The 26-year-old heavyweight tries not to take other people’s opinions personally because he knows just by putting himself in the spotlight with his sport, he’s always going to attract negativity.

He told Boxing News magazine: “In this sport, it’s great on the way up. People are going to be happy for you. They’re going to get behind you.

“I had it great to start with – but I always knew these days were coming.

“You’re a professional sportsman, you’re on TV, people are watching you, and people are going to have opinions on you that you don’t like.

“For me, I don’t take it too personally. It doesn’t really grind on me.

“My dad, it might affect him a little bit more because people are talking about his son and when I have a son, I’ll probably be the same…

“If you’re worried about what people are going to say, don’t box on live television on the biggest shows in the world, because whatever you do there’s going to be a negative.

“If I knock Dave Allen out in two or three rounds, people would say Dave Allen isn’t good enough, you know? When you go to points and it’s a close fight, you’re no good.

“So whatever you do, there’s always going to be someone criticising.”

While Johnny takes criticism in his stride, he isn’t always at ease with the media engagements that come with his fights.

He said: “It’s not so much the criticism afterwards, it’s more about thinking about in the build up to the fight, lending myself to go and do a media workout, here, or go and do an interview there.

“I’ve done so many bits of media in the build-up. It’s more that stuff that drained me. That’s more of a negative than what people say afterwards.”