LOS ANGELES, December 8th – On Saturday, December 18, live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Antonio Tarver will face Glen Johnson in a 12 round championship bout that will determine, once and for all, who is the best 175-pound fighter in the world.
Both Tarver and Johnson took time out of their busy training schedules this week to break down Saturday’s heavyweight championship showdown between champion Vitali Klitschko and hard-hitting challenger Danny Williams. Here’s what the two best light heavyweights in the world had to say about Klitschko-Williams:
The Breakdown: Antonio Tarver – “They’re setting the stage for Klitschko to go on to be a big superstar in the game of boxing. I think it’s a risky fight for him, but if he has trained properly and is on his P’s and Q’s, he should win this fight. But we know Danny Williams can take a punch and the Klitschko chin is still suspect. We’ll see what happens.”
Glen Johnson – “We all know that the Klitschkos are big and strong guys, but they have a work ethic where they work and exhaust themselves. If you can stay in there and work a few rounds and let them punch themselves out, between rounds four and five you’re gonna start getting to them. Williams showed that he could take the punishment and I don’t think Klitschko hits any harder than a Mike Tyson. If he can weather the storm he has a chance to do something. I do give Williams a chance but I still think Klitschko might win the fight. I don’t have a big favorite in that fight.”
Thoughts on Danny Williams, who entered into the consciousness of fight fans with his recent knockout of Mike Tyson
Antonio Tarver – “Danny Williams is a guy right now who feels that he’s on top of the world. He just beat Mike Tyson in emphatic fashion and now he has the opportunity to capture what everybody out there would want – the true heavyweight championship of the world.”
Glen Johnson – “Williams showed a good chin when he fought Mike Tyson because he got cracked a few times and he didn’t go. So he showed heart and the ability to take a punch, which are the two things you need to beat Klitschko.”
The Intangibles
Danny Williams comes into this fight as an underdog, much like he did against Tyson. The British contender believes he fights better with no pressure. Is it easier for a fighter to enter a fight as an underdog?
Antonio Tarver – “For some fighters it is. On December 18 it will be my first time stepping in as the so-called favorite, but I haven’t changed one bit. I don’t see all that, I don’t get wrapped up in the media and I know what I am within. It’s important that I stay grounded. You can’t get a big head.”
Glen Johnson – “It depends on the mindset the fighter has. For me there’s no less pressure or more pressure being the underdog because my aim is always the same, and it’s to win. If the fighter stepping in the ring has the same goal then the pressure is going to remain the same. I guess it depends on the person.”
The Picks
Antonio Tarver
Klitschko, but believes Williams is a live underdog.
Glen Johnson
On the fence.
Tickets for Tarver-Johnson, priced at $25, $50, $125, and $250 are available now at STAPLES Center Box Office (open 9am to 6pm Monday through Saturday) and Team LA at Universal City Walk or by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com. For group sales, please call 1-866-LA-GROUP. Tarver-Johnson, which is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions, will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.