ANTONIO TARVER TARGETING DANNY GREEN, STILL WANTS REVENGE VS. BERNARD HOPKINS
By G. Leon
GL: What's the latest and greatest with Antonio Tarver and when can we expect you back in the ring?
Antonio Tarver: "I'm looking to get back ASAP. I'm campaigning at heavyweight, cruiserweight and if they mess around they're going to make me come back down for my crown. I'm just enjoying it, G. Showtime is doing it real big. The fight Saturday night was incredible. Bernard Hopkins showed the world what he is all about. At 45 years old he really inspired me to know that us old guys ain't going nowhere, no time soon."
"My hat also goes off to Jean Pascal. He fought a very good fight. He had a very experienced champion in front of him, a legend and for a young kid, he did everything he could. He got two early knockdowns and built up a lead going into the fourth round. My whole thing is this, if you're faced with two knockdowns in the first three rounds, to have the mental strength to pick yourself up and take it one round at a time and just stick with it, I don't know many fighters who would have been able to right that wrong the way Hopkins did.
"In a hostile territory far away from home, that goes to show how great a fighter he truly is. There's controversy with the decision and that's to be expected because it was a great fight. A lot of people had different opinions and they're going to be talking about that fight for years to come because it was such a great fight. It was a one point difference in the fight. One judge thought Hopkins won 114-112 and the other two had it a draw. Regardless of how they came to that conclusion, I don't see how there was any injustice there. He was down 5 points going into the fourth round. There's only 9 rounds left. Are you telling me Hopkins took 7 or 8 of those rounds to win by two points? I don't think he did.
"One of those rounds was so close that one of the judges scored it 10-10. I believe it was the ninth round, but don't hold me to it. I just know a couple of those middle rounds were so close that it could have went either way. The fight was definitely close. Hopkins pressed him late and the last round was very even. Hopkins landed some big shots and so did Pascal. That round could have been up for grabs. I know Pascal had to eek out a round after the early lead. Nobody said Hopkins lost, but if they would have given he fight to Pascal by two points that would have been a travesty, just like it would have been a travesty if they all would have given it to Hopkins by two points. I believe the draw was the fair decision.
"This is not golf. You don't get to hit from the white tee because you're 45 years old. You have to hit off the blue tees like everyone else. Sure, you're going to want to judge for Hopkins because he's not supposed to be able to fight a 25 or 26 year old man that way, but that's not how boxing is scored. You have to score the rounds how you see them. People want to give Hopkins rounds because he's doing things nobody expected him to do and he's looking good doing them. But if he didn't win the round then you can't give it to him and that's my point. Personally I thought the fight was a draw and I gave that last round to the champion. I believe he came out and fought till the end. They were toe-to-toe and I felt the champ came to defend his title in the last round. If Hopkins would have won that round going away, I don't see how Pascal could have won. I don't know how the judges scored it, but it was a great fight none the less. There was no winner and no loser and if the money is there let them do it again.
"I think I called the fight how I saw it. I was proud of myself. I respect Hopkins as a fighter and I have to give him all his credit. You got to see this guy as one of the pound for pound champions for years. As far as being consistent there's not another guy you can compare his record to. The longevity. The many years he was middleweight champion, then he came up and upset me for my light heavyweight championship and the things he's done since then, they've been incredible. I respect that. ****, I still feel that I want a rematch with Hopkins. I think it would be a big fight and a great fight. When I fought Hopkins he was coming off of two losses to Jermain Taylor and he was a forgotten man. I gave him the opportunity of a lifetime and he's still eating off that opportunity. Show some gratitude and fight me again."
GL: You felt that a major part of your problem going into the fight with Hopkins was all the weight you had to lose following the Rocky movie. Now you're fighting at heavyweight so aren't you faced with the same problem?
Antonio Tarver: "You know what? Not in time it wouldn't. I right now have on the table a deal to fight Danny Green at the cruiserweight limit or at a catch weight. I will beat Danny Green and I can meet Hopkins at a catch weight around the 175 pound weight. We still have unsolved history."
GL: When is the Danny Green fight expected to take place?
AT: "We could get it done now, but he's tip toeing around and trying to be his own man to negotiate his own deal, which I respect, but I just don't think my people are going to take that seriously. He's going to have to find himself some business representative and we can get this deal done by the end of the week. I feel like the fight should have happened a while ago, regardless of how people feel and some of the things that have been said, I've never ducked Danny Green period. We had his name on the contract, why didn't the fight go through? He pulled out after the fight was made. But you know what I got goosebumps being around those loyal 16,000 fans from Canada were ridiculous and that's what we need in America. We need for people to understand that boxing is still thriving, we just don't have the support anymore and I don't understand that. These people have their whole area come out to support their fighters. Why can't we have the same kind of support over here?"
GL: Closing thoughts?
AT: "I'm back in the gym. I got till February to really get focused. I'm going to do a couple of more shows before we get six weeks out from my fight. Then I'm going to lock it down, get focused and take care of business against Danny Green. And if he finds a way out the fight, James Toney will be next."
Send questions and comments to: boxing talkg@Yahoo.com
By G. Leon
GL: What's the latest and greatest with Antonio Tarver and when can we expect you back in the ring?
Antonio Tarver: "I'm looking to get back ASAP. I'm campaigning at heavyweight, cruiserweight and if they mess around they're going to make me come back down for my crown. I'm just enjoying it, G. Showtime is doing it real big. The fight Saturday night was incredible. Bernard Hopkins showed the world what he is all about. At 45 years old he really inspired me to know that us old guys ain't going nowhere, no time soon."
"My hat also goes off to Jean Pascal. He fought a very good fight. He had a very experienced champion in front of him, a legend and for a young kid, he did everything he could. He got two early knockdowns and built up a lead going into the fourth round. My whole thing is this, if you're faced with two knockdowns in the first three rounds, to have the mental strength to pick yourself up and take it one round at a time and just stick with it, I don't know many fighters who would have been able to right that wrong the way Hopkins did.
"In a hostile territory far away from home, that goes to show how great a fighter he truly is. There's controversy with the decision and that's to be expected because it was a great fight. A lot of people had different opinions and they're going to be talking about that fight for years to come because it was such a great fight. It was a one point difference in the fight. One judge thought Hopkins won 114-112 and the other two had it a draw. Regardless of how they came to that conclusion, I don't see how there was any injustice there. He was down 5 points going into the fourth round. There's only 9 rounds left. Are you telling me Hopkins took 7 or 8 of those rounds to win by two points? I don't think he did.
"One of those rounds was so close that one of the judges scored it 10-10. I believe it was the ninth round, but don't hold me to it. I just know a couple of those middle rounds were so close that it could have went either way. The fight was definitely close. Hopkins pressed him late and the last round was very even. Hopkins landed some big shots and so did Pascal. That round could have been up for grabs. I know Pascal had to eek out a round after the early lead. Nobody said Hopkins lost, but if they would have given he fight to Pascal by two points that would have been a travesty, just like it would have been a travesty if they all would have given it to Hopkins by two points. I believe the draw was the fair decision.
"This is not golf. You don't get to hit from the white tee because you're 45 years old. You have to hit off the blue tees like everyone else. Sure, you're going to want to judge for Hopkins because he's not supposed to be able to fight a 25 or 26 year old man that way, but that's not how boxing is scored. You have to score the rounds how you see them. People want to give Hopkins rounds because he's doing things nobody expected him to do and he's looking good doing them. But if he didn't win the round then you can't give it to him and that's my point. Personally I thought the fight was a draw and I gave that last round to the champion. I believe he came out and fought till the end. They were toe-to-toe and I felt the champ came to defend his title in the last round. If Hopkins would have won that round going away, I don't see how Pascal could have won. I don't know how the judges scored it, but it was a great fight none the less. There was no winner and no loser and if the money is there let them do it again.
"I think I called the fight how I saw it. I was proud of myself. I respect Hopkins as a fighter and I have to give him all his credit. You got to see this guy as one of the pound for pound champions for years. As far as being consistent there's not another guy you can compare his record to. The longevity. The many years he was middleweight champion, then he came up and upset me for my light heavyweight championship and the things he's done since then, they've been incredible. I respect that. ****, I still feel that I want a rematch with Hopkins. I think it would be a big fight and a great fight. When I fought Hopkins he was coming off of two losses to Jermain Taylor and he was a forgotten man. I gave him the opportunity of a lifetime and he's still eating off that opportunity. Show some gratitude and fight me again."
GL: You felt that a major part of your problem going into the fight with Hopkins was all the weight you had to lose following the Rocky movie. Now you're fighting at heavyweight so aren't you faced with the same problem?
Antonio Tarver: "You know what? Not in time it wouldn't. I right now have on the table a deal to fight Danny Green at the cruiserweight limit or at a catch weight. I will beat Danny Green and I can meet Hopkins at a catch weight around the 175 pound weight. We still have unsolved history."
GL: When is the Danny Green fight expected to take place?
AT: "We could get it done now, but he's tip toeing around and trying to be his own man to negotiate his own deal, which I respect, but I just don't think my people are going to take that seriously. He's going to have to find himself some business representative and we can get this deal done by the end of the week. I feel like the fight should have happened a while ago, regardless of how people feel and some of the things that have been said, I've never ducked Danny Green period. We had his name on the contract, why didn't the fight go through? He pulled out after the fight was made. But you know what I got goosebumps being around those loyal 16,000 fans from Canada were ridiculous and that's what we need in America. We need for people to understand that boxing is still thriving, we just don't have the support anymore and I don't understand that. These people have their whole area come out to support their fighters. Why can't we have the same kind of support over here?"
GL: Closing thoughts?
AT: "I'm back in the gym. I got till February to really get focused. I'm going to do a couple of more shows before we get six weeks out from my fight. Then I'm going to lock it down, get focused and take care of business against Danny Green. And if he finds a way out the fight, James Toney will be next."
Send questions and comments to: boxing talkg@Yahoo.com
Comment