the fight but enough for Johnson to remain in control throughout his second win of 2023 in as many fights.   

Time was called in the eighth and final round as Johnson's corner had to fix loose tape on his glove, a recurring theme in the fight. Johnson (9-0, 5KOs) was unbothered by that as well as steady pressure applied by Montrel in the final minute to remain unbeaten. He went eight rounds for the first time in his previous fight, a shutout victory over Alfonso Olvera on April 1 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He’d never previously fought past six rounds heading into this year’s campaign.

Johnson-Montrel preceded an ESPN-televised tripleheader. Headlining the main show, local hero and rising heavyweight contender Jared Anderson (14-0, 14KOs) meets former IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin (29-3-1, 26KOs) in a scheduled ten-round contest.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox