Danny Green: record, next fight and profile →
Australia's IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green says challenger Antonio Tarver is a "piece of meat" he has to break down in Wednesday's world title fight at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Antonio Tarver says Danny Green could become the first man to cut him in his distinguished boxing career but he's warned Australia's IBO cruiserweight champion he will be playing a game of hide-and-seek in Wednesday's world title bout.
IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green has promised to break former champion Antonio Tarver on Wednesday night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia. Green is angry with the comments that were made by Tarver's trainer, Jimmy Williams, who said the Australian boxer has primitive skills. Green has watched tapes of Tarver and doesn't feel any intimidation from the experienced boxer.
By Thomas Gerbasi - When you’re magic, how could you possibly disappear? That’s the question Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver is asking just before he steps into the ring with Danny Green in Sydney, Australia on July 20th. Sure, he’s 42, but being over 40 hasn’t stopped Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson from maintaining their relevance in the fight game. And with just 34 fights over 14 years, just a couple wars, and no knockout defeats, you could probably scrape a few years off his clock, right? “I’ve been trying to tell everybody that but they don’t want to hear me,” he laughs. It is true though, and while a sporadic fight schedule at his age probably isn’t preferable, the former light heavyweight champion isn’t looking at sticking around just to fight anybody. As always, he’s been smart about his career, so if it’s not a big fight, he’s really not interested. And at least in Australia, the Green fight is a big one. “I’m excited about the fight, I really am, and at age 42, I know I’m not gonna get these opportunities a lot going forward, and I’ve got to take advantage of this one as if this is my last and this is how we approach it,” said Tarver, who left for the land down under on July 6th to get acclimated and ready for his bout for the IBO cruiserweight title. It’s his second straight bout above the 175 pound weight limit where he made his name, and while the first – a ten round decision win over Nagy Aguilera at heavyweight last October – didn’t set exactly set hearts racing, it did push him back into the win column after back-to-back losses to Chad Dawson and got the wheels turning again when it comes to the latest stage of his career. “I think when I first made my debut at heavyweight, I kinda rushed it and I wasn’t in the best physical condition that I should have been in,” admits Tarver, who weighed in at 221 for the bout with the journeyman. “It was trial and error and the fight showed that. I got injured early and I had to fight through pain and everything, but overall I did what I went to do, which was win, against someone who I felt at the time was a credible guy. He had only been stopped by Samuel Peter, who is one of the most devastating punchers in that division, I hurt the guy, and I never thought in a million years that he would end up running in that fight, and that’s what happened. He started running and he really didn’t want to come at me, and that’s because he felt my power early. Who knows what would have happened if he would have stood still and fought. But I can’t question a guy when he’s getting hit – should he stay in there or should he get out of there. He felt my power and he was on his bicycle for the majority of the fight, which was surprising to me, but it just goes to show you, I can punch.”
Next Wednesday evening on the undercard of Danny Green’s IBO Cruiserweight Title defence against American Antonio Tarver from the Sydney Entertainment Centre, will be a battle between 2 top 15 rated welterweights. Perth-based, Tunisian-born 2 time IBF World Title challenger Naoufel “Chocolata” Ben Rabah faces former IBF & IBO Welterweight World Champion, South African Isaac “The Angel” Hlatshwayo for the vacant IBF Australasian Welterweight Title over 12 rounds.
The long-time trainer of IBO cruiserweight challenger Antonio Tarver has branded the boxing style of reigning champion Danny Green "primitive".
Antonio Tarver has promised fight fans will see a different fighter then he makes his cruiserweight debut later this month.
Inside and outside the ring, July will be a special month for WBO Cruiserweight Champion Marco “Captain” Huck. The 26-year-old power puncher (32-1, 23 KOs) will make the seventh defence of his title against Hugo Hernan Garay (34-5, 18 KO´s) in Munich on July 16 before getting married two weeks later. “The next weeks will be huge for me,” he said. “Of course I want to get married as world champion. That´s why I have to take care of business against Garay.”
LOS ANGELES - Antonio Tarver’s next bout, against Danny Green, will be dedicated to Nick Charles, his former colleague at SHOWTIME Sports. Charles passed away on Saturday, June 25, after a long and inspirational fight against cancer.
International Boxing Organization cruiserweight champion Danny Green has accused Antonio Tarver of trying to "set a few traps" by posting deceptive training footage on the internet. Tarver is training to challenge Green for his tite on July 20 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.