Dina Thorslund won the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF women's bantamweight titles from Cherneka Johnson on Saturday, beating her by unanimous decision to end Johnson's undisputed reign in the main event of MVPW-5 in Orlando, Florida.
Thorslund, 32, of Denmark, fought aggressively from the opening bell and won every round on all three judges' scorecards, each of which read 100-90.
The win capped an emotional return to the ring for the undefeated Thorslund (25-0, nine KOs), who vacated her WBC and WBO bantamweight titles in June 2025 after becoming pregnant. A month later, she announced on social media that she had suffered a miscarriage.
She returned to boxing in January, defeating Almudena Alvarez to capture the vacant WBC interim featherweight title, before dropping back down to bantamweight to challenge Johnson for the undisputed championship.
Training partner's emergency surgery
The lead-up to the fight brought more emotional turmoil for Thorslund. Her training partner, Raven Chapman, underwent emergency brain surgery last month after collapsing during a sparring session in Denmark.
"This has been such an emotional journey for me the last year," Thorslund said, fighting back tears after the victory. "I'm going to take this belt straight back to Raven and say thank you."
Thorslund dominates on the scorecards
Thorslund was in control for the entire fight. Her aggressive combinations put Johnson on the defensive, especially early on, and through three rounds Thorslund had landed 37 punches to Johnson's 14.
By the end of the fight, Thorslund's non-stop attack of power punches had built a 103-62 edge in total punches landed.
Johnson (19-3, eight KOs), who became undisputed champion by knocking out Shurretta Metcalf in July 2025, was unable to make use of her power against Thorslund. Practically every time Johnson connected, Thorslund responded by landing three or four shots in return.
