By Dave Sholler
Photo © Ed Mulholland/FightWireImages.com

Once upon a time, an arrogant Antonio Tarver was brash enough to stand face to face with Roy Jones Jr. and ask the future Hall-of-Famer if he had any excuses heading into their highly anticipated bout. And some time ago, Tarver confidently battered opponents in a way that solidified his self-appointed status as the best light heavyweight in the world.

But somewhere along the road of Tarver becoming a bona fide superstar in the real sport of boxing, the “Magic Man” decided it was time to pretend he was a fighter. Alongside Sylvester Stallone, Tarver signed on to fill the role of “Mason Dixon,” a make-believe heavyweight fighter poised to dominate foes with cinematography-enhanced fists. The realistic images of Tarver’s victories over Jones Jr., Glen Johnson, and Montell Griffin were pushed to the background, replaced by a snapshot of a man who was 35 pounds heavier and more Jack Nicholson than Jack Dempsey.

Even though at the time it was financially rewarding for him to transform into a movie star, the real Antonio Tarver was unfortunately left behind somewhere in Tinseltown. The man once renowned for his slick jab and superior skills has since seemingly lost those defining tools deep in the Hollywood Hills. In essence, while filling the role of big screen star, Antonio Tarver lost his true in-ring identity.

His first post-red carpet fight against former middleweight stud Bernard Hopkins proved this point. In front of a large Atlantic City crowd, Tarver was listless. His trademark jab looked lazy. Likewise, his ability to trap opponents by using crafty angles was nowhere to be found. Inside Boardwalk Hall on that June 2006 night rested a shell of the Tarver boxing fans had come to expect. And while he was facing a gritty, future Hall-of-Fame fighter in Hopkins, no one expected Tarver to lose his title in such a helpless fashion.

“Well sometimes you wake up and it’s not your day,” Tarver would say following the Hopkins bout, clearly puzzled as he stared at dozens of assembled reporters.

After taking a year off to contemplate his future and handle other business ventures, Tarver’s boxing identity was supposed to reappear in an easy, welcome back bout against Elvir Muriqi for the vacant IBO championship in June. Much to Tarver’s dismay, though, the “Kosovo Kid” was game and didn’t allow Tarver to bully him around the ring. In fact, Muriqi landed some decent shots and pressed the action more than Tarver would have liked. In the end, while Tarver barely slid by Muriqi, he showed so much ring rust that some questioned whether he deserved a vacant title. Yet again, his identity was questioned.

Heading into his IBO light heavyweight title defense against Danny Santiago (29-3-1, 19 KOs) at Connecticut’s Foxwoods Casino this Saturday, one must wonder if the real Antonio Tarver will finally reemerge. Similarly, one must ask if Tarver understands the ramifications the bout will have on his future. To a man, Tarver is at least doing his best to hype that he’s ready for a return to prominence. To a man, Tarver seems hungry to show his old self against Santiago.

“I don’t think the boxing world has seen the best of Tarver,” the IBO champ said during his pre-fight press conference.  “I’m in shape, I’m ready to go and Santiago is in for a rude awakening. 

“I still have will and passion left.  I am going to continue to be on top.”

Despite those statements, it’s hard to erase the memories of his previous bouts. After the Muriqi debacle and Hopkins domination, does Tarver really believe he has enough gas in the tank for one last championship run? Or, is Antonio in fact using his newfound thespian skills to convince audiences that he’s worthy of another fat check from Showtime? While Tarver has always talked a good game, there won’t be enough words to describe how a bad performance Saturday would drastically alter his future in the sport. While he may have a future at the box office, if Tarver wants to continue boxing, he’d better be ready to fight. Quite simply, there’s no time for acting.

For all he’s done in the sport, let’s hope Tarver really sees the Santiago bout as one final tune-up before he leaps back into the thick of the light heavyweight division. Even as he inches toward the age of 40, Tarver, when motivated, possesses the talent necessary to be a continued force. With that said, as bouts with the likes of Chad Dawson and Clinton Woods float out there for the taking, Tarver has a reason to be hungry now more than ever. Against Dawson, Tarver guarantees himself a decent payday and an opportunity to thwart Showtime’s plans to make “Bad Chad” the next big thing. If not Dawson, a bout with Woods or Zsolt Erdei would certainly also help him rediscover his magic and prove to critics that he still belongs.

Should he roll over Santiago in easy fashion Saturday, Tarver puts himself back in the driver’s seat. And if we’ve learned anything about the flashy southpaw during his career, it’s that he loves when he’s in control. Therefore, despite the fact that he’s at a crossroads in his career, a convincing win Saturday over Santiago gets Tarver back on track. A strong win Saturday means that Antonio Tarver doesn’t have to prove that he’s still Antonio Tarver.

“I am motivated by my will to win and to be recognized, Tarver said. “I want to be remembered as an honest guy and a man of my word.  If I can talk it, I can walk it.”
Once upon a time on the first day of December in the year 2007, Antonio Tarver geared up for one final ascent to the top and took control of his future. Once upon a time, Antonio Tarver made us all remember the man who was the best light heavyweight in the world by destroying a lesser opponent. Once upon a time, Antonio Tarver left no room for excuses.

Stiff Jabs

- Here’s to hoping former cruiserweight champ Virgil Hill decides to retire. The North Dakota native who now resides in Smithville, NJ is a great ambassador for the sport and should get some consideration for the Hall of Fame. During the downtime in his career, Hill taught boxing classes at the Island Gym facilities just outside of Atlantic City, NJ. He should now focus on teaching my fiancée – one of his most dedicated students – the art of throwing a crisp punch.

- Sure he doesn’t have great technique or skill, but Ricardo Mayorga did a solid job against Fernando Vargas. I’m curious to see what lies ahead for Mayorga. I may be one of the few who wouldn’t mind seeing him scrap with Vernon Forrest again should Forrest get by Michele Piccirillo on Saturday.

- I can’t get enough of Ricky Hatton making fun of Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the 24/7 series. His imitations of the pad work Floyd and Uncle Roger do is hilarious and he seems to take joy in being an average lad. On Dec. 8, though, we will see who’s still laughing.

- In my own back yard in Atlantic City, Joan Guzman didn’t do much to impress as he slid by Humberto Soto. I can’t say a Guzman-Pacquiao fight excites me, especially since Guzman is slaphappy. Let’s be real: Juan Manuel Marquez deserves the Pac-Man fight first.