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03/15/2004 Archived Entry: "Jones-Tarver II set for May 15th"
Jones-Tarver II set for May 15th
By Frank Lotierzo
A media release was sent out over the weekend for a press conference announcing the Roy Jones, Jr.-Antonio Tarver rematch. The fight will take place on May 15, 2004 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and will be shown on HBO PPV. The fight will be billed "It's More Than Personal." This will be a highly anticipated fight due to their previous bout fought back on November 8, 2003. In that bout Jones won a majority decision that enraged Tarver and some of his fans. Since that bout boxing fans around the world have been calling for a rematch.
I am very glad that this rematch has been signed. I'm sick and tired ofhearing Tarver going around since their last fight acting as if he wonand like he's the champ. He didn't win the fight and the decision wasvery fair and accurate. Like all great champions, when the fight hung inthe balance, a tired Jones showed heart and character and went out andwon the 11th and 12th rounds. Opposed to Tarver, who in the biggest spotof the fight and his career, fought to be competitive and not to lose.Which is exactly why Tarver was the runner up in a two man event.
Tarver was lucky to have Jones on a night where he was tired and spenthaving dropped some 25 pounds of muscle. Jones was very beatable on the nightof November 8th 2003, yet Tarver froze in the big spot and was happy tobe able to go around the next couple weeks and saying basically, "I foughtRoy Jones and didn't get my ass kicked." That's how I interpret Tarver'sactions. He was happy just to be able to say I didn't get taken apartlike many of some of the so called experts thought I would. Yeah, that'sright, you didn't get taken a part. You also didn't win.
Look, most know that I'm not the biggest Roy Jones advocate in the world.He is an all-time great fighter, no doubt, but I still think he benefitedby fighting in the worst era in light heavyweight history. However, hedid the same thing that Marciano and Holmes did, beat everybody of hisera who was in front of him. In the case of Jones, he did it even easierthan Marciano and Holmes, which is exactly what provided Tarver thechance to mouth off and cry like a baby. I fought Jones and didn'tembarrass myself, so I must've won.
The fact that Jones has won and controlled a majority of his fights soeasily, a fighter like Tarver can cop a plea that he won simply becausehe didn't get blown out. Tarver knew that as long as he was in the fight,which he was, he could moan about the decision and sway a lot of fans whojust wanted to see Jones lose. Or say that Jones got the decision becausehe's one of HBO's top fighters. I for one wouldn't have minded seeingTarver beat Jones this past November. Seeing Jones get taken down a pegwouldn't have bothered me a bit. That being said, I'm more of a boxingpurist than I am a Jones critic.
I don't want to see Jones lose a decision in a fight that I felt he didnot lose. And as far as I'm concerned, Tarver didn't beat him. Hecompeted with him and gave him a good fight, but he didn't win it. Thefight was very close on my scorecard. In fact I had it even after tenrounds. However, Jones did what the greats do in the big spot, he suckedit up and won the last two rounds. He may not have dominated them, butthey were clearly his rounds and not Tarver's. And the thing about it wasJones was dead tired after the tenth round. Had Tarver pressed him andforced some more exchanges, he could have probably won them, but hedidn't and Jones did. End of story.
On May 15th Tarver will get a chance to back up his tough talk. He hasone thing going for him, and one going against him. What he has going forhim is the fact that father time may be starting to finally catch up withJones. This is the biggest case for Tarver. Not that he is a great LightHeavyweight or even an outstanding one because he's not. But just maybeJones' skill may be eroding.
What doesn't bode well for him is that Jones will be in better shape thistime and more prepared mentally and physically. No doubt Jones is sick ofhearing Tarver mouth off claiming victory in a fight he was just happynot get destroyed in. And that's what Tarver has been trading off ofsince November. The fact that he fought Roy Jones and didn't getdestroyed, and was able to talk smack afterward. We'll see what happensin May? I know one thing, if Jones isn't finished, I doubt that Tarverwill be going around bragging that he didn't get his ass kicked!
Replies: 1 Comment made on this article
Hell Yeah!Roy is gonna F#@k his day up on May 15th. Let Tarver gain 25 lbs. and see where that gets him. He will be slow and tired. Roy is a friend that has more heart than anyone I have ever known. He can't lose. He never has, He never will. BET THAT! Peace out, Brit R.
Posted by btr5566@garnet.acns.fsu.edu">Briton Roberts @ 03/22/2004 04:03 PM EST
