JONES vs TARVER: "IT'S PERSONAL"

16.09 - Roy Jones, Jr., a winner and champion at every step along his professional ladder, is generally regarded as the best fighter at any weight class. His critics silenced and his place in history secure, more than the World Light Heavyweight Championship will be at stake November 8, 2003. That night, Jones and his rival, WBC & IBF light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, have a personal score to settle at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, live on pay-per-view.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the next chapter of Roy Jones’ boxing career,” said Mark Taffet, HBO Senior Vice President of Sports Operations and Pay-Per-View. “The deep personal rivalry between Roy Jones and Antonio Tarver makes this match-up particularly meaningful for pay-per-view boxing fans.”

Tickets for Jones-Tarver are priced at $600, $400, $200, $100 and $50, and go on sale Saturday, September 20th, at the Mandalay Bay Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. To order tickets by phone, call (702) 632-7580 or toll free (877) 632-7400. This World Light Heavyweight Championship is presented by Square Ring, Inc. in association with Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

The Jones vs. Tarver pay-per-view telecast on November 8th is being produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to over 48 million pay-per-view homes. The Jones vs. Tarver pay-per-view telecast begins at 9pm ET/6 pm PT. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.

Roy Jones, Jr., the former middleweight, super middleweight and undisputed light heavyweight champion, became the first former middleweight champion to win the world heavyweight title in over 100 years when he beat John Ruiz on March 1, 2003. However, the celebration of this historic victory was interrupted – at the post-fight press conference.

Antonio Tarver, former U.S. amateur champion, world amateur champion and 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist, had been pursuing Jones for years and showed up at the Ruiz-Jones post-fight press conference to burst the new heavyweight champ’s bubble.

“I want my shot at history, Roy. Stop running from me,” Tarver shouted while Jones addressed the media from the podium. “I was so glad that you won tonight, so when we do meet, your legacy will be in tact when I knock you out. I want my shot Roy Jones, Jr. Until you beat me, I won’t be impressed. If you want to convince me, then step up in the ring.”

“I’m getting mad,” responded Jones, during what should have been the happiest press conference of his career. “Don’t worry about him, he is mine. Before I retire, if there is only one more person that I fight, it will be Tarver. I am tired of him I will take him out. Understand? But right now he better take care of his own business,” referring to Tarver’s then upcoming April 26 bout with Montell Griffin for the vacant WBC & IBF light heavyweight titles.

Roy Jones, Jr. (48-1, 38 KOs) from Pensacola, FL won his first title, the IBF middleweight championship, when he beat Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins on May 22, 1993. He defended that title once before moving up to fight super middleweight champion James “Lights Out” Toney. Jones dominated Toney and went on to defend the super middleweight title five times, thumping Antoine Byrd, Vinnie Pazienza, Tony Thornton, Eric Lucas and Bryant Brannon along the way.

Jones then moved to the light heavyweight division and began collecting belts. He destroyed Montell Griffin in a rematch on August 7, 1997 with a first round KO and at the same time avenged his only loss as a professional, a ninth round disqualification for hitting Griffin while on his knee the previous March. On July 18, 1998, Jones defeated Lou Del Valle and became undisputed light heavyweight champion on June 5, 1999 when he won a twelve-round decision against Reggie Johnson. Jones defended the undisputed championship seven times before deciding to make history by taking on John Ruiz for the world heavyweight championship on March 1, 2003.

Jones was outweighed by over thirty pounds. And up until the moment he stepped in the ring, there were numerous doubters who claimed that he would never go through with the fight. If he did get in the ring…would he run? Could he take a heavyweight’s punch? Jones not only stood in there and took everything Ruiz had, but looked to be the stronger man and harder hitter en route to a complete domination from the opening bell. Jones won a unanimous decision and was again king of the ring.

Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (21-1, 17 KOs) from Tampa, FL turned professional on February 18, 1997 and won the first sixteen fights of his career, only two of which went the full scheduled distance - all of them at light heavyweight. After losing an elimination bout to Eric Harding on June 23, 2000, Tarver won two straight fights inside the distance, including a fifth round TKO of Lincoln Carter on the undercard of Roy Jones-Derrick Harmon in Tarver’s hometown of Tampa, FL on February 24, 2001. Tarver then won the NABF and USBA light heavyweight titles on January 25, 2002 with a win over former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Reggie Johnson. That win put Tarver into world title contention and gave him a chance to redeem himself in a July 20, 2002 rematch against Eric Harding. This time, Tarver knocked Harding down three times, once in the fourth and twice in the fifth before the referee stopped the bout (TKO 5).

That win put Tarver in position to fight Montell Griffin for the titles left vacant by Roy Jones, Jr. On April 26, 2003 Tarver dominated and knocked down the former world champion in the first and twelfth rounds on his way to a unanimous decision while winning the WBC & IBF light heavyweight titles.

“I never thought I’d be here, but here I am, light heavyweight champion of the world. I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get where I am.” That hard work also set Tarver up for the biggest challenge of his career – Roy Jones, Jr. While holding the heavyweight title, Jones had to relinquished what he cherishes most, belts. He had to vacate his trio of light heavyweight titles. Now Roy Jones, Jr. has a reason to fight Antonio Tarver. It’s personal. He wants HIS two belts back.