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Tarver, Dawson Set For Tonight's Showdown

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By EDDIE DANIELS

edaniels@tampatrib.com

Published: October 11, 2008

TAMPA - It all started with a grumble in the recesses of the Forum on Channelside Drive in April.

The postfight news conference on April 12, after Antonio Tarver's unanimous decision victory against Clinton Woods and Chad Dawson's unanimous decision win against Glen Johnson, was the flashpoint of an intense rivalry between Tarver and Dawson.
Dawson (26-0, 17 KOs), christened the future of the light heavyweight division, told the audience he wanted to face Tampa's Tarver (27-4, 19 KOs) after passing his toughest challenge to that point in Johnson.

He will tonight at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas as the two battle for Tarver's IBF light heavyweight belt.

"Once the fight was signed, they had a lot of stuff to say, I had a lot of stuff to say," said Tarver, also the owner of the IBO light heavyweight belt. "That postfight press conference in Tampa, it was a lot of friction.

"They want people to believe their rise to the top was the same blueprint as mine, where I had to beat everybody in the top 10. That's fact. Then when I was mandatory for Roy Jones, I had to fight in two eliminators to get my shot. Everybody knows Roy ducked me, and they want to claim I ducked Dawson, and I never ducked this guy."

Tarver, who called Dawson easy pickings on April 12, beat Jones in two of their three meetings, and he is confident he will remove Dawson from the ranks of the unbeaten.

"It's time to put up or shut up," Dawson said Wednesday during a news conference, pointing at Tarver. "Your mouth can't fight for you once you get in that ring. On Saturday night, you're going to get it. This fight has gotten personal. I don't like that dude. I won't like him after the fight, and I won't like him two years from now."

To make this fight happen, Dawson relinquished his WBC light heavyweight title in July. That's one sign of his assurance.

The other came this week when Dawson's manager, Mike Criscio, showed up in Vegas with a black bag loaded with $100,000 in cash. He offered it as a wager, saying his guy, favored by oddsmakers, will win.

"They just don't know the game," Tarver said of being the underdog. "They think all of this stuff is by accident because I make it look so easy."

The talk ends tonight.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214.

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