Tarver-Green pre-fight glove dispute

From the Daily Telegraph website.... DANNY Green was sensationally stopped after the ninth round by American Antonio Tarver last night. Green's corner refused to send him out for the 10th after a barrage left him helpless at the end of the ninth round. Tarver, a future Hall of Famer, pounded Green at the end of the ninth and left Green appearing on the edge of delirium as he headed back to his corner. Trainer Angelo Hyder had to rescue him from going to the wrong corner and, as soon as he sat Green down, he waved the fight off. It was a stunning upset, with Green a heavy favourite. "He hurt me twice but I couldn't let him know it," Tarver said. The Sydney Entertainment Centre crowd stood in stunned silence. The battle might have been won the night before the fight, when both parties met for the rules meeting and a blow-up occurred over the gloves. The contracts called for Everlast or Winning brand gloves, but Green's camp arrived with Grants gloves, carefully screenprinted with the "Green" logo. A proud Tarver refused to wear them, and armed with the wording of the contract he threatened to walk away from the fight unless they were changed. But as this was going on Tarver's trainer Buddy McGirt, brought in a fortnight ago for just this reason, picked up a glove and walked away from the crowd. He put the glove on and felt barely any padding over the knuckle. Beautiful, he thought. He called Tarver over and told him to try the glove on, and Tarver also soon realised how little padding over the knuckle the glove carried. "Shut the f ... up," McGirt said, and they walked back and, ahem, reluctantly accepted the glove. It had a devastating effect last night. Green started strong for about, oh, a minute and a half. He stalked the American, looking to go to the body to see exactly what he had. Tarver was mildly troubled by the bumrushes but his southpaw stance and his experience was enough to keep him away from trouble. But then Tarver landed his first straight left and, as early as that, the whole complexion of the fight changed.