IT MUST BE MAGIC
him, ‘You could become champion.’ He said, ‘l know I could become champion. I’m going to beat Roy Jones.’ The rest is history. “He’s one of the best fighters I ever trained. And here’s the crazy part: The world never got to see the best Antonio Tarver, because he never had to show it. He had so much fucking talent it was unbelievable.” Tarver would demonstrate that emphatically with McGirt. Just like he had done with the 1992 Olympic disappointment, he used the setback against Harding as motivation. His next five fights came against Ring-rated contenders, all victories: Unbeaten Lincoln Carter, TKO 5 (2001). Chris Johnson, KO 10 (2001). Former two-division titleholder Reggie Johnson, SD 12 (2002). Harding in a rematch, TKO 5 (2002). And former champ Montell Griffin, UD 12 to win the two world titles that Jones had vacated (2003). That set up the first of three fights with Jones in November 2003 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, when both men were 34. Jones was the undisputed pound- for-pound king at that time and was coming off a sensational victory over John Ruiz to win the WBA heavyweight title eight months earlier. He seemed to be invincible, his only loss coming by disqualification for punching Griffin while he was down in 1997. That’s why Jones was around an 8-to-1 favorite against Tarver. The problem for Jones (at least as he sees it) is that he had to shed the weight – mostly muscle – he’d put on to face the 226-pound Ruiz. Jones had bulked up to 193 pounds and then, in his next fight, came back down to 175. He told The Ring that he was never the same fighter afterward. And, indeed, consensus was that he looked weak and listless in a majority decision victory over Tarver that many believe should’ve gone the loser’s way or been a draw. Regardless, Tarver had made a strong impression. He proved he could fight on
the same level as the best in the business. And he clearly wasn’t intimidated by Jones, to whom he once lost as a 13-year-old amateur. Jones was just an opponent. “Nobody beats me before I step into the ring. Fighters have to know that as long as you’re breathing, I’m going to try to knock your ass out,” Tarver said. That fate came six months later at the same venue. Jones had said after his narrow victory over Tarver that he was finished as a light heavyweight and was pursuing a heavyweight matchup with Mike Tyson. However, when it became clear that superfight wouldn’t happen, Jones agreed to defend his titles against Tarver in a rematch. This time, after their competitive first meeting, Jones was about a 4-to-1 favorite. The drama started before the opening bell as those watching on TV worldwide and in the arena were listening to referee Jay Nady’s instructions. Nady concluded his obligatory spiel by asking the fighters whether they had any questions. Tarver responded by saying, “I have a question. You got any excuses tonight, Roy? You got any excuses tonight, Roy?” It was as if he knew what was to come. Jones exhibited more life in the opening moments of the second fight than he did early in the first, as both men carefully picked their shots in the first round and early in the second. Then, halfway through Round 2, Jones launched a straight right and put out his left when Tarver connected with his epic left to the chin. Jones, who fell flat on his back, was somehow able to get to his feet, but Nady could see almost immediately that he was too damaged to continue and stopped the fight.
Tarver had pulled off one of the greatest upsets ever. As Lampley said on HBO, “That’s amazing. What a statement by Antonio Tarver.” “Nobody could beat what I did,” Tarver said. “That’s one of one. You’ll never see that again. That’s how the table was set. That was the greatest pound-for-pound fighter at the time.” Said McGirt: “I had told him, ‘Punch when Roy punches.’ That’s what he did. And he caught him. Jay Nady started counting, ‘One, two ….’ The motherfucker never got to 10. It was a great moment.” Tarver regained his light heavyweight titles and climbed to No. 3 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, behind only No. 1 Bernard Hopkins and No. 2 Floyd Mayweather. More importantly, he did what was perceived to be the impossible, knocking out Roy Jones with one mammoth punch. It was akin to Buster Douglas’ knockout of Mike Tyson in 1990. It made Tarver an instantaneous legend. And if there was any doubt whatsoever about his worthiness, he defeated Jones by a clear unanimous decision in their 2005 rubber match after splitting back-to-back fights with Glen Johnson. “Somebody always has your number,” McGirt said. “Your opponent can be 1-99, but if he has your number, you’re in trouble. I don’t care who you are. It was like Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton. Ali could never beat Norton decisively. Antonio had Roy’s number.” Jones was asked by The Ring to give his reaction to Tarver’s election to the Hall of Fame. He was complimentary. He was pleased that a fellow Floridian would be inducted. And, he said,
Tarver took revenge on the super-tough Glen Johnson in a 2005 rematch.
“I’m very humbled,” he told The Ring. “I appreciate getting recognized for the work I’ve done. It’s been a long, long road, one that started many, many years ago. And now I’m blessed to be inducted. I’ll always be grateful.” The long road started in the rough Ivey Lane area of his native Orlando, Florida, where he developed football skills at Boone High School and later an addiction to crack cocaine that could’ve ended his story at a tragically young age. Instead, after an arrest in his early 20s, court-ordered rehabilitation served its purpose. And, inspired by Jones’ performance in the 1988 Olympics, Tarver fell back on a sport at which he excelled as a pre- and early teen at the local Boys Club. Tarver failed in his bid to qualify for the 1992 U.S. Olympic boxing team but, motivated by that disappointment, ultimately made history as an amateur: He became the first to win U.S., Pan-
jaw and cracked ribs. That’s when he joined forces with former two-division titleholder and world-class trainer Buddy McGirt, who would guide him expertly through his peak years. They were introduced by Tarver’s Olympic teammate Nate Jones, and McGirt was impressed immediately by the all-around ability he saw. Tarver had elite skills, taught to him by the late and acclaimed Florida-based coach Jimmy Williams. He had God-given athleticism and quickness. He had power, especially after McGirt pushed him to sit down on his punches. And he put in the work. He had it all. “[Jones] said one day, ‘Hey man, I think you should hook up with Antonio Tarver,’” said McGirt, referring to the period after Tarver lost to Harding. “I said, ‘No problem.’ He came down and worked out [at McGirt’s gym in Vero Beach, Florida]. I thought, ‘Shit, man. This motherfucker can fight.’ I told
American and World championships in the same year, in 1995, and then finally became an Olympian in Atlanta. He turned pro in 1997 at the relatively advanced age of 28 yet had to prove himself all over again, as he initially failed to attract the kind of backing that he expected after such a stellar amateur career. “I never figured that out,” he said. However, as in his days as an unpaid fighter, he ultimately couldn’t be ignored. He won his first 16 fights (14 by knockout) to become a bona fide title contender by 2000, the year he lost for the first time: a unanimous decision to unbeaten Eric Harding in a light heavyweight title eliminator in which Tarver fought through a broken
“Nobody could beat what I did. That’s one of one. You’ll never see that again. That’s how the table was set.”
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