Tarver didn't look his best in Roy III, but I think it's wrong conventional wisdom that he was there for the taking. He did what he needed to do to win. You're right, Tarver did come apart mentally against Hopkins. In hindsight, Hopkins was the worst possible matchup for Tarver. Hopkins has great right cross, the most effect punch against him, and Tarver likes to fight in spurts, kind of like Hopkins. The problem is that nobody is better at fighting in spurts than Hopkins, and like I said before, Hopkins fought an amazing fight, one of the best of his career.
I guess I've never rated Woods that highly. He's good fighter, but he is limited, skill-wise. Great heart, nice guy.
Bookmarks