Career
He was successful at a domestic level, but his career was curtailed by ill-health. John"s early professional career was based mainly in Wales. His early successes normally came through points decisions, his victories rarely ended by a knock-out.
On the 12 September 1910 he took the Welsh 9 stone 4 pounds title, which resulted in an invitation to fight at the National Sporting Club in London.
Towards the end of 1911 his health was affected by rheumatism and defying medical orders, he continued fighting. Losing to Tommy Mitchell in Sheffield and a month later he was outpointed by National Williams in Liverpool.
Even when he took breaks from professional contests, he continued fighting in charity matches, usually with his mentor "Peerless" Jim Driscoll. In 1913, with the now properly constituted Welsh lightweight title set at a nine stone nine pound limit, he fought Arthur Evans in a twenty round eliminator for a shot at the current title holder, Dai Roberts.
He and Evans fought in front of a crowd of 4,000 at Merthyr"s Drill Hall with Johns winning by points after the bout went the full distance.
Johns" challenge against Roberts ended in farce. The twenty round bout only reached the seventeenth round after the referee, Mr J.W. Thwaites of the National Sporting Club, declared the match a "no-contest". Despite being married with a family, and suffering from rheumatism, on the outbreak of the First World War Johns joined the British Army, being assigned to the Royal Engineers.
In 1915, Roberts moved up to welterweight, vacating the lightweight title.
This led to Johns and Arthur Evans meeting for the title on 22 May at the Cardiff Arms Park. Johns held the title for just two months, when he again faced Evans this time at Liverpool Stadium where the two men were now stationed.
Johns undertook one more fight after the end of the First World War, a defeat to Danny Arthurs in Merthyr. Johns died of pneumonia in Merthyr Infirmary on his birthday in 1927.
He is buried at Cefn Coed Cemetery in Merthyr.