Bray Qualifies for Berth on U.S. Goodwill Team Despite a Knockdown : Boxoff: Van Nuys heavyweight runs into trouble in second round against Massachusetts fighter but gets off the deck to win a 5-0 decision.

John Bray went into Friday night’s Goodwill Games Boxoff with a vision in his head, a vision of standing in Barcelona, Spain, two years from now with an Olympic gold medal on his chest.

But five minutes into his heavyweight bout against James Johnson, he found himself with something else on his chest: the canvas.

Bray, a former U.S. champion in the heavyweight division, found himself on the deck courtesy of a whistling right hand to the jaw. He got up, however, and went on to win a 5-0 decision, giving him a berth on the U.S. team for the Goodwill Games on July 28-Aug. 5 in Seattle.

Bray, 19, of Van Nuys, had missed with his own right and Johnson, 23, of Lowell, Mass., followed quickly with the crushing right that landed flush on Bray’s chin. Bray went down hard but was up quickly and did not appear hurt. He began landing his own heavy punches just seconds later, and Johnson’s opportunity had passed.

“I think I showed a lot of heart after getting caught with that punch,” Bray said. “It was a beautiful right hand, but champions get off the canvas. I have only been knocked down one other time in my life, and that was three years ago. It wasn’t as hard as this punch, though.”

Bray, 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, opened the bout with an easy left jab that caught Johnson, 6-4 and 200 pounds, high on the head and twisted Johnson’s headgear around. Bray snapped Johnson’s head back with a heavy left hook a few seconds later, and it appeared that he would have an easy night.

But Johnson had other plans and he bothered Bray with solid combinations midway through the round, landing several hard punches that forced Bray to back up.

Bray seemed to regain control in the second round, but the knockdown briefly changed the complexion of the fight as Johnson began boxing with greater confidence.

In the third round, the two fought on even terms for the first two minutes, but with 30 seconds left Bray rocked Johnson with a left-right combination, wobbling his legs and sending him into the ropes. But Bray landed few blows the rest of the way as both fighters appeared exhausted.

All five judges gave Bray the decision.

“I hadn’t fought in six months,” Bray said, “and I felt the rust. I just wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be. But I’m young. I’ll get much better.”

Bray actually had been out of action only since February, when he sustained an injury in a loss to an Italian fighter in Reno, Nev.

But even in that loss, Bray had stayed on his feet.

“I can’t believe that punch,” he said. “Boom, and down I went. I couldn’t believe it. I was so frustrated at myself. But I have never been in better shape, and that’s what got me through. A year ago or even six months ago, I never would have recovered from that knockdown.”

He gave much of the credit for his conditioning to Joe Goossen, the trainer for the Ten Goose Boxing Club in Van Nuys just blocks from Bray’s home. Goossen began working with Bray after the loss in Reno.

“He beat one of the top four amateur heavyweights in the country tonight, so that’s good,” Goossen said. “And he came back after the knockdown, and that’s good. But he still needs work on his fundamentals. He still needs polish. I need more time to work with him.

“But remember, we’ve got time. He’s only 19.”

Not for long. Bray will turn 20 next week. And then, after a few more weeks in the Goossen gym, he will be off to Seattle.

“I will win (at) the Goodwill Games,” Bray said. “Count on it. I got the rust off and now I’m ready.”