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00:00:00All right, Al, thanks very much.
00:00:02From the MMA cage back to the boxing ring.
00:00:05Like him or despise him, it's impossible to ignore Antonio Tarver.
00:00:09The former light heavyweight champion has credentials that have to be acknowledged.
00:00:13He was among the most accomplished amateurs in U.S. boxing history, and as a pro, he's
00:00:18twice beaten Roy Jones, and he's topped Glenn Johnson as well.
00:00:22That said, it's safe to say that if words were punches, Tarver would be ranked with
00:00:26the all-time pound-for-pound kings.
00:00:29And as we've learned in the days leading up to tonight's pivotal fight, in that regard,
00:00:34the 39-year-old Tarver hasn't slowed down at all.
00:00:40All right, you guys, I gave you instructions from the dressing room.
00:00:42Do you have any questions?
00:00:43I got a question.
00:00:44You got any excuses tonight, Roy?
00:00:47I've never tried to put on a show.
00:00:49Get them out of the ring, please.
00:00:51I'm doing my inner man.
00:00:52I don't try to intimidate anyone.
00:00:53You're in a no-man's situation.
00:00:54They cashed in on your ass.
00:00:56I'm not that type of brute type of guy.
00:00:59Keep going.
00:01:01It's kind of hard to intimidate someone when you look like this.
00:01:04Ain't no style change.
00:01:05Never been cut.
00:01:06I'm pretty as a girl.
00:01:09Whether talking about an opponent…
00:01:10Nothing on your resume can spell Tarver.
00:01:13A judge…
00:01:14It's a disgrace.
00:01:15Whoever that judge was, he blind.
00:01:16I can't see.
00:01:17Or even about himself…
00:01:18Antonio Tarver, the magic man.
00:01:19Olympian.
00:01:20I'm a champion.
00:01:21The legend killer.
00:01:22One of the best fighters today.
00:01:23Pound-for-pound.
00:01:24It goes on and on.
00:01:25Antonio Tarver has never been shy.
00:01:28You ready, baby?
00:01:29He believes his aggressive behavior and emotional outbursts are genuine.
00:01:33I'm too old to play.
00:01:34I'm 39.
00:01:35I'll be 40.
00:01:36So, you know, there's not no psychological…
00:01:38If anybody's playing a psychological game with me, I'm not in it.
00:01:41They'll never think you're in the same league as me.
00:01:43You a hand-picked opponent.
00:01:44However, the person who knows him best, his wife, Denise, disagrees.
00:01:48I don't believe that.
00:01:49I believe certain people, certain fighters, he try to belittle them.
00:01:54Not belittle them, but he's trying to let them know exactly what he thinks of them.
00:01:58I gotta let them know.
00:01:59I've never seen nobody like me your whole career.
00:02:01You know, in interviews, because you're so articulate and your vocabulary is so extensive,
00:02:05you don't think that when you're talking to an opponent, he can't come back as fast as you,
00:02:09so that intimidates him.
00:02:10I think it does.
00:02:11That's his problem.
00:02:12This gonna be the winner, and I'm taking that home with me, too.
00:02:14You're very quick on response.
00:02:15You're coming back.
00:02:16Build this.
00:02:17So, if you don't have that same intelligence level, you will become weak in his eyes.
00:02:21You keep talking, you're gonna be unrecognizable.
00:02:24That way, it makes a person feel inferior, which might carry on in the ring.
00:02:29Regardless of his motives, Tarver's antics have clearly infuriated tonight's opponent,
00:02:34Clinton Woods.
00:02:35I've always hated him.
00:02:36I'll tell you something.
00:02:37I can't stand the guy now.
00:02:38New British are coming.
00:02:39New British are coming.
00:02:42You're gonna get it.
00:02:43They love you.
00:02:44They all love you.
00:02:45Whether his outbursts are spontaneous acts or calculated ploys, Tarver knows tonight
00:02:50the talking stops and the fighting begins.
00:02:54I'm coming to punish him.
00:02:55I'm coming to earn my respect, and I'm coming to knock him out.
00:02:58It's going down, baby.
00:02:59We're in the show business.
00:03:00It's entertainment at its finest.
00:03:04Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm with Denise.
00:03:06Tarver obviously trying to get under Woods' skin before the fight, but words aren't punches.
00:03:11And once that bell sounds, he has to prove that the light heavyweight division hasn't
00:03:15passed him by.
00:03:16Well, the facts are, you know, he hasn't had a major win since 2005 when he beat Roy Jones,
00:03:21Jr.
00:03:22A couple of matches against lesser opponents in which he's shown sparks of the skills that
00:03:26made him the top light heavyweight.
00:03:28He says his training for this fight has been the best ever in his career.
00:03:33We'll find out in a little while whether that is spinning on his part or it's true.
00:03:37Well, in stark contrast to the brash outspoken Tarver, Clinton Woods is very laid back and
00:03:42humble.
00:03:43Woods from a rough area in Sheffield, England, comes from a world of street brawls, bar fights,
00:03:49excessive drinking, and seemed destined for failure and prison when his mother convinced
00:03:53him to change his ways.
00:03:55Earlier, he spoke with Karen Bryant.
00:03:59Clinton, you've come a long way from getting into pub fights to defending your title here
00:04:03on Showtime.
00:04:04Did you ever really think you would make it this far?
00:04:06No, not really.
00:04:0714 years ago, I never thought I'd be in a massive fight like this in America.
00:04:13It's like a dream come true to me, really.
00:04:16It's just something I never even thought about when I was 18, 19.
00:04:21Maybe when I was 12, 13, I had little dreams of being a world champion, but that's there,
00:04:26so it disappeared when I got to 17, 18.
00:04:28Well, it must feel good, though.
00:04:29I want to know how you feel about the lead-up to this fight and Antonio Tarver.
00:04:32Do you feel like you've been underestimated or disrespected at all?
00:04:36Antonio, I think he's just the way he is.
00:04:38He's a bit brash.
00:04:40He comes gobbing off and shouting off.
00:04:43It's not in my nature to shout back.
00:04:46Boxing needs people like Antonio.
00:04:48You need a bad guy, and you need a good guy.
00:04:50It's just good for boxing.
00:04:52You've been in the ring with Roy Jones Jr. and also with Glen Johnson, and yet you say
00:04:56this is the biggest fight of your career.
00:04:57Why is that?
00:04:58I'm world champion now.
00:05:01There's massive things at stake to win this fight, and there's even bigger fights.
00:05:06Antonio's probably, other than Roy Jones, the biggest name I've ever fought.
00:05:11It's a stage of my career now where I feel as though I'm the best in the world.
00:05:14I can't afford no slip-ups.
00:05:16I know you've brought a lot of British fans with you.
00:05:18They may not have brought enough sunscreen, but they've brought a lot of spirit, so it's
00:05:21got to feel good to have them in the house.
00:05:23Good luck to you tonight.
00:05:24Thank you very much.
00:05:25Cheers.
00:05:26Well, prior to tonight, many Americans may have thought that Clinton Woods was a place
00:05:31and not a person, but Woods is for real and should not be taken lightly in his legacy
00:05:35defining fight.
00:05:36He wants to show fans out on both sides of the Atlantic.
00:05:38He's a major force in the division.
00:05:41You know, stylistically, a good fight will help him do that.
00:05:43Stylistically, I can't imagine a fight that promises more excitement than this.
00:05:48Think about it.
00:05:49Antonio Tarver is a counter-puncher who doesn't move very much, and Clinton Woods is an aggressive
00:05:54come-forward fighter who has a terrific work rate.
00:05:58So, it's not a question of whether punches will be landed, but rather which ones and how many.
00:06:03One punch that Clinton Woods hopes he lands is the jab.
00:06:07As he presses forward, this punch will pave his way inside, where Woods can unleash his
00:06:12excellent body attack.
00:06:14And one punch that could stop Tarver is Woods' vaunted uppercut.
00:06:18Woods delivers the uppercut quicker than most fighters who use it, and it has helped him
00:06:23score big wins, like this one over Jason Delisle.
00:06:28His hopes tonight may rest on his ability to land this punch.
00:06:40For Tarver, avoiding the uppercut is a key.
00:06:43Staying off the ropes is important, because that's where Woods can land that punch.
00:06:47And he can't bend in on the inside.
00:06:50The uppercut could also land there.
00:06:54Landing the straight left is Tarver's signature punch, and he'll do it, no matter what it takes.
00:07:00A right hook that ends up a bit short takes Danny Santiago's attention away, and then
00:07:05the left hand can come right up the middle.
00:07:08For Tarver to win tonight, this punch has to get home.
00:07:18Yes, Antonio Tarver.
00:07:21Yes, Antonio Tarver says his mission is to become undisputed light heavyweight champion,
00:07:26but first, he'll have to hurdle IBF titleist Clinton Woods.
00:07:31Well, with our second championship fight coming up, here's a reminder about tonight's text
00:07:36message poll question.
00:07:37At the end of tonight, after watching all four fighters in action, which light heavyweight
00:07:42impressed you the most?
00:07:44We invite you to text message your answer to us here at SHOTV.
00:07:49For Chad Dawson, text the number 1.
00:07:52For Glenn Johnson, text the number 2.
00:07:54Boy, they just had a controversial affair.
00:07:56For Antonio Tarver, text the number 3.
00:07:58And for Clinton Woods, the number 4.
00:08:00Standard text messaging rates apply.
00:08:12For IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods, the fight of his life.
00:08:18And when was the last time you heard a fighter admit he was nervous?
00:08:21But Woods also said he's motivated by the fear of coming into Tarver's backyard.
00:08:27He's got a lot of boisterous and vocal support here from England.
00:08:32Al Woods is champion, so he can't be too pleased that number 1, he's the underdog, and number
00:08:372, Tarver's gotten top billing.
00:08:39You know, he's been pretty stoic about it for the most part, even suggesting he kind
00:08:42of enjoys some of Tarver's verbal skills.
00:08:45Tarver is trying to rattle him, with things like that reference we saw to Woods' corner
00:08:49throwing in the towel in his fight with Roy Jones Jr.
00:08:52So believe me, as we look at Clinton Woods, he has not resigned to coming in here to be
00:08:57boxing's version of the Washington Generals.
00:08:59He came to the United States to win.
00:09:02Worth noting, Woods had surgery on his right elbow after his last fight seven months ago.
00:09:07A brutal, punishing decision over ex-champ Julio Gonzalez.
00:09:12He's also had surgery on his left elbow, but he says he's pain and injury free for the
00:09:16first time in a while.
00:09:17Clinton Woods, they call him the Cinderella Man of British boxing.
00:09:21Tonight, he hopes for a fairy tale ending.
00:09:35Hometown favorite Antonio Tarver hearing it from the crowd.
00:09:40You may be wondering why Tarver, as the challenger, gets to enter last, normally the champion's
00:09:46honor.
00:09:48Tarver has the IBO belt, a fringe title, but he and his people feel he's champion, and
00:09:54they demanded he walk in last.
00:09:56Now Al, is Tarver fooling himself, or is this some sort of psychological gamesmanship?
00:10:01Is he trying to intimidate Woods?
00:10:03Yeah, I think it's about 50% trying to spin this, as if he is in fact the champion of
00:10:09marketing tool, and it's 50% using this as another opportunity to badger Woods and hope
00:10:14that they can unearth him.
00:10:16Well, despite criticism of late uneven performances against unproven talent, and the notion that
00:10:23he had been avoiding Chad Dawson, Tarver feels he's the best light heavyweight in the world.
00:10:29If he wins tonight, and goes on to his dream of unifying the title, what a comeback story
00:10:37for a guy who hasn't beaten a fighter of note since 2005.
00:10:56And with that, let's check the numbers as we go to the tail of the tape.
00:11:01Nearing 40, Tarver is 4 years older than Woods, the height nearly even, Woods has the 2 inch
00:11:08edge in reach, Tarver normally the bigger guy, only the second time he's weighed less
00:11:13than 174, his lightest 173.5 when he beat Glenn Johnson.
00:11:19And the key unified rules for this world title fight, no standing 8 count, no 3 knockdown
00:11:24rule, a fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round, if an accidental headbutt causes
00:11:30a fight to end within 4 rounds, it's a no decision, after 4 rounds they go to the scorecards,
00:11:35and if a punch causes a cut and the injured fighter can't continue, he loses by TKO.
00:11:47So here at the St. Pete Times Forum, we're getting ready for Antonio Tarver vs. Clinton
00:11:52Woods for the IBF Light Heavyweight Championship, let's get the official introductions from
00:11:57the ring announcer, the classic Jimmy Lennon Jr.
00:12:05Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you to the St. Pete Times Forum here in Tampa, Florida
00:12:13for the second of a world championship featured attractions of the evening, brought to you
00:12:18by Gary Shaw Productions and AT Entertainment, in association with Dennis Hobson's Fight
00:12:26Academy, and Showtime. This bout coming away as sanctioned by the IBF, President Marion
00:12:33Muhammad, Supervisor Al Meyer, the IBO, President Ed Levine, Supervisor John Dodano, and the
00:12:40Florida State Boxing Commission, Chairman Eduardo La Casa, Vice Chairman Don Bowen,
00:12:46Commissioner Mel Girado, and the Executive Director is Tom Malloy. Our physicians at
00:12:54the bell tonight, Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, Dr. Adam Brunson, and Dr. Terrace Kocknoe, and
00:12:59our timekeeper at the bell tonight, James Chittenden. Introducing our three judges scoring
00:13:06this bout from ringside, from Doncaster, England, Howard Foster, from Brisbane, Australia, Steve
00:13:13Marshall, and from Miami, Florida, John Rupert. Introducing our third man in the ring, our
00:13:20referee in charge, he hails from Orlando, Florida, Frank Santori. All right, fans, here
00:13:29we go. Twelve rounds of boxing for the IBF and IBO Light Heavyweight Championship of
00:13:37the World. And now, ladies and gentlemen in attendance, and boxing fans joining us around
00:13:44the world, live from Tampa, it's showtime.
00:13:57This is the first on my right. In the red corner, the IBO champion wearing black trunks
00:14:06with silver trim, fighting out of and representing Tampa, Florida. He weighed in at 173.75 pounds
00:14:17with a record of 26 wins, 4 losses. He has 19 wins coming by way of knockout. Ladies
00:14:25and gentlemen, here is the former WBA, WBC, and IBF champion of the world, and the current
00:14:34IBO Light Heavyweight World Champion. Introducing the magic man, Antonio Tarver.
00:14:52And his opponent across the ring on my left, the IBF World Champion fighting out of the
00:14:59blue corner, wearing blue trunks with white and red trim. He is fighting out of the steel
00:15:06city of Sheffield, England. He weighed in at the Light Heavyweight limit of 175 pounds
00:15:13with a record of 41 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. He has 25 wins coming by way of knockout
00:15:22tonight, making the fifth defense of his title. Here is the current and defending IBF
00:15:29Light Heavyweight Champion of the World. Introducing the pride of Sheffield, Clinton Woods.
00:15:43Once again, a referee in charge, Frank Santori, now to give instructions.
00:15:49Tarver. Frank Tarver Woods, we're here for the IBO and the IBF Championship of the World.
00:15:55Gentlemen, we've gone over all the instructions. You know what I expect of you. Let's have
00:15:59a clean fight. Both your belts are right where they're supposed to be. The game goes here
00:16:03or above. Questions? Questions? Good luck to you.
00:16:11Woods fans from England shouted down by the local Tarver fans here in Tampa. It really
00:16:16has been a tempestuous build-up. Tarver said, if Woods comes looking for me and puts on
00:16:20the pressure, I'll knock him out. Says he'll not only win, but win in spectacular fashion.
00:16:25Very dismissive of Woods. Even called the champion a hand-picked opponent. Meanwhile,
00:16:31Woods said Tarver is in for a surprise. In fact, he promised a knockout. And there is
00:16:38a tribute to Scott Brooks from Clinton Woods as they are dedicating this fight to his stable
00:16:46mate, sparring partner and pal who tragically passed away in a car accident while Woods
00:16:51was training for this fight here in Tampa.
00:16:56So both have predicted a knockout. Tarver has never been stopped. The southpaw Tarver
00:17:03historically a cautious starter began his last fight sluggishly. Said he'll start fast
00:17:09tonight and stay busy. Typically ultra-tactical, looks to keep it on the outside. And no question
00:17:16the skills are still there. The right jab, the straight left, still dangerous. But he
00:17:20has fought in spurts of late versus overmatched guys. And he simply hasn't looked like the
00:17:26same guy who beat Roy Jones and Glenn Johnson.
00:17:30And Clinton Woods will test him, make no mistake about it. Woods will come forward during the
00:17:35course of this fight. Normally has a pretty good work rate, though he has started very
00:17:39slow in this round.
00:17:42And many feel he's on the downside of his career, Antonio Tarver, but he says no way,
00:17:46I've got plenty of fight left. Woods 2-0 versus lefties. Not on the same technical level as
00:17:53Tarver, but he is tough with a lot of heart. Woods has to get in Tarver's face, stay there
00:18:00all night. That is the general feeling, the prevailing feeling of how he can beat Tarver.
00:18:06Now there's a wild right hook by Tarver, he doesn't want to really throw too many of those
00:18:10punches. It's straight up the middle for him, the jab, straight left hand. He's kind of
00:18:15like the old Vince Lombardi Packers, you know, you knew what they were going to run at you,
00:18:19but you still couldn't stop that run. Tarver, his thing is jab, straight left hand, and
00:18:23of course there's the uppercut, which could be the most important punch for Woods if he'll
00:18:28throw it.
00:18:30Woods pretty brave, but hittable. He's gotten off the canvas twice to win. He feels his
00:18:37toughness will neutralize Tarver's skills, but as he put in his work rate, a massive
00:18:43key. Woods money punched the right, but there's a good uppercut by Tarver.
00:18:51It's really interesting. Woods has used that punch to knock people out. Tarver has a good
00:18:56one, but Tarver's the one that's committed to throwing it, but he better be careful about
00:19:00throwing it from so far out.
00:19:02Yeah, or else it could be trouble, because Woods has a very good right hand, and Tarver
00:19:08has been vulnerable to the right of late against Bernard Hopkins and Elver Marecki.
00:19:11Yeah, that's exactly right. The right hand's been what's been landing against him lately,
00:19:15the overhand right.
00:19:17Woods is perceived as a pressure fighter. Tarver, though, feels he's more of a boxer
00:19:22who jabs his way in. He may be right.
00:19:25Good round for Antonio Tarver here in round one. Tactically, he's kept the match exactly
00:19:31where he wanted.
00:19:32Good left hand there by Antonio Tarver, who says he's so confident, so focused, so strong,
00:19:38so fresh, so removed from the so-called Hollywood mentality that if anybody can beat him now,
00:19:43quote, my hat is off to him, unquote.
00:19:49Antonio Tarver, he's got a way with words, doesn't he?
00:19:51He's really got to open up more.
00:19:54He's too shy.
00:19:55Time.
00:20:07Take a deep breath, baby. Relax.
00:20:11Now, look here. He's putting the pressure on him. He's got to do that power jab downstairs.
00:20:16The uppercut is working.
00:20:18Well, Jimmy Williams, you just heard him say the uppercut's working, and this one worked
00:20:22just fine. Terrific punch by Antonio Tarver, and you see there, as Steve pointed out, Woods
00:20:27was trying to counter with the right hand. Now, from above, you'll see the uppercut land
00:20:32by Tarver. Look at Woods. He wants to throw the right, but can't quite get it off, so
00:20:36that's the right punch to try and counter with, but he couldn't get it there.
00:20:39Good shot by Antonio Tarver.
00:20:41Nice deep breath.
00:20:43If you're unsure, show it. You didn't show him one jab. Close your lips.
00:20:46A little excess right there, Richard.
00:20:48You didn't show him one jab. Show him your jab, let your right hand go. Get out.
00:20:52Huge incentive for Woods to win here.
00:20:55Defeat Tarver, a possible fight with fellow Brit Joe Calzaghe down the road.
00:21:01Well, this light heavyweight division has a myriad of big names in them, and we saw
00:21:05in our first fight that Glenn Johnson's still one of those names. Certainly Chad Dawson
00:21:10is, after his win and retaining his title. Obviously, Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins
00:21:15a week from now will have an important light heavyweight fight, so there's a lot going
00:21:20on in this division, even if some of the fighters are older.
00:21:23Round two scheduled for twelve. Woods coming on, attacking Dawson. Swings a right, but
00:21:28missed.
00:21:37You know, Tarver is holding a lot when Woods comes on the inside. This is a good tactical
00:21:42move, he just has to be careful that he doesn't do it so much that a point is deducted from
00:21:46him.
00:21:48More tentative beginning by Woods than we would have thought.
00:21:51And if you're going to beat Antonio Tarver these days, you do need to pressure him. Elber
00:21:59Marieke actually did a pretty good job of that in their fight.
00:22:03Woods said a key is to have a high work rate, and he is starting off rather sluggishly.
00:22:10Now he's picking it up a little bit, coming in, attacking Tarver.
00:22:15Clint Woods doesn't look focused in this fight. I'm going to tell you right now, he does not
00:22:19look like he is focused on the task at hand. And maybe that will change, but I believe
00:22:24he needs to really get focused and be sharper with what he's doing and with his punches.
00:22:29He may be a little in awe, a little nervous. You know, he told us the other day that it
00:22:36takes him a while to get into his comfort zone.
00:22:40It takes him a while to get into his comfort zone, and so perhaps that's the case. And
00:22:46Tarver is a slow starter anyway, so maybe he can afford to do that, but he's got to
00:22:52be careful.
00:22:53Now Woods is going to body a little bit, and that's an important function for him early
00:22:57in this match. You really want to work that body of Antonio Tarver, because they want
00:23:01to take Tarver in the later rounds and feel like he may fold a little bit.
00:23:06And like Johnson before, remember, Tarver, no spring chicken, he's 39. Not off the count
00:23:12of a late start. Hasn't had, you know, relatively many fights, 30 fights in his entire career,
00:23:1926 and 4.
00:23:20Of course, he had a long and distinguished amateur career.
00:23:23He's a bronze medalist.
00:23:24Yeah, bronze medalist, many-time champ. Good right hand by Woods.
00:23:28Good right hand by Woods.
00:23:31Woods switching to lefty, interesting.
00:23:33Yeah, and flicking that right jab.
00:23:37A warning from Frank Santoria.
00:23:39I hope we don't get a repeat of the last time we were down here. Robin Reed from England
00:23:44came here to fight Jeff Lacey and was just brutalized by the official. Brutalized. I
00:23:49hope that doesn't happen again down here.
00:23:51Here's Tarver turning it up, Al.
00:23:54Good finish by Antonio Tarver.
00:24:05Deep breaths for me. How do you feel? You're doing it, you're stepping. You don't like
00:24:10it, Clint. You've got to keep stepping. Have a rinse and spit, please. You've got to be
00:24:13a bit... Clint, listen. Believe you can do it and you will. Because you're faster than
00:24:18him. Just believe it.
00:24:19One thing that Clinton Woods does want to do, and this is something he did accomplish
00:24:23a bit in that last round, jabbing his way in. But he did it as a lefty, interestingly
00:24:27enough. Two good jabs. And then when he was inside, he cranked up that left to the body.
00:24:31I haven't seen Clinton Woods really switch much, but he was effective there when he did
00:24:35it.
00:24:38Touch your hands. Touch your face.
00:24:41Keep coming back.
00:24:42If you want it, listen. If you want it, it's there, pal. It's there.
00:24:47Richard, a little grease there.
00:24:51Trader cut man Richard Poxon with words of encouragement for Clinton Woods. Round three.
00:24:59Lou Del Valle, who was a light heavyweight of note, a left-hander for the United States,
00:25:05worked with them, aspired with them to emulate Antonio Tarver. And Tarver aspired with Julio
00:25:11Gonzalez, a very good light heavyweight who twice lost to Clinton Woods, also fought Glenn
00:25:17Johnson, interestingly.
00:25:22If this is going to be a scintillating fight like the first one, it's really up to Clinton
00:25:28Woods. He's got to force the issue.
00:25:30I agree with you, Steve. And there he landed a nice right hand. A tactical fight is just
00:25:34what Antonio Tarver wants, where he can heck away, land a shot here and there. You know,
00:25:38Poxon was right. It's there for Clinton Woods. And, you know, he is able to get off some
00:25:42of those shots and land them. He's got to take some chances.
00:25:47Yeah, a little tentative to this point.
00:25:51When he uses the jab coming in, Woods is so much more effective. Instead of coming in
00:25:55in that, just in that peek-a-boo fashion and just walking in.
00:26:00He punches up, and Tarver got him up.
00:26:03Woods 41-3-1 with 25 KOs. A 13-year pro, his fifth defense of the belt.
00:26:13His three losses, Glenn Johnson, Roy Jones, David Starrett.
00:26:18This Clinton Woods is a Clinton Woods that sometimes, not very often, shows up. One that
00:26:24doesn't work hard, doesn't throw a lot of punches, and gets kind of statue-like.
00:26:29Yeah, he can be mechanical.
00:26:30Yeah, and when he does that, he's not very effective. And that's what he's doing right
00:26:34now against Antonio Tarver.
00:26:36At his best, when he steps it up.
00:26:38He's usually fun to watch. Good crowd-pleasing style, a lot of body shots, jabs, right hands.
00:26:43He's got a great uppercut, but he's not using it.
00:26:45Yeah, just can't seem to get it going as of yet. There's a good left hand by Tarver.
00:26:51And Tarver's been pretty precise with his punches. Throwing in, you know, sporadic moments
00:26:57as he usually does.
00:26:58Yeah, he's got a great uppercut, but he's not using it.
00:27:00Yeah, he just can't seem to get it going as of yet. There's a good left hand by Tarver.
00:27:04Throwing in, you know, sporadic moments as he usually does.
00:27:11Left hook upper by Woods.
00:27:14Tarver missing there, and one of the problems in his last fight, he was missing a lot.
00:27:21And against a slower guy, too.
00:27:24There's some body work by Woods. He really would do himself a favor by going there.
00:27:28And the uppercut keeps landing by Tarver.
00:27:30Tarver losing his balance.
00:27:35And Woods missing.
00:27:37See, the uppercut's there for Clinton Woods. Instead, he's throwing his straight right hand
00:27:41to go over the head of Tarver.
00:27:43And particularly, it could be effective when Tarver leans in.
00:27:46Exactly. He's got a great uppercut.
00:27:54Well, let's take a look at what happened last night on Showbox
00:27:57in a 10-round super middleweight bout.
00:27:59It was a battle between sons of former world champions.
00:28:02In round 6, Buddy McGirt, Jr. pressed the action, scored a knockdown,
00:28:06sending Carlos De Leon, Jr. to the canvas.
00:28:09But De Leon came back strong in the next round with two knockdowns.
00:28:13And the fight was stopped at 1.20 of round 7.
00:28:15Ruled a TKO. McGirt, Jr.'s first loss in 19 fights.
00:28:19Then, a 10-round junior welterweight fight.
00:28:21Jose Cito Lopez squared off with Edgar Santana.
00:28:25Lopez dropped Santana twice in round 6.
00:28:27Lopez dropped Santana twice in round 8.
00:28:29But Santana fought back in one round's 9 and 10
00:28:33decisively to gain a majority decision.
00:28:35Santana improved to 24 and 3 with 15 KOs.
00:28:41An exciting night of boxing last night in Miami on Showbox.
00:28:46Another great Showbox show.
00:28:48And they've had so many of those over the last year or so.
00:28:50Really, even upping the ante on that series.
00:28:53And we've had a very exciting night here.
00:28:55Up to this point, a very controversial, disputed first fight.
00:28:59Won by Chad Dawson over Glenn Johnson.
00:29:03A heated battle. Gripping action.
00:29:06So exciting. So well fought.
00:29:08And, you know, now these two hoping that they can up the pace a little bit here
00:29:14as this fight continues on.
00:29:18Now this is, we mentioned this is Woods' only second fight here in the United States.
00:29:22Second important fight out of England.
00:29:24And, um, against Roy Jones Jr.
00:29:27Now it's a misnomer to think he didn't fight well early in that fight.
00:29:29He really did.
00:29:30Jones fought one of the best fights he had fought in that period.
00:29:33Um, but in this fight, if he was fighting the way he fought against Jones right now,
00:29:38trust me, he'd be winning.
00:29:40And Woods said this is his biggest fight.
00:29:43And Woods said this is his biggest fight.
00:29:46Even though Jones' fight was huge.
00:29:48Because now, he's champion.
00:29:54There's the jab of Woods.
00:29:55Again, you can't emphasize enough how much he needs to throw that punch.
00:30:02Tarver has been very economical with his punches, but fairly accurate.
00:30:06And that's why he's winning all these rounds.
00:30:09He's flicking that right jab.
00:30:12The attack by Woods.
00:30:15And every time Woods gets, that's good body work.
00:30:17Every time Woods gets a little closer, Tarver tries to grab him and hold him and buy some time.
00:30:23Straight left hand by Tarver sends Woods back.
00:30:25And a jab followed by a left hand by Woods, but not a lot of steam behind it.
00:30:31If I was Clinton Woods, I'd switch to lefty.
00:30:33He was effective with it.
00:30:34It would throw Tarver off, and I think he can make something happen.
00:30:38That straight left is really beginning to find a home now for Tarver.
00:30:43It's getting through the guard.
00:30:45A flurry by Tarver.
00:30:54Tarver, as usual, picking his spots.
00:31:01But that's Tarver. He fights in spurts.
00:31:03And, you know, he'll coast for a couple of minutes and then try to steal the round.
00:31:08And he did that when he was younger.
00:31:09Yes, at his prime.
00:31:10He's certainly going to do it at 39.
00:31:12Absolutely.
00:31:13The jab again by Woods.
00:31:16Richard Poxon has to be frustrated in Woods' corner.
00:31:18Because there are punches that are there for Woods if he chooses to throw them.
00:31:21It's not to say that it's easy to land.
00:31:23It's easy to say outside the ring.
00:31:24But, clearly, he's not using all of his arsenal in there.
00:31:28Tarver, four years older at 39.
00:31:39This started out as a closer round.
00:31:41But Tarver, probably more accurate with his punches through the second half of the round, may have won it.
00:31:48Final seconds of round four.
00:31:53You hear a few boo-boos.
00:31:54Stop! Stop! Stop!
00:32:00Another interested spectator.
00:32:02We saw her on the feature earlier.
00:32:04The lovely Denise Tarver.
00:32:06Met her in my hometown, Las Vegas.
00:32:09Did Antonio Tarver.
00:32:12And she had to be happy with what her husband did here.
00:32:15Throwing the jab in the straight left hand.
00:32:17And, again, that's his signature combination.
00:32:21Now, Woods is a good body puncher when he decides to go downstairs.
00:32:25And he needs to do a lot more of this early in the fight.
00:32:27There was a nice right hand down there.
00:32:29And right away, see Tarver hold on.
00:32:31Maybe he made Tarver wince there.
00:32:33That would be a great place for Woods to direct his attack.
00:32:39And, you know, at some point, if Tarver keeps grabbing and clutching like that,
00:32:42you have to wonder if Frank Santori would consider warning him or even taking a point away.
00:32:47Tarver's done a lot of that.
00:32:48You know, Al, we want to send our best wishes to ring announcer Michael Buffer.
00:32:52Very happy to report he had successful surgery for throat cancer.
00:32:56And is expected to be back in action next week.
00:32:59We wish him the absolute best.
00:33:01I've known Michael for, gosh, 25, 26 years.
00:33:04We started together in the old ESPN series.
00:33:06And we wish him the best.
00:33:08Our thoughts are with you, Michael.
00:33:10Round 5 scheduled for 12 for the IBF Light Heavyweight Championship
00:33:16held by Clinton Woods in the blue with the white trim.
00:33:19Antonio Tarver, who has had three title belts on three different occasions,
00:33:23in the black with the white piping.
00:33:27You know, what's making this fight look slower yet is what preceded it.
00:33:34Here's your press row scoring for Eddie Daniels from the Tampa Tribune,
00:33:38Martin Rodgers, Yahoo Sports, Patrick Sheehan, the son of the U.K.
00:33:42Two out of three have Tarver, the other even.
00:33:44Apparently, Eddie Daniels and I exchanged notes earlier tonight
00:33:48because I'm there with him again on this one.
00:33:50Nice uppercut by Woods there a moment ago.
00:33:52I agree with Eddie on this one.
00:33:54Here's an uppercut by Tarver.
00:33:56Break!
00:33:57No, don't punch.
00:33:58Don't punch.
00:33:59Break.
00:34:00The crowd continues to boo and, once again, a tough act to follow
00:34:06after the fiery action we saw in the opener.
00:34:13You're going to have to go a long way to match or top that one.
00:34:16And I think what's also interesting is that,
00:34:20Frank Santoro with that warning to Tarver for using his right hand inappropriately.
00:34:25You know, we have to remember that Clinton Woods fought Glenn Johnson
00:34:28three times, and even though a lot of people think Johnson won all three,
00:34:31they were wars.
00:34:32So, Woods is capable of that kind of action.
00:34:36And for Antonio Tarver, we know he's capable of good things.
00:34:40It's just these two fighters right now, not good enough.
00:34:42Woods has to get in there and just mess it up and get ugly.
00:34:45He just received the right hand of the temple, did Woods.
00:34:49The left temple area.
00:34:51Good shot by Tarver.
00:34:53Yeah, he's been in a lot of tough, grueling fights.
00:34:55He comes off of the punishing fight.
00:34:57Good left hand there that stung Woods in the head.
00:35:01I think the difference also is the hand speed in the first fight
00:35:05and then the speed in the second fight.
00:35:08I think the difference also is the hand speed in the first fight and this one.
00:35:12These fighters fighting at a much slower pace in terms of
00:35:14meanwhile their punches are delivered.
00:35:16But Antonio Tarver had himself a very good fifth round.
00:35:23Yeah, he's the boss here, Al.
00:35:27Unless Woods can do something here to turn it.
00:35:30Clinton Woods needs to throw some punches.
00:35:32He is just very timid in terms of what he's throwing.
00:35:35Extremely tentative.
00:35:36And no jabs.
00:35:37If he would just jab his way in, it would make all the difference in the world.
00:35:40But he's not.
00:35:41He's just holding back.
00:35:42And that hand speed of Tarver may be the reason why.
00:35:50Punches up. Tarver punches up.
00:35:53Break. Stop. Break time.
00:35:57Well, Clinton Woods' wife Natalia having trouble looking at this.
00:36:05Her head was down during the round
00:36:07and she is wrestling with it.
00:36:09She just couldn't bear to look.
00:36:11What a rough hand for her husband right now.
00:36:13You're not trying.
00:36:14You're not fucking showing.
00:36:16Tell him.
00:36:17Throw your punches at him.
00:36:18Stop watching him.
00:36:20He's tossing it off.
00:36:22Breathe in.
00:36:24Breathe in.
00:36:25Give him a drink.
00:36:27You've got to go.
00:36:28You've got to let him go.
00:36:30Overhand right.
00:36:31Big right hand.
00:36:32Step in.
00:36:33Big right hand.
00:36:34Step into his chest.
00:36:35And work.
00:36:36Don't get away, Clinton.
00:36:37Because you don't have to.
00:36:38It's there for you.
00:36:42Look here.
00:36:43Sit down on your punches a little bit.
00:36:45Throw your punches a little straighter.
00:36:46Lock in.
00:36:47Okay?
00:36:48Delightful guy.
00:36:49Boxing life for 80 year young Jimmy Williams.
00:36:52Great guy.
00:36:53Over 50 years in this sport.
00:36:56How about the riot act in the Woods' corner?
00:36:59You know, that's appropriate.
00:37:01You know, because he's just got to...
00:37:02Richard Poxon's telling him,
00:37:03you've got to start throwing punches.
00:37:05And that's the one that's short of it.
00:37:06There, look.
00:37:07He does it and he lands something.
00:37:08To this point, he's just giving it away.
00:37:10Yeah.
00:37:11Just jab your way in.
00:37:12Throw that jab and bang away.
00:37:14You've got to try.
00:37:15He's coming forward now.
00:37:16But he's got to unleash.
00:37:18And he is.
00:37:20The man with the red gloves.
00:37:22Trying to get it together here.
00:37:25Clinton Woods.
00:37:26He's the champion.
00:37:32And here's one way of looking at it.
00:37:34Elber Mariki, who's a good grade B fighter.
00:37:38Good fighter who stepped up his game against Antonio Tarver
00:37:41and gave a very, very good effort.
00:37:43But Clinton Woods is an IBF champion.
00:37:45So, he should be performing at least as well as Elber Mariki
00:37:49did against Antonio Tarver.
00:37:51And he's not.
00:37:56Tarver continues to have his way.
00:37:58Tarver continues to have his way.
00:38:00Landing with the left hand to the chin.
00:38:06Woods down two times in his career.
00:38:1045 fights.
00:38:14There's a nice right hand there by Tarver.
00:38:19And then digging to the body with the left.
00:38:22He's just wailing away in complete control.
00:38:26You know, when Woods does bother to throw that jab,
00:38:29every time he walks in behind it and he can throw something.
00:38:32But when he doesn't, there's nothing going on.
00:38:34He's allowing Tarver to do anything he wants.
00:38:37Tarver's being pretty accurate with his punches
00:38:39and showing a good variety of punches.
00:38:42Disappointing effort here by Clinton Woods.
00:38:44Oh, there's a big left hand that sends Woods back.
00:38:50Fortunately, Woods was sort of going back at the time.
00:38:53And there's another massive left hand.
00:38:56By Antonio Tarver.
00:38:57That one was much harder than the first one.
00:39:02That second shot really nailed Woods.
00:39:06Woods, as we said earlier, is very hittable.
00:39:10Pretty good chin.
00:39:13He's got heart, we know that.
00:39:15But he's got to start showing some action here offensively.
00:39:21There's a good left kick downstairs.
00:39:23Antonio Tarver, and also showing him a lot of movement.
00:39:25Let's give Tarver credit for that.
00:39:27In addition, he's not known for his movement, Antonio Tarver.
00:39:31It's not like he's that nimble on his feet,
00:39:33but he's showing a lot of good lateral movement.
00:39:35He's also doing a great job with slipping punches when Woods throws them.
00:39:38One of his lightest weights ever,
00:39:40and the last time he was this light, he beat Glenn Johnson.
00:39:51Tarver in command.
00:39:55Time.
00:40:06Listen, it doesn't matter if you get to him or not,
00:40:08if you're not going to throw punches.
00:40:09Listen.
00:40:11Deep breath. Deep breath.
00:40:15Six rounds left.
00:40:16Listen, you've got to pull it out now.
00:40:18Already you've got to go and pull it out.
00:40:19Deep breath.
00:40:21Antonio Tarver landed some very, very good punches in that last round.
00:40:25He's been landing the straight left hand.
00:40:27Clinton Woods acknowledging it, but I'll tell you what.
00:40:32The Tarver left has been a big weapon,
00:40:34both as a straight left hand and also as an uppercut.
00:40:39Back in the dressing room, WBC light heavyweight champion,
00:40:43Chad Dawson watching the action.
00:40:45Coming off the controversial victory over Glenn Johnson earlier tonight.
00:40:49And he fought brilliantly in that fight,
00:40:51as did Glenn Johnson, we might add.
00:40:53So he should be proud of himself, as should Glenn Johnson.
00:40:59Back to the action here.
00:41:02Get this ice.
00:41:04Too much ice in the corner of Clinton Woods,
00:41:05so they have to do some housekeeping.
00:41:07Watch the ice, gentlemen.
00:41:08The last time Tarver fought here at the St. Pete Times Forum,
00:41:13he looked good.
00:41:14It was the fight before the Bernard Hopkins travesty.
00:41:20He outpointed Roy Jones in the rubber match of their trilogy,
00:41:22so he likes his place.
00:41:24A big crowd here on hand for that one.
00:41:26By the way, Glenn Johnson had a 23-0 record in Florida
00:41:29before he lost that fight to Chad Dawson.
00:41:33Well, here is Clinton Woods on the surge.
00:41:37That's what he needs to do.
00:41:50Halfway through the second part of our doubleheader.
00:41:54And there is Pressrow scoring through six.
00:41:57They all have it for the hometown product, Antonio Tarver.
00:42:01And I agree with Eddie Daniels.
00:42:02I have a shout-out for Antonio Tarver at this point.
00:42:08You know, the interesting thing is,
00:42:10even while Tarver continues to build up points
00:42:13and this fight kind of lumbers along,
00:42:16the intrigue here, if there is any,
00:42:18is there is still an opportunity for Clinton Woods
00:42:21to land something of note.
00:42:23And, you know, at this juncture in Antonio Tarver's career,
00:42:26we don't know how he'll react at a certain point
00:42:29to those kind of punches.
00:42:31But Clinton Woods has got to unload something.
00:42:40And Woods is making the mistake of right-hand down stance.
00:42:43See, that's where we saw him make Tarver win
00:42:47The body would be a great place for Tarver to go.
00:42:49He's a good body puncher.
00:43:03Tarver scoring.
00:43:10Boy, Woods has just been the catcher.
00:43:18And you used the quintessential word a moment ago,
00:43:22lumbering along.
00:43:29The crowd going impatient.
00:43:32Again, particularly after the tremendous action
00:43:35of the first fight.
00:43:39No comparison.
00:43:48Well, it's supposed to be, Al,
00:43:50a showcase of four of the best light heavyweights.
00:43:52We certainly had exquisite action in the first fight,
00:43:55but different story here, particularly with Woods.
00:43:59It's been a slow pace, but again, Antonio Tarver,
00:44:01as he has normally in his career,
00:44:03doing what he needs to do to put a W on the column,
00:44:07and that's what he's doing.
00:44:09And I'll give Tarver credit.
00:44:11He's trying to pick up the action there in that last round.
00:44:18Well, the question tonight,
00:44:21who impressed you the most tonight?
00:44:24We invite you to vote later.
00:44:27For Dawson, text 1.
00:44:29For Johnson, text 2.
00:44:31For Tarver, text 3.
00:44:32And for Woods, text 4.
00:44:34You already got a pretty good shake of it in the first fight
00:44:37between Dawson and Johnson.
00:44:39And keep watching.
00:44:40And I think the key here is,
00:44:42what we're looking for is who impressed you.
00:44:44So, we saw two fighters fight a terrific fight,
00:44:47and we're not saying who won or who lost,
00:44:49but who impressed you, who has shown you
00:44:51they should be a member of the elite
00:44:53in the light heavyweight division.
00:44:59His chest is out. It's too wide.
00:45:01Nice and relaxed. Nice and relaxed.
00:45:03Okay.
00:45:05You got the mouthpiece, right?
00:45:07Yeah, I got it.
00:45:08It's already in the mouth.
00:45:11Take the towel off of him.
00:45:14Round 8.
00:45:15Scheduled for 12 for the IBF Light Heavyweight Championship.
00:45:19Antonio Tarver in the black,
00:45:21trying to recapture a title, a world title.
00:45:24Clint Woods in the blue is the champion.
00:45:26Now, this is intriguing.
00:45:28Antonio Tarver came out as a righty.
00:45:30Now he's back to lefty.
00:45:31After he controlled this fight,
00:45:32now that's what Tarver doesn't want to do,
00:45:34and that's what Woods does want to do.
00:45:36He threw a combination.
00:45:37Good for you, Clint.
00:45:39Woods way behind.
00:45:42And he has really dug himself a deep hole.
00:45:45Yeah, he's at the point in this fight
00:45:47where, you know, he needs knockdowns or knockouts.
00:45:51Certainly some knockdowns would be of import to him.
00:45:54Tarver's been down twice
00:45:56versus Bernard Hopkins
00:45:57in the first fight with Eric Harding.
00:45:59The only fights he's really been roughed up.
00:46:01He's not being roughed up here by Woods.
00:46:03One of the big mistakes that Clint Woods is making
00:46:07is I think Tarver's susceptible
00:46:09if he would go to the body.
00:46:10And he's a good body puncher, Clinton Woods.
00:46:12He is just not doing it.
00:46:14He just hasn't shown up.
00:46:20Clinton Woods will really regret...
00:46:22Oh, there it is, that great right downstairs.
00:46:24He's going to regret the fact that, you know,
00:46:27he's had such a stale performance here tonight,
00:46:29again on a stage that he needed a good performance,
00:46:33unless he can really turn it around
00:46:35during his last round.
00:46:37And now he called this, he proclaimed this
00:46:39the most important fight of his career.
00:46:42And they felt they were well prepared for this fight.
00:46:44They felt he had good sparring.
00:46:46He felt he was really ready for this.
00:46:48He even worked with Dawson's amateur trainer,
00:46:51Lou Harris, down in Orlando
00:46:55to try to get some extra tips
00:46:57of a guy who knows Dawson very well,
00:47:00or Tarver very well.
00:47:03Woods has been marginally more aggressive
00:47:05Woods has been marginally more active in this round,
00:47:08but not much more.
00:47:10And you hear the groaning from the crowd.
00:47:14You know, part of this is effort,
00:47:16and part of it is strategic.
00:47:17There are certain things that if he did them
00:47:19would lead to other things.
00:47:20He's not doing them, like jabbing his way in.
00:47:22That leads you to other punches.
00:47:24Instead, he's coming in and just bobbing and weaving
00:47:27and doing nothing, but that's what he needs to do,
00:47:29rip punches.
00:47:32He's having his best round of the fight,
00:47:34whether he's winning it remains to be seen,
00:47:36but certainly the most active he's been.
00:47:38Woods holding Tarver behind the head,
00:47:40getting the warning from Frank Santori.
00:47:49Again, there's some of that body work.
00:47:51That should have started rounds ago for Clinton Woods,
00:47:53but it's still not too late
00:47:54if he committed himself to that body work.
00:48:05Well, we have something very special
00:48:07for you fight fans coming up in May.
00:48:12They're back at it again.
00:48:14The Vasquez-Marquez Trilogy
00:48:16was an epic battle for the ages.
00:48:20Unbelievable action!
00:48:21It left the critics raving and the fans spellbound.
00:48:24Vasquez down for the first time in the trilogy!
00:48:27Vasquez down for the first time in the trilogy!
00:48:31Vasquez down for the first time in the trilogy!
00:48:33Back comes Marquez with the right hand!
00:48:36Oh, my goodness, what a round!
00:48:38Marquez is hurt! Vasquez continues to hammer away!
00:48:42Experience all the action and excitement again.
00:48:44And the fight is over!
00:48:47Vasquez-Marquez, The Trilogy, May 3rd.
00:48:54I can't get enough of that.
00:48:56It's great, and it was extraordinary,
00:48:58and it'll be great to take a look back at it
00:49:01with, you know, putting it in perspective
00:49:03and watching the great action.
00:49:04It was just a privilege to be on hand
00:49:06for that of all three fights,
00:49:08and you know it's important
00:49:09when Jack Nicholson comes out.
00:49:11That's a tip-off, yeah.
00:49:12Probably no Laker game that night.
00:49:14Round 9 scheduled for 12.
00:49:18Antonio Tarver told us before
00:49:20that keeping this fight in the center of the ring
00:49:22was important, not being on the ropes,
00:49:24and he has done that for the most part
00:49:26throughout this match.
00:49:28Pretty good left hook there by Clinton Woods,
00:49:30but just not enough of it.
00:49:32Boy, he said he had to get in Tarver's face,
00:49:34have a high work rate,
00:49:36pour it on, attack, go to the body,
00:49:38do whatever he can to make every minute count,
00:49:40but it's just not there for Woods.
00:49:42For the life of me,
00:49:43I can't figure out why Clinton Woods
00:49:45hasn't tried one uppercut when Tarver leans in.
00:49:48We saw a knockout, Jason Delisle, with that punch.
00:49:50We saw all kinds of clips against Johnson
00:49:53and other people in which he threw it.
00:49:55It's there for him when he wants a throw.
00:49:57Now, there's the good body work by Woods.
00:49:59Now he's going to Tarver a little bit.
00:50:00Let's see how Tarver reacts to this.
00:50:07Very good body shot by Woods.
00:50:09What was this early in the fight?
00:50:11Well, he's got four rounds to go here,
00:50:13three-plus rounds, and according to press roll,
00:50:16Woods could still steal this fight
00:50:18by winning these final four.
00:50:19Wow. How do you like that?
00:50:21Good left hook. I disagree with that last part.
00:50:23I'm just different a little from Eddie Daniels.
00:50:26He got a 69-64 for Tarver.
00:50:28Can we see a dramatic turnaround here by Clinton Woods?
00:50:31He's going after it now.
00:50:32He's doing well this round as he did
00:50:34for parts of the last round.
00:50:38You hear the Woods fans in the background,
00:50:41the very vocal fans from England.
00:50:44The body work's making a difference for Clinton Woods.
00:50:47I think it's having a little impact on Antonio Tarver.
00:50:50How much, we don't know.
00:50:53I asked Clinton, you got a lot of fans coming here?
00:50:56He said, yeah, I got a big family.
00:51:02See, there's the body work, and now we'll show right in.
00:51:05Tarver ripping off the ropes,
00:51:07but he doesn't want to be on those ropes.
00:51:09Good rounds for Clinton Woods for the most part.
00:51:14Got to be careful. He's trying to end it on one punch.
00:51:17And he could walk into something.
00:51:19Absolutely.
00:51:20See there, Tarver was right there for that uppercut.
00:51:23It would be one thing if Woods didn't have that punch,
00:51:26but it's a key part of his arsenal.
00:51:28He just won't throw it.
00:51:29But straight left by Tarver.
00:51:34You're not going to see big flurries by Tarver.
00:51:36It's usually going to be one at a time.
00:51:40Very low punch a moment ago by Woods.
00:51:42Antonio Tarver might be stealing this round back again
00:51:45because he's had some good flurries.
00:51:48One of the other mistakes Woods is making in this fight
00:51:50is he's relying on his left hook to the head.
00:51:52That's not a big power punch for him.
00:51:56Well, the knock on him was that he didn't throw the left enough.
00:52:01But he's not throwing the left or the right enough.
00:52:03Yeah, the jab would be important.
00:52:05That's for sure.
00:52:10He's got to be careful.
00:52:11He's got to be careful.
00:52:12He's got to be careful.
00:52:13He's got to be careful.
00:52:14He's got to be careful.
00:52:15He's got to be careful.
00:52:28Antonio Tarver throwing those combinations
00:52:31and several of those punches getting in.
00:52:33Counter left hook by Woods.
00:52:34But Tarver throwing good hands there.
00:52:37And you know, for the most part,
00:52:38Antonio Tarver's been really accurate with his punches in this fight.
00:52:46Listen, it's not going to be ours if you don't do it.
00:52:48Come on, come on.
00:52:49Don't wait now.
00:52:50Don't wait now.
00:52:51Give it to him.
00:52:52Forget them bruises.
00:52:53They'll be all right tomorrow.
00:52:54He starts to squint an ear.
00:52:55You can hear me squint an ear.
00:52:56Come on.
00:52:57Don't let him have a breather.
00:52:58Don't let him.
00:52:59Don't leave that.
00:53:00Don't leave it.
00:53:01Come shield.
00:53:02Come shield.
00:53:03Get closer.
00:53:04More cheerleading tactics than anything else in the Woods corner.
00:53:11Well, they have to get him to throw punches
00:53:13and they're trying to do that.
00:53:14But of course, there is also the specific kind of punches for him to throw.
00:53:18And some of his, not only has he been inactive,
00:53:22but some of his choices of tactics have not been as great as they might.
00:53:27Tarver, again, a right hander.
00:53:29That's interesting.
00:53:30I wonder if this will give Woods an opportunity to do something different.
00:53:39Tarver remains orthodox.
00:53:44He just feels that he's so in control of the situation,
00:53:47probably feels he can do anything right now.
00:53:49Here's the jab of Woods.
00:53:51And he's more emboldened to throw that punch when Tarver's a righty.
00:53:58Tarver also probably feels he's taken Woods' best shot.
00:54:02And it hasn't been a problem.
00:54:09And he stays right handed.
00:54:11If you're just tuning in, there's nothing wrong with your TV.
00:54:19You know, Tarver's son, Antonio Jr.,
00:54:21a 19-year-old who's a terrific basketball player,
00:54:24led his team to the state finals here in Florida,
00:54:27now playing at Daytona Beach Community College.
00:54:30The apple of his eye.
00:54:32And Antonio's very proud of him.
00:54:34Shooting guard.
00:54:35Exactly.
00:54:37Right now, Woods, again, doing some really good body work,
00:54:41but it's come so late in this fight,
00:54:43you wonder if it's going to have the impact it needs to have.
00:54:55Nice right hand off the top of Woods' head by Tarver.
00:54:59We've seen some pretty good combinations by Tarver in this fight.
00:55:03Yeah, he has.
00:55:04And now, even turning to righty, he's done some good work.
00:55:07There's no question.
00:55:08You know, this so typifies Tarver.
00:55:10He does what he needs to do to win.
00:55:13And, for the most part, he's done that tonight.
00:55:16There's the uppercut on the inside by Woods,
00:55:18turning it up, getting the crowd into it.
00:55:21But it's, uh...
00:55:26It's short lived.
00:55:28Probably a round that Woods might be winning,
00:55:31but, you know, how much impact will it have in a fight
00:55:34in which he's so far behind?
00:55:42Yeah, we're probably in the knockdown, knockout realm right now,
00:55:46as far as Woods is concerned,
00:55:48if he wants to dramatically pull it out.
00:55:57Final seconds of round 10.
00:56:00Losing shoulder, Tarver.
00:56:04Look out. Tarver stumbled.
00:56:08Woods missing.
00:56:11Let's get it over to Karen Pryor.
00:56:15All right. Thank you very much, Stephen.
00:56:16I'm here with Chad Dawson.
00:56:17Now, Chad, what do you make of the fight so far tonight,
00:56:19the one you're watching right now?
00:56:22It's aggressive.
00:56:23Clint was fighting a good fight,
00:56:24but, like, Tarver's doing the same thing I did tonight,
00:56:27you know, trying to use his skills, boxing skills,
00:56:29keep him at bay.
00:56:30It looks like he's doing a good job at it.
00:56:32If you were in there with Tarver,
00:56:33then what would you do differently?
00:56:36I would definitely pressure more.
00:56:37I'd throw a lot more punches, you know.
00:56:39Tarver leaves himself open a lot.
00:56:40You know, it's a lot of things that we can capitalize off.
00:56:44What do you make of Clinton's performance, though?
00:56:45It seems to me that he's got a lot more to lose,
00:56:47and I'm not sure you think he's being aggressive enough.
00:56:49He's not, it seems like he's not willing to take chances,
00:56:51you know.
00:56:52Like I said, Tarver's fighting a pretty good offensive fight,
00:56:55you know.
00:56:56He's trying to get on the inside,
00:56:57but, you know, Tarver's keeping him at bay,
00:56:59you know, and catching him with little shots
00:57:01and doing just enough to win the round.
00:57:02So, I mean, like I said, you know,
00:57:04he's doing the same thing I did tonight.
00:57:06Right.
00:57:07Now, well, this definitely was a showcase
00:57:08for the light heavyweights tonight.
00:57:09Do you think that you made a strong case for yourself?
00:57:11Oh, definitely.
00:57:12No, Clint Johnson's a great fighter, you know.
00:57:14He did exactly what we expected him to do,
00:57:16come straight forward, and he did that, you know,
00:57:18and we were prepared for it.
00:57:19All right.
00:57:20Well, enjoy the rest of the fight,
00:57:21and congratulations, Steve.
00:57:22All right, Karen, the fans reacting to Chad Dawson
00:57:26on the big screen here.
00:57:28The cascade of booing.
00:57:30I mean, you know, he controversially beat
00:57:32their home state favorite, Glenn Johnson.
00:57:35And let's be honest, Glenn Johnson,
00:57:37a 39-year-old, clearly people are going to have
00:57:40a soft spot in their heart for him,
00:57:41and he did fight very well,
00:57:42so you can kind of understand the reaction here.
00:57:48And I will say, I think part of it is
00:57:50due to the fact that people thought
00:57:51that judging was a little more,
00:57:53the variance of scores was a little wider
00:57:55than it should have been.
00:57:58Woods able to land now an occasional right hand
00:58:01and get some shots in,
00:58:02but they're not hard enough to really hurt Tarver.
00:58:09Now Woods throwing some combinations,
00:58:11which he didn't at all early in this fight.
00:58:15He's getting a little bit of a rhythm going,
00:58:17but not much.
00:58:21Every time Woods does something,
00:58:22the crowd goes nuts.
00:58:26Press throw scoring after 10 rounds,
00:58:29one has Tarver way up, one has it even,
00:58:31one has Woods up by one.
00:58:33Wow, that's interesting.
00:58:35That's Patrick Sheehan from the UK paper, The Sun.
00:58:40Interesting. Yeah, I find that one tough to accept.
00:58:44Me too.
00:58:45Woods' corner does not seem to agree
00:58:47with our press throw judges.
00:58:48They believe he's way behind.
00:58:50You know, I think he's won a couple of rounds
00:58:53but not in a position where he would be
00:58:56challenging for this fight at this juncture.
00:58:59Oh, straight left by Tarver.
00:59:02That sent Woods back.
00:59:04That's the best punch of the night.
00:59:07Woods signaling as if to say it didn't hurt him.
00:59:12Woods' face starting to show the effects.
00:59:16He's got a fat upper lip.
00:59:19It seems to turn him up.
00:59:21It seems to have been a wake-up call for Clayton Woods.
00:59:27Maybe he thinks Tarver punched himself out of that or whatever,
00:59:30but in any case, he is coming out and trying hard,
00:59:32that's for sure.
00:59:33Well, he's running out of time and he hurries the attack.
00:59:38A lot of his punches block and slip by Tarver,
00:59:40so not too much getting done for Woods there.
00:59:45Woods upper lip, very swollen.
00:59:52As we head for the bell.
00:59:55Time, time.
00:59:59Time, time.
01:00:01Time, time.
01:00:03Time, time.
01:00:05Time, time.
01:00:07Time, time.
01:00:09Time, time.
01:00:11Time, time.
01:00:13Time, time.
01:00:16For Antonio Tarver, his game plan is always pretty much the same,
01:00:21and that is do anything you can to slam the straight left hand.
01:00:24And in this case, there's the right hook.
01:00:26We saw it in the Keys many times.
01:00:29Instead of a jab, he throws a right hook,
01:00:31which gets a fighter's attention.
01:00:32You see him throw the right hook.
01:00:34It's short, but the left hand comes right behind it.
01:00:37That's exactly the replay we showed in the Keys
01:00:40when he fought Danny Santiago.
01:00:42He just redid it all over again.
01:00:44So you can see how this is effective for Antonio Tarver.
01:00:49Three minutes.
01:00:51You know you want it.
01:00:52Let it all hang out.
01:00:53Don't procrastinate.
01:00:55Let's fight three minute rounds.
01:01:09And they touch gloves for the twelfth and final round.
01:01:14A long night here in Tampa.
01:01:16I'll quote myself.
01:01:18Early before this fight, I said,
01:01:20stylistically, I thought it was sure to produce fireworks.
01:01:23Okay, I was wrong.
01:01:25Nobody's perfect.
01:01:26Can't get them all right.
01:01:27But you got it in the first fight.
01:01:29There you go.
01:01:30Tarver.
01:01:31Tarver's going after him to create some fireworks right now.
01:01:33And you know, this round could be about marketing for Antonio Tarver
01:01:37because he's, you know, we believe at least
01:01:40that he has controlled this fight
01:01:42and is probably in a position to win it.
01:01:44But I think now he'd like to make a point.
01:01:48He's trying to make a point right here.
01:01:51Right on Woods' face.
01:01:54And inevitably...
01:01:55Good left hand by Tarver.
01:01:57We're going to ask ourselves based upon this performance,
01:01:59where does Antonio Tarver fit in?
01:02:01Part of it was Woods not doing well,
01:02:04but let's give Antonio Tarver some credit.
01:02:06He's landed some important punches.
01:02:08He's dominated Clayton Woods throughout most of the fight.
01:02:12And that's all to the good for him.
01:02:14Tarver looking to finish in emphatic fashion.
01:02:26Remember, he's 39 like Johnson.
01:02:28He's almost 40, Tarver.
01:02:34And one of the things you have to like about Tarver
01:02:37is we're here at round 12,
01:02:39and he's finished at round 12.
01:02:41And he's finishing strong.
01:02:42Exactly.
01:02:43Granted, this fight wasn't fought at a wild pace,
01:02:46but nevertheless, he's here in round 12
01:02:48doing a very, very good job
01:02:50in landing some excellent combinations.
01:02:55Tough to match the feverish pace of the first fight,
01:02:58but I'm convinced that if Woods had brought his A-game
01:03:02to the table here tonight,
01:03:03obviously we would have had a much better fight.
01:03:05Absolutely.
01:03:06Doesn't say he would have won,
01:03:08but he would have had a more competitive match.
01:03:11Well, the other side of the coin
01:03:14is that maybe it was because of Antonio Tarver
01:03:17that he was prevented from having his A-game.
01:03:20Maybe he was just overmatched by the former champion
01:03:23who is trying to get another title.
01:03:26Good left hand there, a stinging left on the head
01:03:29of Bill Clinton Woods.
01:03:30And you know what Tarver did do very well in this fight?
01:03:34His defense ended up being very, very good
01:03:37because he slipped a lot of punches,
01:03:38he clutched, he grabbed, he blocked punches,
01:03:40Woods did throw them, so you have to give him credit.
01:03:43Certainly the best performance by Antonio Tarver
01:03:46in a while, in years, since before Bernard Hopkins.
01:03:54And the crowd chanting,
01:03:55USA, getting behind Tarver.
01:04:00This is it, final seconds of the final round.
01:04:03Stop, Greg, come on, stand back.
01:04:05Please stand back.
01:04:16Denise Tarver, enjoying it.
01:04:20And the hometown fans here in Tampa
01:04:22getting behind Antonio Tarver.
01:04:25The only thing better for Tarver than winning period
01:04:28is winning in the state of Florida,
01:04:30where of course this is his home.
01:04:32He was very happy to be fighting here
01:04:34and he put his stamp on this fight.
01:04:37It was so vintage Tarver, wasn't it?
01:04:39He showed brilliance in spots,
01:04:42did everything he needed to to win,
01:04:44and got the W.
01:04:47Born and raised in Orlando,
01:04:48living here in Tampa since 1996.
01:04:54And the left hand, which landed so often in this match,
01:04:58especially in round 12, was a big factor.
01:05:02The jab setting up the left hand.
01:05:05He feints to the body and then throws that hard straight left
01:05:09that lands to the head of Clinton Woods.
01:05:17So Antonio Tarver,
01:05:21now closer to his proclamation
01:05:23of unifying the light heavyweight title.
01:05:26He's got one down.
01:05:28Yep.
01:05:29Has a goal of being undisputed champion.
01:05:33As he is moments away from recapturing a world title belt,
01:05:36the IBF version.
01:05:38There's also Zoltan Urday out there with the WBO title.
01:05:43We saw WBC version.
01:05:45And of course no discussion of the light heavyweight division
01:05:48could be complete without the name Bernard Hopkins.
01:05:51Absolutely.
01:05:52Who's defending his version of the title against Joe Calzaghe.
01:05:56And that, of course, will be an intriguing and interesting matchup.
01:06:00So there's names in this light heavyweight division.
01:06:02And a victory here would erase some of that sour taste
01:06:06of that forgettable loss to Bernard Hopkins for Antonio Tarver.
01:06:11The left hand for Antonio Tarver, as always,
01:06:15the most important weapon in his victory.
01:06:18He delivered it in a number of different ways.
01:06:20The uppercut was very, very important for him.
01:06:23He threw it throughout this fight.
01:06:25And along with the straight lefts, it was a tremendous weapon.
01:06:29And the irony of that is that not one time
01:06:33did his opponent Clinton Woods throw an uppercut.
01:06:36Instead, it was Tarver landing that punch repeatedly
01:06:39throughout this match.
01:06:41And if you'd have told me before this match
01:06:43the only uppercuts that can be thrown by Tarver,
01:06:45I'd have said you're crazy.
01:06:50So Antonio Tarver continues to enjoy the moment.
01:06:54Even though the official announcement hasn't been made as of yet.
01:06:58Talking to people in the crowd, blowing kisses.
01:07:03And receiving the love here in his hometown of Tampa.
01:07:06Draped in the American flag.
01:07:10And they are taking their merry time.
01:07:13And we'll remind you again about the text message.
01:07:16SHOTV or 74688.
01:07:19Who impressed you the most tonight?
01:07:21For Chad Dawson, text 1.
01:07:23For Glenn Johnson, text 2.
01:07:25For Antonio Tarver, text 3.
01:07:27And for Clinton Woods, text 4.
01:07:29Standard text messaging rates apply.
01:07:34We're set for the decision.
01:07:36Let's get it up to Jimmy Lennon Jr.
01:07:40Ladies and gentlemen, after 12 rounds of action,
01:07:43we have a unanimous decision.
01:07:46Here are the score totals.
01:07:48Judge at ringside, Steve Marshall, scores the bout 116-112.
01:07:55Judge John Rupert sees it 117-111.
01:08:01And judge at ringside, Howard Foster, scores the bout 119-109.
01:08:07All three in favor of the winner.
01:08:09He is now the IBF and IBO Heavyweight Champion,
01:08:15Antonio the Magic Man Tarver.
01:08:24Well, a bit of a variety of numbers there,
01:08:26but Antonio Tarver gets what he wants,
01:08:29a world championship belt again.
01:08:35So, will we finally see Tarver versus Dawson?
01:08:41They seem to have set the stage for it with these wins,
01:08:44and now the machinations of boxing business
01:08:46and boxing hierarchy take center stage.
01:08:52And let's get it up into the ring, and Karen Bryant.
01:08:57Thank you very much, Steve.
01:08:59Antonio, congratulations to you.
01:09:01Did you get out there and fight the fight you planned on tonight?
01:09:04Yeah, yeah. I mean, the guy came to fight.
01:09:06Very credible, durable champion.
01:09:08That's why he held the belt for over two years, three years.
01:09:11And I needed this win tonight.
01:09:13I'm surprised that I was finally able to gut out a tough decision.
01:09:17And I think the judges had it fairly.
01:09:19And you think you were gutting it out.
01:09:21Did it go longer than you thought?
01:09:23Did you feel strong at the end?
01:09:25Because obviously at your advancing age, I'm going to say,
01:09:27that's a concern.
01:09:29It's not a concern of mine. I finished strong.
01:09:31I was in great shape, great condition.
01:09:33I just want to congratulate Clinton for coming over here,
01:09:35being man enough to put his belt on the line against myself.
01:09:38And that's what it's all about, champions fighting champions.
01:09:41I'm looking for the other belt holders.
01:09:43Well, your left hand seemed to be an effective tool tonight.
01:09:45It's always been an effective tool when I've been in conditioning shape.
01:09:48And I was active.
01:09:50I don't know what was my average of punches per round.
01:09:52But I came out and did what I wanted to do.
01:09:54I was in great shape. I can take a punch in case anybody had a doubt.
01:09:57And I can give a punch.
01:09:59Clinton is a tough, gritty guy. Got a chin of iron.
01:10:01And we tested tonight. I think we hurt him a couple times.
01:10:03But he was able to last. And that's what it's all about.
01:10:05All right, great. If you can hang tight for just a second.
01:10:07Clinton, what do you think happened to you tonight?
01:10:09I mean, you definitely said that you thought going into this,
01:10:12Antonio was the better technician.
01:10:14But you thought that you would still be able to win your fight.
01:10:16Yeah, I did. I thought I would be able to tough it out.
01:10:18But listen, I fought the best lightweight in the world.
01:10:21He's proved it.
01:10:23I'm just a skinny boy from Sheffield.
01:10:25I never dreamt of things like this.
01:10:27You paid a lot of money tonight. So congratulations.
01:10:30This is a dream come true for me.
01:10:32But all credit to Xaver.
01:10:34He did a fantastic job.
01:10:37What's under my lip?
01:10:39No, congratulations to him.
01:10:41I don't know what I'm going to do now.
01:10:43But I'm happy with my career.
01:10:45I never expected the things that I've won.
01:10:47Like I said, Xaver is the new champion.
01:10:50All right, well, your humility, I've been told by your fans,
01:10:53is what attracts them to you.
01:10:55They've always thought that you're a very grounded guy
01:10:57and that you seem to be staying that way.
01:10:59But are you feeling truly that you might stop?
01:11:02I don't know. I don't know. Like I said.
01:11:05I never dreamt of being a world champion.
01:11:07I've been world champion. I've won everything.
01:11:09Everything I've ever dreamed of.
01:11:11I don't know if it's time.
01:11:13I'll go back home, talk to my wife, play with my kids,
01:11:15have a good time. I don't know.
01:11:17Xaver's 39. I'm 35.
01:11:19Maybe I've got a few years left.
01:11:21I tell you what, you guys definitely seem to be more cordial
01:11:23with each other now after the fight. Is that the case?
01:11:25I mean, that's business. This is a competition.
01:11:27May the best man win.
01:11:29I felt great going in. I'm expressing myself.
01:11:31He felt great coming in. He expressed himself.
01:11:33That's why boxing is the number one entertaining sport today.
01:11:35And as long as we have great champions like Clinton Woods,
01:11:38this sport is alive and thriving, baby.
01:11:40Now, you also told me that you thought it was good for the division
01:11:43that Chad Dawson would win.
01:11:45That was what you told me yesterday. He turned out to win.
01:11:47Do you want to fight him? What do you think about that now?
01:11:49Chad Dawson would be easy pickings right now
01:11:51because he's not the same fighter he was the day before tonight.
01:11:54He's a wounded duck.
01:11:56Chad, if you want it, come and get it, baby. You next.
01:11:58Well, because, you know, Antonio, some people would argue
01:12:00that he learned a lot tonight by getting hit, getting hurt,
01:12:02and that he may come back stronger.
01:12:04He got hit by Glenn Johnson. He didn't get hit by Antonio Talbot.
01:12:06That's the difference, baby.
01:12:08All right. I understand that. So who do you think you would like next, though?
01:12:10Is that where you'd want to go next, Dawson?
01:12:12We can do it. We can come right back here to the sunny Sunshine State,
01:12:15Tampa, Florida, baby. AT Entertainment doing big things.
01:12:17We coming right back, baby. Believe that.
01:12:19All right. Well, congratulations to you, Antonio,
01:12:21and congratulations to you as well, Clinton.
01:12:23Back to you, Steve.
01:12:25All right, Karen, thanks very much.
01:12:27You're looking at the new IBF light heavyweight champion,
01:12:30new and former IBF light heavyweight champion, Antonio Tarver.
01:12:33Let's take a look at the scoring.
01:12:35See how it went for Tarver and Woods.
01:12:37First, the official judges' scorecards.
01:12:39One guy had it by 10, one by 6,
01:12:42and the other by 4.
01:12:46Clearly, you know, Tarver controlling this fight totally.
01:12:50And the panel of press row judges,
01:12:52one had it by 10, one had it by 2,
01:12:55and the other by 1.
01:12:57How about that, Al?
01:12:59I think Antonio Tarver won the majority of these rounds.
01:13:01There's no question about that.
01:13:05So, not a controversial fight in the second fight,
01:13:08but a very, very heated battle
01:13:10and a controversial disputed fight in the first fight.
01:13:14You know, man, everybody, it seemed like, here,
01:13:17wanted Glenn Johnson to win it,
01:13:19and it didn't come to fruition,
01:13:21but it was one of the great fights of the year.
01:13:23Yeah, there are a couple of headlines
01:13:25I think we need to take from this evening.
01:13:27One, the first headline is Glenn Johnson at age 39
01:13:30is still a terrific light heavyweight.
01:13:32Make no mistake about that.
01:13:34Number two, Chad Dawson can deal with adversity.
01:13:37He dealt with an enormous amount of adversity with Glenn Johnson.
01:13:41And number three is that Antonio Tarver
01:13:43still does what he does,
01:13:45which is punch very well in spots,
01:13:47find ways to win fights.
01:13:49And so any three of them in any combination
01:13:51would be intriguing, and, of course,
01:13:53then people are going to find out
01:13:55if John Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe can match them as well.
01:13:57The light heavyweight division has some big names in it.
01:14:00Well, Chad Dawson has been flirting with Antonio Tarver
01:14:03now for about two years, chasing him.
01:14:05It's about time that that fight takes place.
01:14:07We'd all like to see it,
01:14:09and if he really wants it, let's see it.
01:14:11All right.
01:14:13Well, let's take a look at our text message results.