Antonio Tarver: record, next fight and profile →
Former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver owes the mother of his daughter a significant amount of money that went unpaid over a significant amount of time. The amount is staggering — $669,000 in total accumulated at $6,000 a month, and the last time he’d paid any money was in 2012 when a judge told him he could go to jail otherwise, according to Florida television station WFLA.
Premier Boxing Champions has announced that a battle of former champions has been finalized for August 14th, on Spike TV, with Antonio Tarver (31-6, 22KOs) facing Steve Cunningham (28-7, 13KOs) in a heavyweight contest. Tarver was last in action in December, when he stopped Johnathan Banks in the seventh round of a very one-sided fight that likely ended Banks' career as a fighter. Banks is also the head trainer of heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko.
Former champion Antonio Tarver sees no reason for a rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The richest fight in boxing history took place last month at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with Mayweather winning a dominant twelve round unanimous decision to unify the WBO/WBC/WBA welterweight championships.
Former champion Antonio Tarver was working behind the broadcast booth and called the action two weeks ago on Spike TV, as Amir Khan battled Chris Algieri in the Premier Boxing Champions main event from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight with Algieri, who was coming off one-sided drubbing at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, was viewed as an audition for the British star to solidify his worth for a fight with WBC/WBO/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the fall.
Former champion Antonio Tarver recently had some words with Shannon Briggs. Both fighters are looking to get a crack at the heavyweight prize, a fight with WBO/IBO/WBA/IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko. Briggs was asked about the possibility of facing Tarver and called him "a bum." Tarver called his bluff by daring him to sign a contract. Briggs ignored that challenge. Tarver is still ready and willing to face him. The former light heavyweight champion is not impressed with Briggs' campaign of trying to get a big payday by stalking Klitschko in several countries.
Former champion Antonio Tarver weighed in on the upcoming mega-fight between welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight takes place on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Tarver, currently a heavyweight contender and a commentator for Premier Boxing Champions on Spike TV, sees Pacquiao as a very dangerous opponent for Mayweather. Despite Pacquiao's brutal 2012 knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Tarver sees his physical gifts and style of fighting as presenting some threatening problems for Mayweather.
New York, NY – Spike TV has added some serious punch to their “Premier Boxing Champions” series announce-team. Five-time, two-division world champion boxer Antonio Tarver and popular Bellator announcer and former professional MMA fighter, Jimmy Smith, will serve as color analysts for Spike TV’s inaugural season of “Premier Boxing Champions.” Spike TV’s first “Premier Boxing Champions” event will take place on Friday, March 13 at 9:00pm ET/PT from the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. The event will showcase two marquee match-ups including Andre Berto vs. Josesito Lopez and Shawn Porter vs. Robert Garcia.
Former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (57-6-1, 50KOs) became enraged after hearing that Antonio Tarver (31-6, 22KOs) was interested in facing him. Tarver, who captured titles at light heavyweight and cruiserweight, is now fighting as a full blown heavyweight. Briggs does not view Tarver as a real heavyweight. Both Briggs and Tarver have the same goal - landing a fight with WBO/IBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who returns on April 25th, likely against Bryant Jennings, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Former champion Antonio Tarver is predicting a very exciting fight - if welterweight champions Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao finalize a deal to face each other in the coming months. Several fighters, including Pacquiao's most recent opponent Chris Algieri, predicted a one-sided victory in favor of Mayweather. Tarver sees things differently. He expects Mayweather to have the toughest contest of his career and potentially be forced to dig deep after getting rocked by the Filipino fighter.
Former champion Antonio Tarver is doubting that Amir Khan will be capable of landing a fight with WBC/WBA welterweight and junior middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015. Tarver believes Mayweather is actually serious about wanting to fight WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in a super-fight.