THE mocking taunts of his former wife are driving Glen Johnson towards his goal of becoming undisputed world super-middleweight champion.

The 42-year-old Jamaican meets Nottingham’s Carl Froch tomorrow in the semi-final of the World Super Six tournament.

And he is more determined than ever to succeed, putting his hunger down to ex-wife Rosemary repeatedly calling him overweight.

He didn’t start boxing until the comparatively late age of 20 – and that was only because he became fed up with her “fat boy” jibes.

He said: “I am from a fat family. Most of them were overweight – something I have had in my head since I was a child.

“Rosemary was always on to me about my weight. Even though I knew my wife was joking with me, it was still disturbing.

“I had to immediately find something to do as an exercise and I ended up finding a career in boxing. I didn’t even know at the time I was walking into a boxing gym!

“I have her to thank for where I am now. I pay attention to every detail.

“I have become a top light-heavyweight boxer and now moved down to super-middleweight.”

Johnson has won 51 of his 68 professional bouts and has no intention of retiring, despite his age.

He puts his fitness down to abstaining from anything that could harm him.

He said: “You can get away with it when you are young, but you can’t later on.

“All I know is that I feel young and don’t feel any different than at any time in my life.

"There is nothing I can’t still do. I can still run as fast as I used to.

“Yesterday, I did five miles at seven minutes a mile – as I have always done.

“It is not a matter of feeling my age – it is just the way I feel. I don’t drink, party, smoke or do drugs.

“I know I can become the undisputed super-middleweight world champion.”