Antonio Tarver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Antonio Tarver |
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Tarver with the IBO title, 2011
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| Real name | Antonio Deon Tarver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Magic Man | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rated at |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 75 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 21, 1968 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
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| Stance | Southpaw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Antonio Deon Tarver (born November 21, 1968) is an American former professional boxer and a boxing commentator. He was known as "The Magic Man" in the boxing world. Antonio competed in boxing from 1997 to 2015. He won many world championships in the light heavyweight division, including titles from the WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring magazine. He also held titles in the cruiserweight division.
Before becoming a professional, Tarver was a very successful amateur boxer. He represented the United States at the 1996 Olympics and won a bronze medal. He also won gold medals at the 1995 Pan American Games and the 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships. Antonio Tarver is the only boxer in history to win gold at the Pan Am Games, World Championships, and U.S. Nationals all in the same year!
Outside of boxing, Antonio Tarver also acted in a movie. He played the role of Mason "The Line" Dixon, a heavyweight boxing champion, in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa.
Contents
Antonio Tarver's Amateur Boxing Career
Antonio Tarver had a fantastic amateur career before turning professional. He won several important championships.
Key Achievements in Amateur Boxing
- In 1993 and 1995, he became the United States amateur Light Heavyweight champion.
- In 1994, he won the National Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight championship.
- At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, he won a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division. He won several matches before losing to Vassiliy Jirov from Kazakhstan.
Antonio Tarver's Professional Boxing Journey
Antonio Tarver started his professional boxing career when he was 28 years old. His first professional fight was on February 18, 1997, in Philadelphia. He won that fight by knockout in the second round.
Starting Strong
Tarver won his first 16 professional fights, with 14 of those wins coming by knockout. This showed everyone how powerful he was. He fought many of his early matches in his home state of Florida or at a famous boxing venue called "The Blue Horizon."
Big Fights and First Loss
In 2000, Tarver faced his first loss against Eric Harding. This was an important fight because the winner would get to challenge the famous boxer Roy Jones Jr.. Even though he lost, Tarver later got his revenge. In 2002, he fought Eric Harding again and won by stopping the fight in the fifth round.
Antonio also defeated former world champion Reggie Johnson in 2002. This win earned him a chance to fight for a world title against Roy Jones Jr.
Becoming a World Champion
On April 26, 2003, Antonio Tarver got his first shot at a world title. He fought Montel Griffin for the WBC and IBF light-heavyweight titles. Tarver won the fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner. This made him a world champion!
Battles with Roy Jones Jr.
Antonio Tarver had some of his most famous fights against Roy Jones Jr., who was considered one of the best boxers at the time.
- First Fight (November 2003): Jones Jr. came back down to light heavyweight to fight Tarver. Tarver lost this close fight by a majority decision.
- Second Fight (May 2004): In their rematch, Tarver surprised everyone! He knocked out Roy Jones Jr. in the second round. This was a huge upset because Jones Jr. had almost never been knocked down before. Tarver won back the WBC title and also gained the WBA (Super) title.
Becoming More Famous
After his big win against Roy Jones Jr., Antonio Tarver became very popular. He appeared on TV shows, was on the cover of boxing magazines, and even helped host a boxing show on ESPN.
Fights with Glen Johnson
Later in 2004, Tarver fought Glen Johnson. Tarver lost the first fight in a close decision. However, six months later, he fought Johnson again and won by a unanimous decision, regaining The Ring championship.
Third Fight with Roy Jones Jr.
Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones Jr. fought for a third time on October 1, 2005. Tarver won this fight by a unanimous decision, showing he was the better boxer in their rivalry.
Challenging Bernard Hopkins
On June 10, 2006, Tarver faced Bernard Hopkins, a legendary boxer who had been a middleweight champion for a long time. Hopkins won the fight by a unanimous decision, and Tarver lost his The Ring title.
Later Career and New Divisions
After his loss to Hopkins, Tarver continued to fight. He won the IBF title again by defeating Clinton Woods.
He then had two fights against a rising star named Chad Dawson in 2008 and 2009. Tarver lost both of these fights by unanimous decision.
After these fights, Tarver decided to move up in weight.
- Heavyweight Debut: In 2010, he fought in the heavyweight division for the first time and won against Nagy Aguilera.
- Cruiserweight Champion: In 2011, Tarver moved to the cruiserweight division. He fought Danny Green for the IBO cruiserweight title in Australia. Tarver dominated the fight and won the title when Green couldn't continue after the ninth round.
Antonio Tarver's last professional fight was in 2015. He had a total of 39 fights, winning 31 of them, with 22 wins coming by knockout.
Antonio Tarver in Media
Antonio Tarver is not just a boxer; he has also been involved in movies and television.
Starring in Rocky Balboa
One of Antonio Tarver's most famous roles was playing the character Mason "The Line" Dixon in the 2006 movie Rocky Balboa. In the film, Dixon is the current heavyweight champion who fights the retired boxing legend Rocky Balboa. Dixon wins the fight in the movie, proving his strength and heart as a champion. The movie's director, Sylvester Stallone, wanted a real boxer for the role, believing it would be easier to teach a boxer to act than an actor to box realistically.
Boxing Commentator
After his boxing career, Tarver also worked as a boxing analyst. He provided commentary for "Showtime Championship Boxing," sharing his expert opinions on fights.
Images for kids
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Tarver with the IBO title, 2011
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Tarver para niños
