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Tarver Eager For Fight With Woods
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Published: April 12, 2008
TAMPA - Antonio Tarver's patience receded like the tide against the shores of Clearwater Beach at daybreak.
Waiting for his chance to hype tonight's light heavyweight card, which will feature up-and-coming Chad Dawson against veteran Glen Johnson and will be headlined by Tarver against Clinton Woods, Tarver listened to speaker after speaker predict the undercard would be the best fight of the night.
Tarver's demeanor at Thursday's news conference went from gracious and excited to be in the Westin Harbour Island's main ballroom to wanting to head directly to the ring.
"We're heading this card for a reason. There will only be one main event, and that's Clinton Woods and myself," Tarver said, his tone shifting to testy. "I can sit here and dissect every fighter that's on this dais and show them reasons why there's only one champion, and I'm here to tell you that it's me."
During the face-off portion of the news conference, Tarver wasn't satisfied with the typical nose-to-nose pose with both biceps flexed. He removed his black button-down shirt and quickly yanked his black undershirt off as well.
"It's almost showtime," Tarver bellowed in the direction of Woods.
In the mind of Tarver, there is plenty to prove tonight when he steps into the ring with Woods, live on Showtime. The light heavyweight has listened to doubters chide him for his 2006 12-round, unanimous-decision loss to Bernard Hopkins. Pundits piled on when he took on Elvir Muriqi and Danny Santiago - fights Tarver admitted were tune-ups. Tarver (26-4, 19 KOs) collected a unanimous-decision victory against Muriqi and knocked Santiago out in the fourth.
Then you have his age.
"People really feel the fighter they saw against Hopkins is me. They're making a terrible mistake," said Tarver, the IBO light heavyweight champion. "I'm at my best when I have a lot to prove, and I think right now there's more to prove than ever, because I want to be an undisputed champion and I have two or three more years to do this at this level. And I'm here to show the people that I haven't lost a step. In fact, I'm getting better at the ripe old age of 39."
The first step in that goal will be in the form of Woods (41-3-1, 24 KOs), who holds the IBF belt. The fighter from Sheffield, England, known for his toe-to-toe, take-one-to-land-one mentality, has his mind set on other things.
He has seen firsthand what Joe Calzaghe's victory against St. Petersburg super middleweight Jeff Lacy did to Calzaghe's popularity. His stock has skyrocketed, and Woods wants similar success.
"Calzaghe was a champion for nine years before he fought Lacy. No one, even in England, people didn't see him as a big star," Woods said. "He beat Lacy and then his stock just went up. He's got a massive fight against Hopkins in Vegas the week after, so that's what I'm hoping to do."
HBO analyst Jim Lampley believes Woods will give Tarver a run for his money.
"Roy Jones can tell you that Clinton Woods is no slouch," Lampley said, referring to Jones' sixth-round TKO of Woods in 2002. "That this is a guy who can fight, but outside of Sheffield, England, and Antonio's backyard, not too many people care about the fight. And it's just as easy to lose to Clinton Woods as it would be to lose to Chad Dawson if that were to take place. I think this is perilous stuff for Antonio."
Tarver refuses to accept that line of thinking.
"All these writers out here writing me off, talking about I've seen my best day, they don't have a clue. They don't have a clue," said an animated Tarver. "If you think I've come this far to let Clinton Woods get anything on Saturday, you've got to be kidding. You understand me? It's going to take everything you got to take victory away from me."
Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.
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