From *********.com:

"Antonio Tarver has ducked me," states WBC #1 ranked light heavyweight Paul Briggs. "He has run scared and taken a non–title fight with Glen Johnson. As a result my new promoter Don King is putting together the fight for the vacant title. I am expecting that there will be an announcement in relation to this fight in the coming days but stay tuned, the future of the light heavyweight division is here, and it is Paul Briggs!" Briggs, who is currently awaiting confirmation of an opponent and date to fight for the vacant WBC 175lb championship, is heading to camp with trainer Jack Mosley on Monday. He will be at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday to walk into the ring with his good friend and fellow Australian contender Kali Meehan when he takes on Hasim Rahman.
Wednesday, November 10 2004

Briggs is full of ****. Tarver just went for the bigger money fight and who could blame him?

Briggs is full of ****. Tarver just went for the bigger money fight and who could blame him?

Exactly! (bump bump bump)

Briggs is *****ing. He should pay attention to the way Rico Hoye is handling the situation, and try a little maturity instead of questioning his opponent's manliness.

Regardless Tarver is going for the easier fight.

Regardless Tarver is going for the easier fight.

Right. Easier fight and more money. Sounds like a typical boxer to me!

Regardless Tarver is going for the easier fight.
Johnson is easier than Briggs? Who has Briggs beaten to let you believe he's so much tougher?

How can Tarver be "afraid" and be "ducking" Briggs -- who has accomplished NOTHING, ZERO -- as a professional but Tarver fought Roy Jones when he was deemed unbeatable twice and he rematched with Eric Harding, a guy who beat Tarver, when he didn't have to take that fight. He already was the mandatory for Jones without rematching with Harding.

Sorry, that's not a "scared" or "afraid" fighter. If Briggs had fought more fights in USA than Australia (23 of 24 were in Aussie land) then maybe some network here would care to pay the fee to broadcast him vs. Tarver. Tarver paid his dues now he's trying to get paid. If anybody cared about Paul Briggs, if he was so good and in demand, Tarver would fight him.

It's not about fear. It's about supply and demand.

Briggs has beat absolutely no one and I mean NO ONE to deserve a shot at the undisputed champion. I don't care what he's ranked by whom. He's bogus and he is waht's wrong with boxing. He should be ashamed to say he's earned a shot.

Coward

Any sentence that starts with the phrase "As a result my new promoter Don King..." can be immediately ignored.

Regardless Tarver is going for the easier fight.
I agree with SDW, what makes you think Briggs is harder than Johnson? I don't see any real evidence...

Johnson is easier than Briggs? Who has Briggs beaten to let you believe he's so much tougher?

How can Tarver be "afraid" and be "ducking" Briggs -- who has accomplished NOTHING, ZERO -- as a professional but Tarver fought Roy Jones when he was deemed unbeatable twice and he rematched with Eric Harding, a guy who beat Tarver, when he didn't have to take that fight. He already was the mandatory for Jones without rematching with Harding.

Sorry, that's not a "scared" or "afraid" fighter. If Briggs had fought more fights in USA than Australia (23 of 24 were in Aussie land) then maybe some network here would care to pay the fee to broadcast him vs. Tarver. Tarver paid his dues now he's trying to get paid. If anybody cared about Paul Briggs, if he was so good and in demand, Tarver would fight him.

It's not about fear. It's about supply and demand.

Briggs has beat absolutely no one and I mean NO ONE to deserve a shot at the undisputed champion. I don't care what he's ranked by whom. He's bogus and he is waht's wrong with boxing. He should be ashamed to say he's earned a shot.

Coward

I'm not saying that Tarver is ducking Briggs. I think that Tarver would beat Briggs and Johnson. I just think that he'd have a harder time beating Briggs. Briggs has beaten Stipe Drews, Jorge Castro, and Glen Kelley (KO'd him 3 rounds before Jones could). And he has a 74% KO %.

I'm not saying that Tarver is ducking Briggs. I think that Tarver would beat Briggs and Johnson. I just think that he'd have a harder time beating Briggs. Briggs has beaten Stipe Drews, Jorge Castro, and Glen Kelley (KO'd him 3 rounds before Jones could). And he has a 74% KO %.
Look at any fighter whose become world class. Early in their careers, they have about a 90% KO ratio.

When they start fighting actual world class fighters, it drops to about 40%.

Having a high KO percentage isn't impressive to me if you're fighting Butterbean caliber fighters. It really means nothing other than he hasn't fought any top competition. Look at Briggs' record, and it shows.

Though that doesn't mean the guy can't fight or punch. He just hasn't proven it against worthy opposition whereas Johnson has though I think Johnson is average skillwise