Jones-Tarver II set for May 15th

15.03.04 – By Frank LotierzoGlovedFist@Juno.com – I got an e-mail this weekend for the press conference announcing the Roy Jones vs. Antonio Tarver rematch. The fight will take place on May 15, 2004 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and will be shown on HBO PPV. The fight will be titled “It’s More Than Personal.” This will be a highly anticipated fight due to their previous bout fought back on November 8, 2003. In that bout Jones won a majority decision that enraged Tarver and some of his fans. Since that bout boxing fans around the world have been calling for a rematch.

I am very glad that this rematch has been signed. I’m sick and tired of hearing Tarver going around since their last fight acting as if he won and like he’s the champ. He didn’t win the fight and the decision was very fair and accurate. Like all great champions, when the fight hung in the balance, a tired Jones showed heart and character and went out and won the 11th and 12th rounds. Opposed to Tarver, who in the biggest spot of the fight and his career, fought to be competitive and not to lose. Which is exactly why Tarver was the runner up in a two man event.

Tarver was lucky to have Jones on a night where he was tired and spent from dropping 25 pounds of muscle. Jones was very beat able on the night of November 8th 2003, yet Tarver froze in the big spot and was happy to be able to go around the next couple weeks and saying basically, I fought Roy Jones and didn’t get my ass kicked. That’s how I interpret Tarver’s actions. He was happy just to be able to say I didn’t get taken apart like many of some of the so called experts thought I would. Yeah, that’s right, you didn’t get taken a part. You also didn’t win.

Look, most know that I’m not the biggest Roy Jones advocate in the world. He is an all-time great fighter, no doubt, but I still think he benefited by fighting in the worst era in light heavyweight history. However, he did the same thing that Marciano and Holmes did, beat everybody of his era who was in front of him. In the case of Jones, he did it even easier than Marciano and Holmes, which is exactly what provided Tarver the chance to mouth off and cry like a baby. I fought Jones and didn’t embarrass myself, so I must’ve won.

The fact that Jones has won and controlled a majority of his fights so easily, a fighter like Tarver can cop a plea that he won simply because he didn’t get blown out. Tarver knew that as long as he was in the fight, which he was, he could moan about the decision and sway a lot of fans who just wanted to see Jones lose. Or say that Jones got the decision because he’s one of HBO’s top fighters. I for one wouldn’t have minded seeing Tarver beat Jones this past November. Seeing Jones get taken down a peg wouldn’t have bothered me a bit. That being said, I’m more of a boxing purist than I am a Jones critic.

I don’t want to see Jones lose a decision in a fight that I felt he did not lose. And as far as I’m concerned, Tarver didn’t beat him. He competed with him and gave him a good fight, but he didn’t win it. The fight was very close on my scorecard. In fact I had it even after ten rounds. However, Jones did what the greats do in the big spot, he sucked it up and won the last two rounds. He may not have dominated them, but they were clearly his rounds and not Tarver’s. And the thing about it was Jones was dead tired after the tenth round. Had Tarver pressed him and forced some more exchanges, he could have probably won them, but he didn’t and Jones did. End of story.

On May 15th Tarver will get a chance to back up his tough talk. He has one thing going for him, and one going against him. What he has going for him is the fact that father time may be starting to finally catch up with Jones. This is the biggest case for Tarver. Not that he is a great Light Heavyweight or even an outstanding one because he’s not. But just maybe Jones’ skill may be eroding.

What doesn’t bode well for him is that Jones will be in better shape this time and more prepared mentally and physically. No doubt Jones is sick of hearing Tarver mouth off claiming victory in a fight he was just happy not get destroyed in. And that’s what Tarver has been trading off of since November. The fact that he fought Roy Jones and didn’t get destroyed, and was able to talk smack afterward. We’ll see what happens in May? I know one thing, if Jones isn’t finished, I doubt that Tarver will be going around bragging that he didn’t get his ass kicked!