ANTONIO TARVER

updated May 05, 2009

A number of influential people call three-time light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Tarver "Magic Man" for a number of reasons. Perhaps it is because he has made 27 opponents disappear in the ring. Maybe it is due to the fact that Tarver's remarkable skills recall the sleight of hand made famous by Houdini. However, it is more likely because Tarver has helped take boxing to the next level.

That's "Magic."

However, even though Tarver is listed among today's finest fighters, his journey began in Orlando, Fla., where he was born on Nov. 21, 1968. At the tender age of 10, Tarver began boxing at a local Boys' Club. Five years later he gave up the sport after his family relocated to a different neighborhood. Oddly enough, during those first five years in boxing, Tarver 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 during his high school years, the sweet science was the furthest thing from Tarver's mind until 1988, when he saw his old rival Jones Jr. fighting for the United States in the Seoul Olympic Games.

Motivated to return to the ring, Tarver tore through the amateur ranks in the next eight years and earned a spot on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. In '96, Tarver made history when he became the lone U.S. amateur boxer to win the national championships, the Pan-Am games and the world championships all in one year. At the world championships, which were held four months prior to the Olympics, he beat future cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov in the semifinals and Diosvany Vega in the finals.

However, Tarver feels he was cheated at the Olympics, 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 have always had great defense, and when I look back at the fight now, I do not see how he scored any blows."

Disappointed, but not discouraged, Tarver made his professional debut at age 28 on Feb. 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 fought in front of demanding crowds in such boxing hotspots as the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. Those fights steeled Tarver's resolve and helped make him the fighter he is.

There was something missing though, and it was evident on June 23, 2000, when Tarver, then undefeated in 16 fights, suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Eric Harding.

In a hard-fought, 12-round title eliminator, Tarver dominated the first half of the bout. After having his jaw broken in the ninth round, however, it became an uphill battle. Harding finished strong, knocking Tarver down in the 11th round en route to winning by decision. Although it was a tough defeat to swallow, Tarver displayed the heart of a champion.

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

After Tarver stopped previously unbeaten Lincoln Carter and highly regarded Chris Johnson in devastating fashion in 2001, Tarver earned a shot at the IBF light heavyweight title and captured both the NABF and USBA 175-pound titles by registering a 12-round decision over Reggie Johnson.

Most fighters would have sat back in an easy chair and waited for their title shot to arrive. That was not the case with Tarver. On July 20, 2002, he put his guaranteed title shot on the line against Harding, the only man to beat him. It was a risky move, but one that only true champions will make. The gamble paid off and Tarver avenged his defeat by stopping Harding in the fifth round.

Nine months later on April 26, 2003, Tarver finally got his world title shot and shut out former world champion Montell Griffin over 12 rounds to win the vacant WBC and IBF light heavyweight crowns.

Despite winning the titles, Tarver still had Jones Jr. on his mind.

On Nov. 8, 2003, Tarver finally pushed Jones Jr. into a title fight. In the thrilling 12-round slugfest, Tarver punished the then-pound-for-pound king across 36 minutes. However, when the decision was announced, Jones Jr. had regained his championship belts with a controversial majority decision (117-111, 116-112 and 114 apiece).

As a result of the decision, numerous boxing fans and luminaries demanded a rematch.

That rematch came on May 15, 2004. With Tarver's now immortal question "You got any excuses tonight, Roy?" ringing in the ears of fight fans, one of boxing's most memorable nights in recent history kicked off.

Two rounds in, Tarver landed the "shot heard around the boxing world," a single left hand that knocked Jones Jr. out for the first time in his magnificent career. After years of blood, sweat and tears, the world found out what Tarver already knew—he was a star.

After his amazing victory over Jones Jr., Tarver was the talk of the town, as he fulfilled numerous television, radio and print media obligations. While some fighters would have been content with a couple of easy title defenses against unknown opponents, Tarver faced the second man to send Jones Jr. crashing to the canvas, Glen Johnson, on Dec. 18, 2004.

In an early Christmas present to fight fans, the two best 175-pounders in the world battled it out for 12 hard-fought rounds at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Tarver dropped a controversial split decision (115-113 twice and 112-116).

Past history has shown that Tarver always was twice as dangerous in a rematch. Exactly six months after their first meeting, Tarver regained his IBO light heavyweight title with a stirring 12-round unanimous decision (116-112 twice and 115-113) over Johnson at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

After splitting the first two contests against Jones Jr., Tarver decided that he wanted to settle the score in a rubber match on Oct. 1, 2005. When it was over, Tarver beat his rival for the second consecutive time by scoring a 12-round unanimous decision (117-111 and 116-112 twice).

Eight months later on June 10, 2006, Tarver lost a disappointing 12-round decision (118-109 three times) to future Hall of Fame inductee and longtime middleweight champion, Bernard Hopkins. Before signing up for that epic match, the "Magic Man" displayed his versatility and crossover appeal when he portrayed heavyweight champion Mason "The Line" Dixon in the blockbuster motion picture, "Rocky Balboa."

Tarver showed off his acting talents in the final installment of the legendary film series created by and starring Sylvester Stallone.

Now, even Hollywood saw just how "Magic" Tarver can be.

Following a one-year absence, Tarver returned to the ring on June 9, 2007, in Hartford, Conn., and won a 12-round majority decision (116-112, 115-113 and 114-114) over Elvir Muriqi. He then followed that victory with a fourth-round TKO over Danny Santiago at Foxwoods Resort & Casino, on December 1, 2007.

Four months after defeating Santiago on April 12, 2008, Tarver captured the IBF light heavyweight crown by registering a 12-round unanimous decision (119-109, 117-111 and 116-112) over champion Clinton Woods.

"It's all about the belts," Tarver said. "I am looking for all the belt holders. Woods was a tough, gritty fighter, but I came into this fight in great shape. I took some punches and got some punches, but the best man won tonight. I am not surprised by anything that went on in there."

On the same night Tarver dethroned Woods, Chad Dawson successfully defended his WBC title against Glen Johnson with a 12-round unanimous decision.

After the fight, Tarver called out Dawson in front of a packed media center at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

"Dawson would be easy pickings now,'' Tarver said. "He's not the fighter now that he was before this fight [against Johnson]. He's a wounded duck.

"Dawson took a lot of hard hits against Johnson, but there is a difference between getting hit by Glen Johnson and getting hit by me.''

Tarver put his title where his confidence was when he squared off against Dawson Oct. 11, 2008, in Las Vegas, losing a hard-fought 12-round decision (117-110, 117-110 and 118-109).

"Just like Roy Jones, Glen Johnson and Eric Harding, Dawson is going to find out that I learn by my mistakes and never lose to the same guy twice. And like Jones, Johnson, Clinton Woods, Montell Griffin and Reggie Johnson, Dawson is going to be world champion with a big 'L' on his record from me," Tarver said.