Home Depot Center, Carson, California - IBO cruiserweight champion Antonio Tarver (29-6-1, 20KOs) and undefeated Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14KOs) fought to a twelve round draw. The scores were 115-113 for Tarver, 115-113 for Kayode and 114-114 for the draw.
Kayode started very well, outlanding and pushing the 43-year-old veteran around. Kayode switched up his style, staying patient, picking his punches and moving. In the later rounds it was Tarver who took over with hard left hands. Tarver hurt Kayode with a big left in the eight and then landed the same punch in the ninth to shake Kayode's legs - but near the end of the round Kayode started coming back and shook Tarver with a big right.
Kayode came back in the tenth, landing hard shots to the body of Tarver and trying to catch Tarver's chin with counters. Both boxers looked tired in the eleventh but Kayode had the edge in the twelfth round with shots to the body and straight shots to Tarver's head.
