LAS VEGAS, Nevada, 17 May 2004 — Antonio Tarver reclaimed the World Boxing Council light heavyweight title, avenging an earlier loss with a stunning technical knockout of fellow American Roy Jones.
The brash and talkative Tarver knocked out Jones after one minute, 41 seconds of the second round of Saturday’s scheduled 12-round bout. “We both threw at the same time and I beat him to the punch,” Tarver said. “Right on the kisser.”
The underdog Tarver crushed Jones with a powerful overhand left that sent the 35-year-old halfway under the ropes in Tarver’s corner. Tarver picked up two million dollars for beating the fighter that had won titles in four divisions and was considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound in the world.
Tarver (22-2, 18 KOs) reclaimed his WBC 175-pound belt he barely lost to Jones sixth months ago. Jones (49-2, 38 KOs) was trying to prove his win in their first fight was no fluke. He claimed his lackluster performance in the same ring in November was the result of having to lose 25 pounds to make the 175 pound limit. In the four days prior to that fight he dropped 12 pounds.
Jones managed to get to one knee at the count of seven. After getting to his feet, Jones wobbled across the ring and referee Jay Nady waved an end to the fight.
Tarver, 32, wildly ran around the ring to celebrate the victory as the crowd went crazy. It also marked just the second career loss for Jones whose only other defeat came when he was disqualified against Montell Griffin in 1997. He later avenged that defeat.
On Saturday’s undercard, Mexico’s Victor Burgos retained his world junior flyweight title with a sixth round technical knockout of Thailand’s Fahlan Sakkreerin.
Mexico’s Burgos (37-13-2, 22 KOs) knocked Fahlan down twice to keep his 108-pound International Boxing Federation belt. He ended the fight at 1:43 of the sixth with three punishing left hooks as Fahlan was unable to defend himself.
New York native Zab Judah (31-2, 22 KOs) defended the lightly regarded WBO junior welterweight title with an unimpressive split decision victory over Colombian Rafael Pineda (38-6).
