Former IBO light heavyweight champion, Antonio Tarver, has his sights set on the biggest prize of his boxing career, the heavyweight world title. Tarver now forty six years old, hopes to break George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion and to this date has been undefeated in his heavyweight campaign, even though his last fight did not produce the result he felt it deserved.
In part 1 of this special from “On The Ropes” boxing radio, Antonio Tarver discusses the controversial draw with Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham, and where he feels that result puts him in the heavyweight division. Tarver also shares his thoughts on possibility getting a title shot and facing IBO/WBO/IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Additionally Antonio talks about the upcoming Mayweather-Berto fight and if he feels Floyd should have taken a tougher fight. Here is what Antonio Tarver had to say.
Jenna J: How you doing today Antonio?
Antonio Tarver: I’m doing real well, fresh off of the controversial draw with Steve Cunningham. I’m back home now just resting and letting my body heal. I’m sore from exertion but we’re good.
Jenna J: Lets talk about the fight with Cunningham. A lot of experts had it as a close fight but they had you winning it. How disappointed were you with a draw verdict?
Antonio Tarver: I’m very disappointed because you have to understand, we positioned ourselves with another big opportunity and to just get stifled by the draw, but we’re not gonna let that deter us. We’re still heading forward and moving forward.
Everybody who saw the fight knew that I was the more experienced fighter in the fight. I used all of my smarts and my technique in the fight. I had the ring generalship, I landed all the big punches, I hurt him two or three times, and most importantly, I closed the show.
On two judges’ scorecard I won the last four rounds, and I think I won the last four rounds. I don’t know how any judge can give Steve Cunningham the eleventh round and most certainly the twelfth round. That was the controversy in the fight. I should have won a close fight, 115-113. I definitely won the fight and I thought I did enough down the stretch, especially during the championship rounds.
Jenna J: Do you feel you could have gotten started a little bit quicker in the fight so it wasn’t so close?
Antonio Tarver: Well, I could have done a lot of things. I could have won every round, but I’m forty six years old and I think for these people to expect me to outwork any of these young guys, I think that’s a little bit much.
I’m not gonna be able to go in there and outwork these guys at this stage, but I am gonna be more crafty, I am gonna use my defense to make sure that they don’t land anything significant. I’m gonna set these traps for these guys and I’m gonna outbox them and outthink them, and If I land that knockout shot or hurt them, then I’m gonna get them out of there. That’s my style, I’m a tactical fighter right now.
You can’t expect me close to fifty to outwork anybody. Have you ever seen those guys when they get up in age outwork their opponents? No, it’s not about that. You use the experience, you use your mind and you outthink these fighters. I did all of that, I did that expertly.
Jenna J: Where do you think the next opportunity is gonna come for you? Do you think you have to fight another contender or do you think with your last performance that you will get an immediate title shot in your next fight?
Antonio Tarver: I wouldn’t frown on it if I did, I’ll be ready. I know I can improve, I can get back in the gym and really pick up where I left off. Listen, for a championship fight, I would have to have a serious training camp where I got my whole team focused, with significant sparring partners.
I didn’t even bring anybody in for sparring. I sparred with some guys locally, I got the rounds in but at the same time, there’s a different level that you go through, especially when you’re fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world. I know I’d be willing to put that type of work in and I can get better.
I weighed in for the Johnathon Banks fight at 224lbs, I came into this fight at 217lbs, but everybody’s talking about how I look. I don’t think that was any indication of the work that I put in. I’m still trying to feel my way out in this heavyweight picture and what is the best weight for me, the most effective weight for me.
All this stuff is still new to me but the bottom line is, I’m not losing at heavyweight. I fought a younger, tougher guy from Philly, this guy has been tough for anybody. He just beat an undefeated fighter, he knocked him out. He knocked out Marco Huck, but the guy couldn’t touch me with nothing. They thought this man was gonna run me out of the ring, they had me as the underdog once again, and they felt that he was gonna beat me. That didn’t happen, that man didn’t beat me.
Steve Cunningham, I don’t know where he goes from here but I should be fighting by the end of the year. I’m not gonna continue to have these year layoffs. I gotta get busy and I’m ready, I can’t keep fighting every twelve to fourteen months, these long layoffs are killing me. I’m ready to get back and get busy, and that’s hopefully the road I travel.
Jenna J: I want to get your thoughts on the announcement of the Mayweather-Berto fight. What do you think of all the criticism Floyd has gotten for choosing to face Andre Berto after having fought Manny Pacquiao?
Antonio Tarver: He’s the pound-for-pound king, he’s the money man. Everything he does is gonna come with some type of backlash. The man can’t please everybody. He’s done it his way all this time, so why would they expect anything different?
Blessings to Andre Berto, he gets the opportunity, the chance of a lifetime. What he does is up to him, but he’s gonna make some money and he’s gonna be okay. He’s been in the game long enough, he’s given it his all, but that’s the same way if Klitschko chose to fight me, they’re probably gonna frown on it, but it’s still the opportunity of a lifetime. That’s gonna change Berto’s life and I want the opportunity to change my life. Give me the opportunity to beat a great champion.
With Floyd, he’s the king of boxing, he does what he wants to do. He decides who he wants to pick and then he picks them. They’ve paid him before, they ain’t gonna stop paying him, so he’s deserved his position. Lets hope that the fight lives up to the billing. Berto can fight over his head and do something great in the fight, make it an entertaining fight. He’s got nothing to lose, everybody is already writing him off against Mayweather, so go balls to the wall and fight your fight. You never know what can happen.
A washed up boxer commenting on a no nothing fight!!! In fact, Floydas last fights after zab Judah, have been worthless, in the history of boxing. To have a real fight, you need TWO willing participants and FLoyda has never been there!!! He’s there to cash the check we provided for him though!