ANTONIO TARVER

updated February 20, 2007

They call world light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver "Magic Man" for a number of reasons - maybe it's because he has made 23 opponents disappear in the ring; maybe it's because his remarkable skills recall the sleight of hand made famous by Houdini. But more likely, Tarver is known as the "Magic Man" because in a short four year period, he has helped take a sport in the doldrums to the next level, exciting mainstream sports fans as well as hardcore fight followers - a task many believed was impossible.

That's "Magic".

But even though Tarver resides at the top of the boxing heap here in 2005, his journey begins in Orlando, Florida, where he was born on November 21, 1968. At the tender age of 10, Tarver began boxing at a local Boys' Club, but five years later he gave up the sport after his family relocated to a different neighborhood. Oddly enough, during those first five years in the sport he happened to fight a young man who would play a major role in his career later on - Roy Jones Jr.

But even though Tarver resides at the top of the boxing heap here in 2005, his journey begins in Orlando, Florida, where he was born on November 21, 1968. At the tender age of 10, Tarver began boxing at a local Boys' Club, but five years later he gave up the sport after his family relocated to a different neighborhood. Oddly enough, during those first five years in the sport he happened to fight a young man who would play a major role in his career later on - Roy Jones Jr.

Concentrating on football and other teenage pursuits in his high school years, boxing was the furthest thing from Antonio's mind until 1988, when he saw his old rival Jones fighting for the United States in the Seoul Olympic Games.

Motivated to go back into the ring, Tarver tore through the amateur ranks in the next eight years, earning a spot on the US Olympic team that went to Atlanta in 1996. In '96, Antonio made history, becoming the only US amateur boxer ever to win the national championships, the Pan-Am games and the world championships all in one year. At the world championships, he beat future cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov in the semifinals and then Diosvany Vega in the finals, four months prior to the Olympics.

But Tarver feels he was cheated at the Olympic games, where he eventually won a Bronze medal. "I dominated the second round of the fight I lost (to Jirov) and came out two points down. I've always had great defense and when I look back at the fight now, I don't see how he was scoring any blows."

Disappointed but not discouraged, Tarver made his professional debut at the age of 28 on February 18, 1997, with a second round TKO of Joaquin Garcia.

Moving up the ranks without the media spotlight that was shining on some of his fellow Olympians, Tarver came up the hard way, fighting in front of demanding crowds in such boxing hotspots as the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. But these fights steeled Tarver's resolve and helped make him the fighter he is today.

There was something missing though, and it was evident on June 23, 2000, when the 16-0 Tarver suffered the first defeat of his professional career to Eric Harding. In a hard fought 12 round title eliminator, Tarver dominated the first half of the bout, but after having his jaw broken in the ninth round, it became an uphill battle, and Harding finished strong, knocking Tarver down in the 11th round en route to the decision win. It was a tough defeat to swallow, but Tarver showed his championship heart.

"I'm not making excuses, but if you look at the fight, I dominated until my jaw got broke," said Tarver. "With the broken jaw, I was unable to finish as strongly as I wanted to. Look at the first nine rounds, its obvious who the better fighter was."

Looking to erase the mistakes of the past to become a complete fighting machine from bell to bell, Tarver enlisted the services of former world champion Buddy McGirt and conditioning coach Dudley Pierce to help him reach those goals.

After allowing his jaw to heal, the new Team Tarver - which also includes his promoter Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing - got back to work in February of 2001, and the results were amazing. Previously unbeaten Lincoln Carter and highly regarded Chris Johnson were both stopped in devastating fashion in 2001, and on January 25, 2002, Tarver earned a shot at the IBF light heavyweight title with a 12 round decision win over Reggie Johnson, a victory that also earned Antonio the NABF and USBA 175-pound titles.

Most fighters would have sat back in an easy chair and waited for their title shot to arrive. Not Antonio Tarver. On July 20, 2002, he put his guaranteed title shot on the line against the only man to ever beat him, Eric Harding. It was a risky move, but one that only true champions will make. And in just five rounds, Tarver had avenged his defeat via TKO.

Nine months later, on April 26, 2003, Tarver finally got his world title shot and made the most of it, shutting out former world champion Montell Griffin over 12 rounds to win the vacant WBC and IBF titles.

But there was something missing, and that was Roy Jones Jr.

On November 8, 2003, Tarver finally pushed Jones into a title fight, and what a fight it was, a 12 round battle that saw the pound for pound king punished by Tarver like he had never been before. Yet when the decision was announced Jones had regained his championship belts via a highly controversial majority decision.

Boxing fans wouldn't stand for this though, and neither would the powers that be in the sport, all of whom demanded a rematch.

That rematch came on May 15, 2004, and with Tarver's now immortal question "You got any excuses tonight, Roy?" ringing in the ears of fight fans, one of the most memorable nights in recent history kicked off. Two rounds later, Tarver landed the shot heard 'round the boxing world, a single left hand that knocked Jones out for the first time in his magnificent career, and after years of blood, sweat, and tears, the world found out what Antonio Tarver already knew - he was a star.

Antonio was boxing's talk of the town after defeating Jones, and he fulfilled numerous television, radio, and print media obligations after his amazing victory. And while some fighters would have been content with a couple of easy title defenses against unknown opponents, for Tarver's first fight back, on December 18, 2004, he would face the second man to send Jones crashing to the canvas, Glen Johnson.

It was a bout that was an early Christmas present to fight fans, as both warriors - unquestionably the two best 175-pounders in the word - battled it out for 12 hard fought rounds at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Tarver would lose a highly controversial split decision that night, a verdict many at ringside felt was unjust.

This is Antonio Tarver we're talking about though, and past history showed that he was always twice as dangerous in a rematch. On June 18, 2005, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, Tarver regained his light heavyweight championship with a stirring 12 round unanimous decision over Johnson, re-establishing his supremacy at 175 pounds.

Antonio Tarver will face Bernard Hopkins on HBO Pay-Per-View June 10, 2006 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.