Comments Thread For: Antonio Tarver's Heavyweight Run is No Hollywood Movie

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Keith Idec - Antonio Tarver suspects Sylvester Stallone is chuckling somewhere at the thought of life imitating art on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma next week.

Tarver, however, has taken his tricky transition from former undisputed light heavyweight champion to hopeful heavyweight very seriously. The former Olympian from Orlando, Fla., thought long and hard about the potential risks and rewards before finally committing in June to attempting something rival Roy Jones Jr. successfully pursued in March 2003 by beating John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title.

After a two-month training camp to prepare for his heavyweight debut Friday night against Nagy Aguilera, Tarver wondered what took him so long to stop struggling to sneak beneath the 175-pound limit. Though 41, he feels fresh, rejuvenated and confident as one of the biggest nights of his 14-year pro career approaches. [Click Here To Read More]

[LeeVanCleef]

Wow. No reactions? Hmmm.

[dr.archives]

Maybe he was speaking specifically about the second Dawson fight when he mentioned he wasn't knocked down but in the first fight he was knocked down. Also, why not bring up the Hopkins fight? Bernard moved up and beat him and if I remember correctly that fight wasn't even close. Nothing against him but I never thought he was as good as he thought he was.

[Dice]

Wow. No reactions? Hmmm.

As far as being heavyweight champ. Its probably not gonna happen.Tarver is a that boxing age where they just cant get away from the sport and just feel the need to keep going even though they know they dont have all their tools.

Everyone says hes living off of Roy Jones Jr. Living off the ko and that he doesnt belong in the Hall Of Fame.

I wouldnt disagree completely with those statements but I will say this.

As an amateur, which is sorely underapreciated especially since amatuer boxing in the US was actually worth noting at the time, he won the golden golves, he won gold at the pan american games, gold at the world amateur championships, and capped it off winning the bronze medal at the 96 olympics. The same award at the same olympics during the same year that Floyd Mayweather Jr got.

Usually, only the top notch boxers can translate amateur success into pro success.

Tarver is 27-6, 19 of those wins were by ko, out of six losses two were to the same dude at 40, one was unavenged to Hopkins, and the other three, to Johnson Jones and Harding were all avenged in rematches with him knocking out Harding and Jones and him beating Johnson on points, this is when these boxers, aside from maybe Jones, still had plenty in the tank. He won the undisputed title at 175 and the linear title. He held the WBC title twice, the ibf title twice, the ring title twice, the ibo title twice as well as the wba title once.

I know a lot of these championships were won in one fell swoop by ko-ing roy jones but a couple titles he won again and really almost every boxer whos a multi time champ either one it when multiple title were on the line or moved up won a title and moved up again and not really defend it.

I like Tarver. With his big mouth and his ****** I was drugged before the Hopkins fight, I can see why some dont. But dont hate on this brother's skill. His amatuer pedigree is top notch and he can outbox a lot of the competition, couple that with his deceptive power and speed and you have a guy that at best if not considered Hall Of Fame, he def has to be considered above average. At worst, he's a forty two year old who time has caught up with but still has skills. Its also worth noting that Tarver has yet to be knocked out.

[DARKSEID]

War Tarver

[dr.archives]

As far as being heavyweight champ. Its probably not gonna happen.Tarver is a that boxing age where they just cant get away from the sport and just feel the need to keep going even though they know they dont have all their tools.

Everyone says hes living off of Roy Jones Jr. Living off the ko and that he doesnt belong in the Hall Of Fame.

I wouldnt disagree completely with those statements but I will say this.

As an amateur, which is sorely underapreciated especially since amatuer boxing in the US was actually worth noting at the time, he won the golden golves, he won gold at the pan american games, gold at the world amateur championships, and capped it off winning the bronze medal at the 96 olympics. The same award at the same olympics during the same year that Floyd Mayweather Jr got.

Usually, only the top notch boxers can translate amateur success into pro success.

Tarver is 27-6, 19 of those wins were by ko, out of six losses two were to the same dude at 40, one was unavenged to Hopkins, and the other three, to Johnson Jones and Harding were all avenged in rematches with him knocking out Harding and Jones and him beating Johnson on points, this is when these boxers, aside from maybe Jones, still had plenty in the tank. He won the undisputed title at 175 and the linear title. He held the WBC title twice, the ibf title twice, the ring title twice, the ibo title twice as well as the wba title once.

I know a lot of these championships were won in one fell swoop by ko-ing roy jones but a couple titles he won again and really almost every boxer whos a multi time champ either one it when multiple title were on the line or moved up won a title and moved up again and not really defend it.

I like Tarver. With his big mouth and his ****** I was drugged before the Hopkins fight, I can see why some dont. But dont hate on this brother's skill. His amatuer pedigree is top notch and he can outbox a lot of the competition, couple that with his deceptive power and speed and you have a guy that at best if not considered Hall Of Fame, he def has to be considered above average. At worst, he's a forty two year old who time has caught up with but still has skills. Its also worth noting that Tarver has yet to be knocked out.

Wow, that was very insightful, well written.

[WladIsTheChamp]

Liked Tarver as a fighter and as announcer, in fact he is a great announcer, better than most in my opinion. He should stick with that. Nothing wrong with dreaming, he is right about that, but the Klitschkos are a bridge too far for MagicMan. He is 42, LHW, past his best LHW, all that being weight drained stuff is just smokescreen. He wants that last big payday and I am sure he still believes in himself but there is a point where you have to hang it up, I don't think he has the makeup of Foreman where he can take punishment into his mid-40s.

[Gorilla Dogs]

i like tarver but i dont think he can beat the klitschkos lol.



give him adamek....not thats an opponent worth taking

[Dice]

i like tarver but i dont think he can beat the klitschkos lol.



give him adamek....not thats an opponent worth taking

TARVER VS ADAMEK!! You get serious points for that and honestly I would pay too see if Tarvers superior boxing can beat Adameks granite chin and toughness.

[Dice]

Wow, that was very insightful, well written.

Thank you sir