TalkingBoxing Interviews
Talking Boxing with ANTONIO TARVER
TUE September 27, ROGER GORDILLO -
With just under a week until his HBO PPV showdown with Roy Jones Jr., the light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver caught up with TalkingBoxing for an in-depth interview about his career defining fight. With the series tied at one a piece, a focused Tarver is atop his game and confident in a win come October 1st at the St. Pete Times Arena in Tampa, Florida. Tarver has made it through one of his most intense training camps of his career, sparring with some top-notch talent like Rubin Williams and Jaidon Coddrington, and is ready to take his spot among the elite. "I’m just ready, I mean really ready to take my rightful spot in the boxing world...the man that’s on top," said Tarver. Read on for much more!
TalkingBoxing: Hi Antonio, how’s it going?
Antonio Tarver: I’m doing great.
TalkingBoxing: So how’s training going and are you doing anything different in preparation for this fight?
Antonio Tarver: Ah man, my focus for this fight is just, I mean I’ve had more focus for this fight than ever. I’m just ready, I mean really to take my rightful spot in the boxing world...the man that’s on top.
I’ve been doing this for so long it still seems that I don’t have the respect that I deserve. When you look at all the things that I’ve accomplished and this fight is still more about what Roy Jones Jr. losing rather the fact of what I took and that was a bitter sweet pill to me. That’s why I must continue to work hard because I won’t be appreciated. I feel until I walk away from the game, they’ll look back and say how great I was.
You know they didn’t appreciate Marvin Hagler when he was doing his thing, but when he stepped away then everybody wanted to belove him, but that’s 'OK'. Those are just the cards I’m dealt, but like I said my whole thing is October 1st, I’m going to put an exclamation point to this trilogy and when the comparisons are done for ever and a day, you will never be able to say he was better than I was and that’s my goal.
TalkingBoxing: Who are some of the fighters you are sparring with in training camp right now?
Antonio Tarver: We have a host of guys in here. We have Jaidon Coddrington [star prospect] from New York. He’s a member of the 'Chin Checkers'. We got this guy [young contender Williams, he fought Jeff Lacy.
TalkingBoxing: You mean Rubin Williams, right?
Antonio Tarver: Rubin Williams, yes. Also we have an Olympian in the name of Jerson Ravelo, is one of the guys we have in camp. We just got another guy in I think Al Haymon got another guy on the way cause things are going to get really heated this last week as we put the final touches on this preparation for this fight, but they have been giving me pretty good work. We work in 8 to 19 rounds a day and it’s been real good all these fighters give me different looks, some fight scary, some don’t want to get hit and I understand why. That’s the type of fight we think Roy Jones is going to bring. He’s going to run. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had on track shoes instead of boxing shoes the night.
TalkingBoxing: There’s a site reporting that Roy Jones has suffered an injury in training, have you heard anything about that and if you have can you tell us about that.
Antonio Tarver: I wouldn’t know anything about it. I mean, I suffer several injuries during camp [we both chuckle]. I mean this is the hurt business, anybody who goes through camp without a little pain, aren't working hard. I could go on and on about the skin, every skin on my knuckles has come off and I’ve had to apply new skin but it hasn’t stopped me from hitting the bag.
You know my feet are busted and blistered from the miles that I’m putting on everyday in the morning time running but it hasn’t stopped me from running. You know the theme of this fight is no excuses, so you know I don’t care what happens to him. In the time of preparation when I am hurting, I soak in Epsom salt three times a week to stop the pain, but you’ll never here me speak about that, it’s irrelevant. You know just show up on October 1st and leave all those excuses in Pensacola because we don’t want to hear it. He’s not going to hit me with the left hand anyways, so won’t be needing it.
TalkingBoxing: So what are your thoughts Roy bringing back his father to train him?
Antonio Tarver: I mean I should be commended. I bring family back together again, it’s a great story and I think Roy Sr. is needed for this fight because he’s the only one with the compassion to throw in the towel if his son is in way over his head.
TalkingBoxing: If you get past Roy what are your plans for the future [Tarver cuts me off, “if I get pass Roy if", WE both start laughing]...OK when you get past Roy.
Antonio Tarver: If I get past Roy, I think you need to be asking if he get past me, I mean, I’m at my best. I’m at the top of my career. I’m feeling young. I’m doing things in the ring and I’m finally recognizing, realizing my ability and skill believe it or not.
You know sometimes when you’re a champion it takes a while for you to get in that mode and to really know that you’re the best and I’ve discovered that. It's why we continue to work hard because I want to stay on top. When that day comes, I can hold my head high and say I took care of my business on October 1st. We’ll talk it doesn’t mater, I’ve barred none. I feel that when I have a great camp and my preparation is what it should be, then I can prepare to defeat any fighter and that’s how I feel about it. My confidence hasn’t wavered one bit and we are still that way.
TalkingBoxing: Do you think you’ll ever campaign at heavyweight?
Antonio Tarver: I think that the day Antonio campaigns at heavyweight the whole boxing world should stand on its feet and jump for joy. I think what I bring to the heavyweight division, the charisma the personality the marketability, I think that’s what their missing in a fighter [at heavyweight]. I have a way of thought to change the game, the way as I have done in the light heavy weight division, a division that people have really have slept on for years and years. I think until I arrived, people didn’t really take notice of the light heavyweights. But now we’re here and I just want to continue to get better and prove anyway that I can grow. If it’s heavyweight, so be it, but I’m not looking toward that right now, but I’m not ruling that out in the future. So just sit back and let’s get ready for October 1st because it will be a night to remember.
TalkingBoxing: In your first fight with Johnson, what was the difference in the first fight and your rematch when you beat him?
Antonio Tarver: I don’t know what the difference was. People really got in awe of the fact that I threw close to 900 punches if you look at Compubox and you’ll realize that I threw just as many punches the first time around. I felt I won that fight and I proved I was the better fighter and that’s water under the bridge. I told you I wasn’t in the best shape they called me late and I took that fight in less than a about a months notice and that was the difference, but when I prepared and got in shape you know he couldn’t deal with me so you know that’s the bottom line. I proved who the best fighter is. I proved who the better fighter was. Jones had a short reign as champion and God bless him.
TalkingBoxing: Recently on a boxing forum someone posted a link for an eBay auction that was claiming to sell your Olympic ring, can you tell us if this ring is in your possession or if this could possibly be your ring?
Antonio Tarver: I’m not sure of that. I’m not sure of that. I mean I haven’t seen that ring in some time I don’t know if it was lost, stolen or what, but that ring I don’t know what the value of it was, but I knew it was fake diamonds in it so I don’t know, but it was something I cherish. I have my medal so that’s all that matters the ring was just a keepsake I can buy another one of those and whoever gets it on eBay God bless them.
TalkingBoxing: Alright Antonio, thank you for your time and good luck!
Antonio Tarver: Thank you Roger!
The Tarver vs. Jones 3 pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9pm ET/6pm PT on October 1, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to over 50 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry
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