No regrets: ‘Sugar Neeks’ talks OnlyFans stunt and gruesome cut ahead of world title tilt

She’s gone viral for an OnlyFans weigh-in stunt, which secured her a mammoth payday, and a horrific cut, but Cherneka ‘Sugar Neeks’ Johnson wants her fists to do the talking this weekend.

Cherneka ‘Sugar Neeks’ Johnson sent the boxing world into a tailspin with some revealing weigh-in attire – or lack of attire – last year, but the Melbourne-based Kiwi is remaining tight-lipped about whether she has something similar planned this weekend.

In a cleverly executed publicity play sponsored by OnlyFans, Johnson weighed-in for her IBF super-bantamweight world title fight with Ellie Scotney with just body paint covering the top half of her body.

The weigh-in went viral, and sent social media into a spin with pundits and fans all putting their two cents in about whether it was a bad look for the sport.

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But Johnson, who fights Nina Hughes for the WBA bantamweight world title in the co-main event bout on the Kambosos-Lomachenko blockbuster in Perth, has absolutely no regrets.

For a kid who grew up in tough circumstances in New Zealand before moving to Australia, the financial windfall was a game-changer.

“My social media went up by about 100,000 followers, and it was a marketing strategy that worked,” Johnson told this masthead. “It paid me more than my whole fighting career has paid me so I’m not complaining.

“It also didn’t weigh anything, so didn’t add anything on the scales either.”

The former IBF world champion, Johnson didn’t reveal how much the OnlyFans deal was worth, but admitted it dwarfed her total earnings from boxing so far.

“In relation to my whole boxing career, it’s probably about triple what I’ve earned,” she said. “Women’s boxing in Australia, it doesn’t pay much.

“Women’s boxing doesn’t really pay much.

“It’s not a cheap sport to be in, there’s lots of factors involved with having a successful camp, and the fight purse doesn’t really cover it.”

Johnson isn’t the first Aussie female fighter to link up with OnlyFans, after Ebanie Bridges formed a hugely lucrative partnership with the subscription service.

Aussie Ebanie Bridges has also linked up with OnlyFans. Picture: Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Linn Sandstrom signed an “athlete deal” with OnlyFans ahead of her world title fight last month which sees the Sydneysider sharing exclusive training, diet and fight prep footage.

As for Johnson, she says OnlyFans is now a major sponsor, but won’t be pulling off another stunt like the body paint one.

“We can’t go twice with that one, that was a one and done thing,” she said. “I think this weekend, the fighting’s gonna do the real talking and I’ll make a huge statement.”

The body paint weigh-in get-up wasn’t the first time Johnson has had a viral boxing moment.

A distinguished amateur and former world champion, she is rightly regarded as one of the best in the country and the world.

During her 2022 IBF world title defence against Susie Ramadan in Melbourne, Johnson suffered a hideous cut above her left eye.

Johnson beat Ramadan despite the gruesome cut she suffered. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

The cut poured with blood in scenes eerily similar to those Tim Tszyu fought through against Sebastian Fundora in March, and proved her incredible toughness.

“In the moment, I didn’t even know how bad the cut was,” she said. “Then I just felt the blood dripping down my face.

“My corner team was incredible though, and they saved the fight for me. My cut man from that fight, Craig Wilson, he’s actually my head coach now, so it just shows the importance of having the right people in the right roles in your corner.”

Johnson actually reckons she gained more followers on social media for the cut than from her weigh-in.

In fact, the bloodbath bout likely fed into her gaining the opportunity with OnlyFans.

Johnson, her cut and the IBF world title. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

“My socials blew up from about 35,000 followers to about 235,000 followers,” she said. “It was crazy.

“I had to have a bit of downtime for recovery and no contact, but from then, everything just skyrocketed.

“I was the world champ then and opportunities just kept opening up.”

Having relocated to Melbourne from Tauranga on New Zealand’s North Island when she was 12, Johnson was first introduced to boxing as a way to keep fit.

One thing led to another though, and after 65 amateur fights, including representing her adopted new country Australia, she turned pro in 2016.

Nina Hughes defends her world title against Cherneka Johnson. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images

“When I think about it now, if I didn’t leave New Zealand, I would probably be into drugs, or pregnant and just living week to week,” she said. “I would’ve had no ambition or anything like that.

“My childhood, we weren’t fortunate, we weren’t wealthy.

“It was sort’ve like we were living just to get by.”

This Sunday, in front of a sold out RAC Arena, Johnson has the chance to become a two-time world champion against England’s undefeated Hughes.

And after weigh-in stunts and blood bath bouts, she’s ready to let her boxing do the talking.

“She’s a fighter and there hasn’t been any trash talk or anything, but she has something I want, and I’m gonna take it from her,” Johnson said. “I’m going to be the stronger person in there.

“They won’t be expecting this new style that I’ve been working on and it’s gonna be a banger. You’re gonna hear, ‘And new’.”

Originally published as No regrets: ‘Sugar Neeks’ talks OnlyFans stunt and gruesome cut ahead of world title tilt