Boxing World continued..

Started by MURP, November 04, 2004, 05:30:08 PM

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SunMo

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2890055

QuoteTarver claims he was drugged but can't prove it
Rafael

By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: June 1, 2007, 1:05 PM ET


When Antonio Tarver faced Bernard Hopkins last June, it was obvious from the outset that it wouldn't be his night. Hopkins bullied a lethargic Tarver all over the ring, knocked him down in the fifth round and took the light heavyweight championship on a virtual shutout decision.

Now, as Tarver (24-4, 18 KOs) prepares for his return to the ring a year later to face Elvir Muriqi (34-3, 21 KOs) on June 9 in Hartford, Conn., he says he believes he was drugged before the fight with Hopkins.

Although Tarver didn't accuse anyone specifically of drugging him, he made the accusation Thursday during a teleconference with reporters to discuss his fight with Muriqi (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET/PT).

"It is a great possibility. The stakes were high," Tarver said, when asked about the likelihood of being drugged before the fight in Atlantic City, N.J. "When you look at that fight ... I have not seen the fight in its entirety ... everybody that knows me knew that something was terribly wrong from when I walked from the dressing room to the ring. Something was wrong all day. It is a possibility, but I cannot say that my preparation was any different than it has been.

"I have always been committed, dedicated and a hard worker. So when you look at those assets, then you have to say something else happened for me to fight so flat, so lifeless, so emotionless, so unspirited in one of the biggest fights of my career. Something definitely happened and something was terribly wrong."

Tarver said he has no proof that he was drugged, nor did anything out of the ordinary come from his post-fight urinalysis.

"I wish I would have had a blood test right after the fight," Tarver said. "Normally, they do drug-test you after the fight. I do not know if there is any possibility of going back and getting that urinalysis and examining it to see what happened. Mentally, I was beat out of the game -- could not get focused, could not get up for the fight -- and that is just not like me."

Tarver said he felt fine at the press conference the week of the bout and also at the weigh-in. The night of the fight, however, he said he didn't feel like himself.

"Fortunately, I did not receive any serious injuries that night, but I was a dead man walking," he said. "I do not know what happened and there are a lot of things that have come up lately that I am questioning. I just know at the press conference, the electricity was there. At the weigh-in, the electricity was there. The night of the fight, I was a dead man walking, just a shell of myself. I do not know what happened before the fight.

"Something happened. I do not want to point the finger. I believe that there was a possibility that they got to me, or someone got to me with ordering room service, a drink of water or whatever. But I was not myself. As big as that fight was, I could not get into it mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or nothing. I was zapped for whatever reason. I cannot blame it on my trainer because we trained properly. We were ready. But when I went to bed and woke up that day, I was a zombie and I do not know what happened. My sister thought that maybe I could have been poisoned. Maybe somebody tampered with some food. My reflexes were not there, my counter punching ability was not there. Something went terribly wrong."

Tarver, who months before the fight weighed in the neighborhood of 220 pounds as he bulked up for his role as the heavyweight champion opposite Sylvester Stallone in the film "Rocky Balboa," had to get down to 175 to fight Hopkins.

That substantial weight loss is what many have attributed to Tarver's poor performance.

Tarver is not the first fighter to allege that he was drugged or poisoned before a fight. After Lamon Brewster knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in the fifth round of a 2004 heavyweight title bout in Las Vegas, a big upset in which Klitschko faded badly after a big start, Klitschko's team made accusations that he had been poisoned.

The allegation was never proven.
I'm the Anti-Christ. You got me in a vendetta kind of mood.

phattymatty

every boxer is a bitch these days.

phillymic2000

same guy that taunted RJJ for making excuses after his loss, shut yer trap chump.

phillymic2000

Anyone see the Hatton fight last night? THe English fans that came over to Vegas were awesome, I have found a new fighter to pull for, "THere's only one Ricky Hatton". Die hard fans, exciting to watch the fight with all the chants and songs breaking out.

Munson

The only thing I know about Hatton is my friend beats my ass with him in Fight Night 3. I always get 7 or 8 rounds with Gatti and he somehow gets me down. It's bullshtein.
Quote from: ice grillin you on April 01, 2008, 05:10:48 PM
perhaps you could explain sd's reasons for "disliking" it as well since you seem to be so in tune with other peoples minds

BigEd76

10 years ago today was the Tyson/Holyfield ear biting thing

phillymic2000

Watched the Holyfield Big Lou fight, and man does Holyfield headbutt like a mo'fo. His knockdown of Lou in the forth is a body shot with a massive headbutt to the temple, pitiful. I hope he gets a shot at one of the big heavy's and gets mauled.

SunMo

klitschko/brewster fight wasn't anything special. 
I'm the Anti-Christ. You got me in a vendetta kind of mood.

phillymic2000

Brewster should give up his purse for that piss poor performance. What a fargin joke that was.

SD_Eagle5


Drunkmasterflex

according to his interview last night he is.
Official Sponsor of #58 Trent Cole

The gods made Trent Cole-Sloganizer.net

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell

phillymic2000

Thats right baby B-HOP!!!

QuoteRESULT
Hopkins outpoints Wright!
Katsidis, Linares win world title clashes
By Albert Jimenez Howell and Matt Richardson at ringside
In a battle of former world champions, Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Winky Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs) in a light heavyweight clash on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Wright was cut over the left eye in round two by an unintentional headbutt. Wright was the aggressor with Hopkins trying to give angles. There was lots of holding and wrestling at close quarters. Hopkins' best weapon was a short right hand. Wright was busier, but rounds were close and tedious. Hopkins seemed stronger at the end to pull away. Scores were 116-112, 117-111, 117-111.

Don Ho

Quote from: phillymic2000 on July 22, 2007, 12:24:50 AM
Thats right baby B-HOP!

QuoteRESULT
Hopkins outpoints Wright!
Katsidis, Linares win world title clashes
By Albert Jimenez Howell and Matt Richardson at ringside
In a battle of former world champions, Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Winky Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs) in a light heavyweight clash on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Wright was cut over the left eye in round two by an unintentional headbutt. Wright was the aggressor with Hopkins trying to give angles. There was lots of holding and wrestling at close quarters. Hopkins' best weapon was a short right hand. Wright was busier, but rounds were close and tedious. Hopkins seemed stronger at the end to pull away. Scores were 116-112, 117-111, 117-111.

almost regret not paying $100 for pay per view.  thanks for the update. 
"Well where does Jack Lord live, or Don Ho?  That's got to be a nice neighborhood"  Jack Singer(Nicholas Cage) in Honeymoon in Vegas.

phillymic2000

I feel ya Don, I've been burned so many times by paying 50$ and then have it be a bum fight. If it wasn't for the replay next weekend I probably would have picked it up.

Baldomir vs. Forest next week on HBO should be a good fight.

DH

The Forest fight is free, no?