By Ryan Maquiñana

Per his manager Steven Feder, cruiserweight contender Lateef "Power" Kayode and his team are in talks to fight Antonio Tarver May 26 on Showtime.

“Tarver is in Lateef’s personal crosshairs,” Feder said.  “He’s wanted this fight for a long time, and [trainer] Freddie [Roach] thinks it’s a great opportunity.”

Kayode (18-0, 14 KOs), a Hollywood-based Nigerian who is promoted by Gary Shaw, has fought on the network six consecutive times, all on “ShoBox: The New Generation.”  The 28-year-old’s last outing was a ten-round unanimous decision over Felix Cora.

Meanwhile, Tarver (29-6, 20 KOs) has had plenty of opportunities to observe his potential opponent in the Showtime booth as a commentator.  The 43-year-old former light heavyweight champion from Tampa, Fla., stopped Danny Green last July in his debut at the 200-pound limit.

According to Feder, WBA cruiserweight champ Guillermo Jones is the other option on the table for Kayode if negotiations fall through with Tarver.

Ryan Maquiñana writes a weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (CSNBayArea.com). He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Tags: Lateef Kayode , Antonio Tarver , Guillermo Jones