Exclusive Boxing Interview: Antonio Tarver

Click for larger image © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

Tonight at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket , CT , Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver, 25-4 (18), will headline a rare triple-header event on Showtime Championship Boxing. The twelve round championship bout against Danny Santiago, 29-3-1 (19), will be the second time in the ring for the “Magic Man” this year.

After taking nearly a year off to pursue his acting career as Mason Dixon starring opposite Sylvester Stallone in the latest Rocky installment, Tarver returned to the ring in June 2006 to face Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins, who came out of a brief retirement for the fight, won a lopsided unanimous decision.

Tarver once again returned to the ring a year later in June 2007, defeating Elvir Muriqi by majority decision. Santiago also faced Muriqi back in 2004, winning by KO.

Although Tarver recently turned 39, he shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. In a recent interview with Saddoboxing, he is still beaming with confidence and feels he remains one of the greatest boxers in the sport today.

Saddoboxing: You originally were slated to face Danny Green; was that fight under contract? Why did it fall apart?

Antonio Tarver: “Yes, we had him under contract. The whole thing about that fight was that the guy didn’t want to fight. You can’t make a guy fight. He thought and felt in his heart that it would be in his best interest to fight in his own country and fight a guy that he would have a better chance of winning. That’s what being a professional boxer is all about, you have to make decisions. We can’t force a guy to fight, but we have his signature on a contract, he was slated to fight, I never backed out of the fight so for whatever reason he chose otherwise.”

SB: Danny Santiago is coming in as Green’s replacement, do you know much about him?

AT: “Danny is a tough guy; two or three years ago he was on everybody’s list of young prospects. For whatever reason he lost a couple fights in between. But hey, a chance to beat me you know the guy is coming to fight, you know he’s getting up for this. This is his whole dream, in order to make money and be famous and also make more money. I expect the very best Danny Santiago.”

SB: Both of you share the opponent Elvir Muriqi and Santiago has a KO win over him; do you think it will give him any mental advantage?

AT: “I don’t know. I hope not. If he does think it will be a mental advantage he will be sadly mistaken. Styles make fights. He’s never been in front of me; he’s never been in front of a guy like me. We are going to make sure we do all those things to make sure he’s never in the fight. We are going to fight long and hard. I’m so excited about this, just putting on this show for Showtime and for the boxing public. I just need to show the boxing purists what I’m made of. I don’t think that they can truly fathom what a great fighter I am.”

SB: With that comment do you feel you need to make some sort of statement with a knockout win?

AT: “No. If the knockout comes that will be gravy. I just think I need to show these people my defense, my tenacity, my energy, my aggressiveness and my punching power. I just need to show them the total facet of the game. Whether it goes twelve rounds or not, they’ll know Antonio Tarver came and was focused throughout the whole entire fight.”

SB: You have publicly stated your concern over some of the judging that has taken place in your fights; what do you feel is the problem?

AT: “I don’t know what the problem is, I really don’t. I’m just saying as a sport, enough with the bad decisions. What criteria does a judge have to go through that says he is a championship judge. We have amateur boxers and young pros, what makes a judge a championship judge, that’s a different level. I just want the best around in the big fights; we deserve to have the best people especially when there is so much at stake.

“If a round is close you give it to the aggressive boxer the cleaner puncher, if a round is not close you give it to the guy that won the round. When you look instant replay has really taken over sports, humans make mistakes, and we’re not perfect. But something needs to be done about a terrible decision, a bad decision that will change either one of these guy’s lives. Why not overturn it? We need a second panel of judges; if it’s an obvious robbery, get it right, there is nothing wrong with that.”

SB: How do you rate the light heavyweight division overall?

AT: “I rate the belt holders that are out there as good, but they are not great. That’s what separates the best from the rest. I want to fight all those guys, the next two years I’m going to give myself that window to clean out the division, hopefully unify and when it’s all said and done they’ll know that there is only one champion.”

SB: How do you feel at this point in your career, you have accomplished so much already what more would you like to accomplish?

AT: “I want to accomplish everything that is out there. I want to be considered the best in the world pound for pound. I want to be undoubtedly the best light heavyweight in the world and I want to stamp my ticket to the hall. That’s what I want more than anything and I think this last ride I want to accomplish that, where there are no more doubters about my status.”

SB: Not looking beyond this fight; what would be the next big fight that you would like to have?

AT: “I think Jeff Lacy brings us what we want. Chad Dawson, possibly. The winner of Tito and Roy. Bernard Hopkins is always out there. Clinton Woods, a belt with credibility, Glen Johnson, the list of opportunity goes on.”

SB: Thank you for your time, I wish you the best of luck.

AT: “Thank you.”