Just how good was Antonio Tarver?

[GhostofDempsey]

Roy had to lose over 25 pounds of muscle to get back to LHW, and he was never the same fighter after. Consider this, Tarver had to the something very similar when he lost to Hopkins. He had to lose 40+ pounds after filming the Rocky movie to make weight for Hopkins, he too was never the same after that. Tarver was a good LHW, not a great one.

[Boxing-1013]

SRR=Sugar Ray Robinson?

Yes like if SRR was a 10/10, what would you rate a prime Tarver?

[boliodogs]

Tarver simply had Roy's number plain and simple

Not always. Jones beat Tarver in their first fight.

[Monzon99]

But if SRR was a 10/10, what would you rate Tarver? Thanks for the commentary though, good points.



That was an iconic KO.

Don't forget the "Yeah I got a question, Roy do you have any excuses tonight?" That was Ali level stuff! And then he backed it up with the one punch KO five minutes later. All time great boxing moment, top 5 moments ever. Gonna go watch it again right now!

[Boxing-1013]

Don't forget the "Yeah I got a question, Roy do you have any excuses tonight?" That was Ali level stuff! And then he backed it up with the one punch KO five minutes later. All time great boxing moment, top 5 moments ever. Gonna go watch it again right now!

Yep was a classic!!

[bluebeam]

Tarver caught Jones at the right moment of the latter's impending decline, and banked on that knockout forever.

Lost to Chad Dawson twice, to Glen Johnson, to Eric Harding.

Hopkins schooled him.

What is left besides the Roy Jones win? Danny Green? Clinton Woods?

Your word.

Tarver was 40yrs old in the chad dawson fights.

Hell he was 34 when he finally got the roy fight.

Roy said out his own mouth tarver would have been a problem at any point in his career.

But i agree with you that he caught roy at the right time.

[Larry the boss]

Not always. Jones beat Tarver in their first fight.

he got ko'd in the 2nd and dominated in the 3rd

[STREET CLEANER]

Roy was looking for another big name at HW and could not secure one. He moved back down and said that he didn't want to look like he was running from Tarver. He beat Tarver in the first fight but you can see that the magic wasn't there anymore, he really had to push himself to win.

After that he got KOed twice in a row and lost to Tarver again.

He was clearly out of his prime and going down hill quick. Tarver came at the right time, solid fighter but nothing spectacular.

[BKM-]

Jones Jr. tried to duck Tarver like all the other threats he ducked in the 90s. The other poster in this thread nailed it, Tarver did not allow the narcissist Roy to avoid him quietly. He shamed him into facing him and then he single handidly destroyed Roy and emasculated him with the most infamous boxing quote ever: GOT ANY EXCUSES TONIGHT ROY? A few minutes later and Roy had no legacy left.

[STREET CLEANER]

The Jones muscle loss is a BS excuse. Jones was already ducking Tarver before he went to hwt. He even wrote a letter to IBF requesting they force Tarver to fight a second eliminator. Jones knew Tarver was his kryptonite and tried to duck him forever and had it not been for Tarver's very very big mouth, Jones would have mayweathered Tarver forever. Tarver choked in the first fight and then Roy and HBo tried to duck the rematch, HBO offered Tarver a fight with Julio Gonzalez instead of immediate rematch. Tarver said cut theBS I want Roy! Tarver screamed and yelled for months, shamed Roy, and finally Roy agreed to the rematch. And got KTFO. Brilliant display by Tarver both in and out of the ring. Tarver never got the respect he deserved. KOing Superman Roy with one shot was one of the greatest KOs in boxing history.

Roy wanted to fight Tarver and said he has to beat someone. When he fought Harding he lost. Tarver lost the first fight against Roy and was in no position to demand any bouts.

History revisionists.