Jack Welsh
www.ringsports.com

Roy Jones,Jr., struggling after paring off 25 pounds, added a championship he didn’t need when he scored an unpopular 12-round majority decision to take Antonio Tarver’s WBC light heavyweight title Saturday
at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

A crowd of 8,794 were vocally irritated from the opening bell of HBO’s pay-per-view action as Jones looked much older than 34 by putting his WBA heavyweight crown on hold to enhance a ring legacy which is now clearly in its’ twilight.

According to reliable sources, the four-time world champion and Mike Tyson, twice a heavyweight monarch, were both on long distance Monday with their connections trying to put together the richest match-up in boxing history, each heralded warrior demanding $25 million.

Tarver, 34, who won the vacant WBC/ IBF light heavyweight awards by decisioning Montell Griffin Apr.28, began trash-talking Jones for a shot Mar.1, the night that the pride of Pensacola, Fla., gave John Ruiz, at 233, a lesson in speed, power and accuracy to win the WBA heavyweight title at Thomas & Mack Center.
Jones, considered in most precincts as the sports’ pound-for-pound premier performer, has been more than Tarver’s equal when it comes to cheap shot dialogue.

And the logical reason the promotion hyped this
showdown, “It’s Personal,” was to prime the public and media that a true bloodbath awaited.

“I’ve been there before which means waiting years on a guy who wasn’t willing to give me a just and deserving opportunity and that was Roy Jones,Jr. Roy Jones is a great fighter but where do they think I’m from. If Roy Jones comes out mad, that will be great. I’ll fight fire with fire. I have a strong belief in my talent and it will be on display Saturday. Whatever Roy Jones does, it won’t be enough. I’m going to change the world and it’s going to be at Jones’ expense.”

In the pre-fight dialogue, Jones gave a honest report
on how much he suffered in melting down to the division limit of 175 pounds.

“Tarver wanted this chance but he is going to pay for it big time. The first time he catches me with a solid shot, that will be it. Anybody who thinks this thing is going the distance will be disappointed. It can be over in 45 seconds, once I catch him with several combinations. He has never been hit like I’m going to whack him,” Jones predicted.
It didn’t take long for the house to get the message they weren’t going to see the Roy Jones, Jr., who dictated his career action in fashioning a 49-1, 38 KOs resume in winning world titles as a middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and of course, the stunner in dethroning the cumbersome Ruiz, who won the first round and nothing else after the 193-pound Jones started landing heavy right hands to the chops.

Going from 175 to 193 pounds was easier than doing this reduction for Jones with his considerable skills clearly not in tact. Even after the opening bell, Roy looked like an older fighter who wasn’t sure what domination he would lay on Tarver, no better than a 6-1 underdog with Nevada’s licensed bookmakers.

From the outset, the assembly wondered how long Jones’ strategy would be carrying his vaunted left super low and his heavy right hand cocked but rarely thrown. Tarver, with a 21-1, 17 KOs reading going in, had his big innings when he repeatedly worked Jones into neutral corners and fired freely with combinations to the head and body.

Jones did his version of Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope, laying on the ropes with his gloves vertical to catch hooks to the head and a fair number on the unlikely challengers’ elbows. It was Tarver’s best strategy but surprised the sport’s old pros when the Tampa, Fla., incumbent was reluctant to punch from the outside when Jones was content to move with shoulder and head feints and minimum combinations. And only sporadic right hands that didn’t alter Tarver’s concentration.

The crowd, waiting on the greatness of Jones it would
not get on this night, was heavy with catcalls in the fifth round and turned to resentful hand clapping in the seventh and eighth rounds when Tarver got both rounds with the judges for keeping Jones pinned in the corners with his erratic combinations.

Tarver earned the 10th round on all cards when he caught the weaving Jones in the latter’s corner with a six-punch flurry to the head. But the decision was safe for Jones when he got Glen Hamada’s nod in the last four rounds and three of four from Dave Harris. Jerry Roth split the last four rounds to create a majority verdict.

When Michael Buffer announced Jones had regained the WBC championship, the attendance was in deep verbal protest upon hearing Roth’s tab was 114-114
while Harfris had it 116-112, and Hamada voted 117-111, for the aging legend. This observer saw it 116-115 for Tarver.

In the post-right media recap, Jones, with a swollen
left eye and facial bruises, took more than 40 minutes to get to the Mandalay podium, surprising the house when he implied Tarver only fought sporadically.
“ I take my hat off to Antonio Tarver and say that was a 25 hard pounds of sweat to lose. It was difficult for me. Antonio was trying to win. I got very tired because of the weight. I told Tarver I was coming and I came. I guess he owned 25 seconds of each round but that wasn’t good enough. I was winning the first two minutes, and he got the last 30 seconds,” Jones reflected.

“The guy came out and fought his best fight, but his strategy was to win the last 30 seconds. And you can’t win a fight that way. I take my hat off and give Tarver credit. But you need to win three minutes of each round. One major mega dollar heavyweight Tyson fight and then I’m done. However, I am willing to give Tarver a rematch if HBO is willing to pay the kind of money it would be worth.”

Tarver, virtually unmarked, in his best performance since turning pro in 1997 after earning a bronze medal in the 1996 Atlantic Olympics, openly resented the judges’ officially scoring.

“I feel disappointed because I know I won this fight. I waited for the opportunity to fight and I won it. You saw for yourself I beat the man. Jones’ face tells the story. I know I hurt Roy tonight. I showed defense and effort. Jones is a crafty fighter and people saw that for themselves tonight. Antonio Tarver should be considered pound-for-pound one of the best fighters out there,” said the deposed titleholder.
“ I threw beautiful combinations to win this fight. I can’t worry about the stuff outside the ring. I should have been awarded the championship. There is no doubt it, there should be a rematch. I covered myself like a champion. What else can I do? If Roy doesn’t give me a rematch, the show must go on.”

Jones, including HBO pay-per-view percentages, earned $5 million while Tarver was guaranteed $1.7
million plus percentages. If there is a rematch in 2004,
the promotion should be standing by with huge mega
money for both warriors.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to
Ringsports.com and other fine websites.)