JOHNSON GETS SPLIT OVER TARVER

It’s rare when world champions are willing to shed titles to get purses they desire, but nobody had to look twice when Glen Johnson laid it on the line with taller Antonio Tarver Saturday in winning a split light-heavyweight decision at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Johnson, 35, Miami, Fla., abdicated the IBF crown while Tarver, 36, Tampa, Fla., waived the WBC 175-pound belt for this 12- rounder where is the victor is likely to be lauded as the successor to Roy Jones, Jr., the division’s legend for more than a decade.

For looking the other way regarding championships and mandatories, the departing top dogs earned the biggest purses of their careers---Tarver, a southpaw, $2.5 million and Johnson $1.5 million.

Johnson and Tarver long viewed Jones as their roadblock to the mega bucks, but in one of the sport’s stunning ironies, it was the undisputed multi-world champion who brought the rivals together the hard way---Tarver with a left-hand kayo of Roy in the second round in May, and Johnson wearing down a fading Jones for a ninth-round TKO in September.

And if you want another touch in irony, HBO Pay-Per-View, who has
used Jones as a color analyst, had Roy working Johnson-Tarver.

“I thought Tarver won with his jab, but the result doesn’t surprise me. Glen Johnson is a hustler at best. This is what he does,” the tuxedoed Jones stoically reflected.

Staples Center drew 9,126 bi-partisans and there were mixed opinions on the judge’s official scoring.

Malvina Lathman, New York, and Chuck Giampa, Las Vegas, both had it 115-113, Johnson while Marty Denkin, Los Angeles, had it 116-112, Tarver. Associated Press voted 115-113 for Tarver.

Johnson, who didn’t learn to box until he was 20, knows what it’s like to have judges voted against him in fights felt he won.

“I won my first 32 fights as a pro, but everything went wrong. Then in my next 20 bouts, I went 9-9-2 until this fight but I wouldn’t haven’t been surprised if the judges had voted against me even though I felt I had beat Tarver. I don’t come out ahead too often, so I’m not going to dispute the result. I’m just very grateful,” said the former IBF titleholder.

Johnson was gracious talking to HBO’s Larry Merchant in reviewing this all-action match-up.

“This wasn’t easy. It took a lot of hard work going way back. And there was constant determination that you must have to succeed. Tarver caught me off balance but he never hurt me. No, Larry, I still say I am not the best but I want to stay busy fighting the very best. But I didn’t really expect Tarver to fight as well as he did. If he wants a rematch, that’s okay by me. And I’ll fight whoever they want to bring on.”

Tarver wasn’t happy with the judges’ decision considering the CompuBox stats disclosed he landed more punches, 298 to 217, and highest number of those thrown, 35 to 27 percent.

“I just want a fair shake on the scorecard. I’m not saying he couldn’t take my punches. I stayed on top of the guy. I hurt my left hand when I hit Johnson in the fourth round on the top of the head. That’s when my best weapon was taken away from me. That’s boxing. It’s a tough sport.

We both fight like warriors. We prepared for the best Glen Johnson. He has proven he is a worthy champion. Tonight’s his night. But
I’d sure like a rematch.”

Offensively, Johnson and Tarver were contrasts as works in progress. There were times when Johnson, having a four- inch disadvantage against the angular 6’,2 1/2” Tarver, was the short-armed aggressor inside with jolting rights to the head and not only backed up Tarver but impressively caught the judges’ attention in the late rounds.

Nevada’s licensed oddsmakers had installed Tarver as a 3-1 favorite, obviously not forgetting that exploding left hand that left Jones stone-cold and stretched on the canvas. The big difference was Roy never saw the hammer whereas Johnson did smother some of those hooks with his pressure.

Tarver’s road game was catching Johnson with three right-handed jabs and hooking repeatedly with snap to the rib cage.

Johnson roused the house late in the fifth round when caught Tarver with a snapping right uppercut to the jaw, plus backing him up with a left-right combo.

Johnson was cut over the right eye when the fighters accidentally banged heads late in the sixth round but
there was no warning from referee Pat Russell and it did not become a factor in the fight.

The former world champions took turns landing flush in the seventh round with solid right hands but Johnson drew off for the edge with a five-punch salvo and a left-right twice to scramble Tarver’s punching rhythm.

Tarver had one of his best displays in the eighth round, particularly with that right jab as the key to five and six-punch combinations that clearly shook Johnson but the latter hung tight.

Everything was clearly on the line in the 10th round, with both corners strongly advising their heroes, “This is it when you have to lay it on all the way.”

Some TV analysts thought Tarver might “have taken the 10th round off and could have cost him.”

Johnson and Tarver were in superb condition down the stretch
or neither would have been standing at the last bell. It was a bruiser where the intense gladiators took turns with a big time rally--first one and then the other...each taking punishing shots but neither dropping from them.

In the 11th round, Tarver appeared to regain the right jab that had taken him into this outing with a 22-2,18 KOs resume but the bruised, iron-willed Johnson was still there to counter with those big right hands that setup up 28 KOs on his 41-9-2 ledger over 13 years.

Both fighters couldn’t hide their exhaustion in the final three minutes. Both reaching out for a miracle finish - Antonio with the free right jabs and Glen with a right that could still back up the toughest enemy. There is little doubt you will be reading about a rematch.

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