By Rick Reeno
This Saturday night, it's do or die for Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson, the two best light heavyweights in the world, battle for supremecy. The winner would not only gain the recogintion as the best light heavyweight in the world, but would also grab a spot on the pound for pound rankings. A big money fight with Bernard Hopkins is also a possibility. The middleweight king has expressed his desire to fight the winner of Tarver-Johnson rematch, should he get by Jermain Taylor in July. If the two men end up staging another close battle with Tarver winning the fight, there could be a slight possibility of a third meeting to settle who is the best.
Tarver was billed as the next superstar of boxing when he knocked out Roy Jones Jr. in May of 2004. Tarver started to believe his own hype and the label of a superstar went to his head. Once Glen Johnson knocked out Roy Jones Jr. a few months later in even more devestating fashion, Tarver's spotlight was stolen. Tarver's victory over Roy Jones got watered down by Johnson's performance. Tarver is getting what may be his only shot to redeem himself this Saturday. Johnson is looking to prove that after several tough losses in his career, he has finally bloomed into a top caliber fighter. Johnson is looking to live up to his status as the 2004 fighter of the year and to prove that his win in the first encounter was not a fluke.
On the undercard, Ike Quartey makes his long awaited return to HBO as he faces off with the very durable Verno Phillips. Phillips has been in the ring with some of the best fighters in the junior middleweight division, which includes going the distance on two occasions with the sensational Kassim Ouma.
Round by Round Coverage has Started.
The first bout coming up tonight is Ike Quartey vs. Verno Phillips.
Roy Jones is talking about coming to boxing and said that he will come back against someone that will make it worth it for him. He said that he really doesnt care about Tarver of Johnson, but would love to face Bernard Hopkins, should be beat Jermain Taylor.
Contract weight for the Quartey-Phillips bout is 157, tonight Quartey is 164 pounds and Phillips is 161. Phillips is 7-2 in his last 9 fights, both losses were decisions losses to Kassim Ouma.
This is Quartey's second fight in 5 years.
Round 1 - Quartey is coming out wuth his jab. Verno misses a combo. Quartey and Phillips trade bodyshots. Quartey blocking some shots. A left hand has hurt Quartey, he shakes it off and is using his jab to back Phillips off. Quartey misses a right. Right hand by Phillips shakes Quartey. Big lefthook by Phillips backs Quartey back and shakes him up again. Phillips is trying to get through the guard of Quartey with big shots. Round scored for Phillips.
Round 2 - HBO scored round 1 for Phillips. Quartey is jabbing away. Phillips is measuring Ike with his left hand. Good bodyshot by Ike, Phillips with a right over the top. Phillips with a 4 punch combo. Quartey with ahard right as Phillips misses. Combo by Quartey, Phillips with a combo to the body. Mouthpiece of Phillips falls out, break to put the mouthpiece back. Both men jabbing their way inside. Uppercut by Phillips, combo by Ike. Phillips working the body. Big combo shakes up Quartey. Quartey jabs, Phillips with a right. Right by Phillips, uppercut hurts Quartey and Ike is holding on. Bell rings. Another round scored for Phillips.
Round 3 - HBO gave the last round to Phillips. Phillips comes out throwing some bombs to se if Ike is still hurt. Another right hand shakes Ike, Phillips now going upstairs and to the body. Ike with an uppercut. Ike jabbing, right hand and uppercut by Phillips. They trade big shots. Right hand by Quartey. Uppercut by Phillips. Phillips misses big, Ike landing some big bodyshots and a right hand upstairs. Right by Phillips, combo by Ike. Ike is jabbing and lands a combo. Bodyshot by Quartey. Close round scored for Quartey.
Round 4 - HBO scored the last round for Quartey. Combo by Ike, now Quartey is backing Phillips up with good combinations. Ike working the jab and hist the body when Phillips tries to come inside. Quartey is pumping the jab. Uppercut by Quartey. Combo to the body by Ike. Ike jabbing, big right by Quartey. Lefthook by Phillips, combo by Phillips. Right eye of Quartey is swelling. Bodyshots by Quartey. Another round scored for Quartey.
Round 5 - HBO gave the last round to Ike. Ike jabbing and lands a good combo. Phillips seems to be getting tired. Ike doing damage with his big jab. Combo by Phillips, lefthook by Ike backs Phillips up and now Quartey lands a bodyshot. Quartey going back to digging the body and gets the jab back. Quartey is now stalking with the jab. Phillips is missing some wild big shots. Combo by Quartey, Phillips with a bodyshot. Right hand by Phillips. Another round scored for Quartey.
Round 6 - HBO gave the last round to IKe. Quartey backing Phillips up with the jab. Phillips with a good bodyshot. Quartey is pumping the jab and combos to the body. Another series of punches to the body by Quartey. Right hand by Ike. They trade bodyshots. They trade big shots upstairs. Quartey is jabbing, Phillips holding on when Ike comes in close. Phillips jabbing, but Ike is blocking most of them. Another round scored for Quartey.
Round 7 - HBO gave the last round to Ike. Ike is coming out with the hard jab. Right hand by Phillips. Ike landing the jab and comes in with a combo. They fight on the inside and Quartey is winning the body attack. Phillips is sucking air right now. Quartey lands a right to the top of Phillips' head. Ike with and inside right. Phillips with a lazy combo. Phillips ties Quartey up. Ike jabbing, backing Phillips up into the ropes. Another round scored for Quartey.
Round 8 - HBO gave the last round to Ike. Phillips slips off some water. Left hook by Quarteyu and Phillips with an even bigger left. Quartey takes the shots much better and keeps on coming. Phillips rushes Quartey and pushes him down. Ike is back up and they get tied up, ref breaks them. Both men jabbing, Ike blocks a lefthook. Hard bodyshot by Quartey. Ike with a combo to the body and another. Another round scored for Quartey.
Round 9 - HBO scored the last round for Ike. Ike is jabbing and going to the body when Verno comes inside. Combo by Ike, good right for Quartey. Ike with a big left on Phillips against the ropes. Huge left hook drops Quartey and Ike is very hurt, Ike beats the count and he is in real trouble. Ike holding on for dear life. Phillips with two big combos and Quartey starts to unload some big shots that has Phillips in trouble. Now Phillips with big bombs and Quartey is down again at the bell, ref does not rule it a knockdown. A big 10-8 round for Phillips because of the knockdown.
Round 10 - HBO scored the last round 10-8 for Phillips. Big combo by Phillips. Phillips goes up and back downstairs. Combo by Phillips and Ike lands a left. Right hand by Ike. Ike is jabbing. Good left by Phillips and now a right. Ike is jabbing. They get tied up. Good uppercut by Phillips. Ike with a good right. Ike with a huge combo of punches in the final seconds. Final round scored for Quartey. I have Ike Quartey winning 96-93 and HBO has the same score. HBO said the second knockdown of Quartey should have counted and the ref blew the call. Official scores are coming up.
95-94, 95-94 and 96-93 for Ike "Bazooka" Quartey. The crowd is booing pretty loud, they are unhappy with the decision, but the right guy won the fight this time.
HBO is about to talk with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Arturo Gatti about their pay per view bout next week.
Floyd said that Gatti is a paper champion, he said that he beat real contenders and real fighters. He said Gatti beat an unknown fighter for a belt that was stripped from the real champion Kostya Tszyu.
Gatti said that he will test Floyd's chin, he said that he will make Floyd feel his power.
Floyd said that Gatti is a C class fighter, he said that he will crush Gatti, step on him and beat him down in his hometown. He said if Gatti dares to talk trash and he will end the fight in four rounds.
Gatti said that Floyd is talking tough because he is scared. Gatti and Floyd now yelling at eachother, Floyd yelling at Gatti that he is going to punish him.
Tarver-Johnson is coming up. Johnson weighs 186 tonight, Tarver weighs 181 pounds. The entire HBO crew said that they felt Tarver won the first meeting.
Tarver is coming down to the ring. Johnson is coming down to the ring. BoxingScene member Soundtraveler just gave a nod to Johnson as he makes it to the ring.
Round 1 - Tarver with a bodyshot, Johnson goes for a combo. Tarver measuring with the jab. Johnson goes to the body. Tarver is just feinting with his jab. Neither man landing much of anything. Tarver goes to the body. Right by Johnson. Left up the middle by Tarver. Johnson to the body. Johnson misses a right. Very boring round, not much by either guy as they are both very defensive. Close round I will score to Tarver.
Round 2 - HBO gave the last round to Tarver. Johnson is now charging in and starts landing some big shots to the body and head of Tarver. Johnson lands a big right in that flurry. Johnson blocks a combo. Johnson is jabbing. Tarver misses a right, Johnson to the body. Right by Tarver.. Uppercut by Tarver. Tarver is now letting his hands go, Johnson to the body and lands to the head. Johnson is now unloading on Tarver against the ropes and Tarver is countering back with his own bombs. Big left hand by Tarver. Right hook by Tarver, Johnson lands a big bodyshot. Close round for Tarver and the action is heating up.
Round 3 - HBO gave the last round to Tarver. Combo by Tarver, Johnson to the body. Tarver combos as Johnson comes inside. Glen stalking, Tarver throwing shots while walking back. Big left by Tarver, now a combo and now unloads almost ten punches. Johnson lands a bodyshot and two left hands. Johnson with a combo to the body and a few more bodyshot by Johnson. Tarver now jabbing. Combo by Tarver. Hook by Tarver. Combo by tarver, Johnson to the body. Right by Tarver. Tarver misses three big punches. Another round scored for Tarver.
Round 4 - Tarver threw 203 punches so far, Johnson threw 116. Tarver is jabbing and now landing some big shots from a distance. Johnson now landing some shots to the head of Tarver and backing Tarver up. Johnson with a hard bodyshot. Big left and right by tarver. Tarver with a big combo to the head of Johnson. Tarver with another combo and another. Tarver with a combo, welts now under both of Johnson's eye. Johnson with a big right and Tarver said it doesnt hurt. Another round for Tarver.
Round 5 - Johnson and Tarver are now fighting on the inside. Both men are exchanging bodyshots. Tarver with a 5 punch combo, Johnson now landing the body. Both men are jabbing, Johnson landing punches on Tarver against the ropes. Right by Johnson. Johnson back to the body with some big shots. Big left hand by Tarver. Johnson with some big punches to the body. Tarver now breathing through his mouth and appears tired. Round is scored for Glen Johnson.
Round 6 - Johnson's corner tells him he needs to win rounds, that he is losing the fight. HBO gives the last round to Johnson. Both men are jabbing. Combo by Tarver and Johnson landing some big shots to the body or Tarver. Tarver landing a lot of pitty pat punches. Tarver is now landing the jab and lands more of the pitty pat punches. Johnson digs to the body. Tarver with a flurry in the final ten seconds. Round is scored for Tarver.
Round 7 - Johnson's corner telling him that he needs to start punching with Tarver. Tarver threw 102 punches in the last round. HBO has the same score as me, 5 rounds to 1. Tarver is now backing up and landing combos on Johnson as he comes inside. Both men jabbing, Johnson lands to the body. Left by Johnson and a bodyshot. Combo by tarver backs Johnson up. Johnson going to the body, tarver with athree punch combo. tarver throwing some more punches in bunches. Left hand backs Johnson up. Another round scored for Tarver.
Round 8 - HBO gave the last round to Tarver. Tarver is jabbing , Johnson chasing but unable to land anything big. Johnson to the body, now Johnson with a big rally to the body. Tarver now blocking most of what Johnson is throwing, Tarver with a rally. Johnson lands a right hand and another. Johnson now digs to the body and lands upstairs. Round scored for Glen Johnson.
Round 9 - HBO gave the last round to Glen Johnson. Both men are jabbing, Tarver lands a right. Tarver with a combo. Good right by Johnson. Solid right to the body by Johnson and another. Tarver to the body and Johnson with a rally to the body and now lands to the head. Tarver with a left hand. Johnson back to the body, Tarver with a left. Tarver goes to the body and Johnson with a right and now an uppercut. Right hand by Johnson. Close round that I scored for Johnson.
Round 10 - Johnson's corner telling him that he needs to drop Tarver to win. HBO gave Johnson the last round. Both men throwing flurries on the inside. Johnson working the body. Right hand by Johnson. Tarve with a flurry to the head, Johnson comes back with some big shots and Tarver is countering back. Tarver with some hard bodyshots. Johnson looks very tired and Tarver is coming on top of Glen and landing punches to the head and body. Loud Tarver chant starts. Another round scored for Tarver.
Round 11 - HBO gave Johnson the last round. Tarver is unloading some big shots right now in the middle of the ring, Johnson to the body and Tarver is coming back with some more big shots to the head. Tarver looks tired and Johnson landing some big shots to the head, Tarver with a flurry and Johnson lands a hard right hand. tarver keeps throwing punches and Johnson now jumps on Tarver, throwing big punches and has Antonio flying all over the place. Johnson beating on Tarver all over the final seconds. Johnson with a huge rally to steal the round.
Round 12 - Both men are fighting in the middle of the ring, Tarver backing Johnson up and landing punches against the ropes. Right hand by Tarver. Both men miss big shots. Tarver keeps holding in this round. Johnson to the body. Right hand by Johnson. Tarver throws and holds. Johnson to the body. Final round goes to Johnson. I have Tarver winning the fight by a few points, HBO does as well. Official scores are coming up.
