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Tarver To Face Woods At Forum

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By EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

TAMPA - Now that the Antonio Tarver-Jeff Lacy fight has been removed from the table, Tarver will step into the ring at the St. Pete Times Forum on April 12 against IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods.

Tarver's IBO light heavyweight belt will be on the line, as will Woods' IBF belt, in the matchup scheduled to air live on Showtime.

This will be the first fight for Tarver (26-4, 19 KOs) this year after a fourth-round knockout of Danny Santiago on Dec. 1.

Woods (41-3-1, 24 KOs) last fought Julio Cesar Gonzales in September, collecting a 12-round unanimous decision. This will be the first fight for the Sheffield, England native in the United States since he was knocked out by Roy Jones Jr. in the sixth round of their September 2002 bout. In the 11 fights since then, Woods has gone 9-1-1.

Woods earned the IBF title March 4, 2005 after beating Rico Hoye for the belt vacated by Glen Johnson.

Coincidentally, Johnson (47-11-2, 32 KOs) will face Chad Dawson (25-0, 17 KOs) for Dawson's WBC light heavyweight belt on the Tarver-Woods undercard. Tarver says he wants to face the winner of that fight later this year.

This is the second time Tarver has attempted to lure a fighter from another country in the past three months. Australia's Danny Green appeared to be the guy late last year, but he pulled out of an agreement, according to Tarver. Green went on to beat Stipe Drews by unanimous decision for his WBA light heavyweight belt.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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