Many would probably recognize him more as Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon. The character from the 2006 release, ‘Rocky Balboa’. However, to most diehards, he is Antonio ‘The Magic Man’ Tarver, who dazzled the ring during the century’s first decade. Tarver achieved far and wide fame as one of the greatest fighters of the era. However, during the discussion with Mike Tyson and DJ Whoo Kid at the Hotboxin’s studio, ‘The Magic Man’ revealed it hadn’t been an easy journey for him.

Antonio Tarver had a high-octane amateur career that included an Olympic bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He made his professional debut at Philadelphia’s famed ‘Blue Horizon’ on February 18, 1997. From there, it was a climb to the highest echelons of the sport, where he dominated multiple weight classes. Speaking with ‘Iron’ Mike and Whoo Kid, though, he shared how there were times when he wasn’t even prepared for what lay ahead.

Leaving no stone unturned

Some ten minutes into the discussion, Antonio Tarver recounted one key takeaway from his life. He shared that, despite several challenges and setbacks, he had to consistently prove himself. In fact, most of the time, he has struggled more than what his peers went through. But despite all the hurdles, he accomplished so much. He said, “I was challenged in a lot of ways, even proving that I belong in the game, you know, and when you look at my career and and knowing that I didn’t have it easy, in fact, I had it harder than most, coming from where I came from, and I still was able to accomplish everything I did, that’s the message right there.”

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Most guys would turn their backs on during such situations, Mike Tyson added. Whoo Kid then checked for the paydays at the time. ‘The Magic Man’ replied that it wasn’t anywhere what the boxers receive now. ‘Iron’ Mike immediately interjected; at least he became a champion after beating one of the greatest fighters in the sport, Roy Jones. Jr.

However, the former light heavyweight champion also revealed something unusual.

Antonio Tarver: Learnings before Greatness

He recalled it as sheer providence. According to ‘The Magic Man’, things would have been different had he decided to fight Roy Jones Jr. when the latter was supposed to take up his mandatory challenge for the simple reason that he wasn’t prepared at all.

“I’ll say this: I’m going to bring him up the great legendary Roy Jones Jr. when I look back at it when we first for real too ….this this me being honest, but sometime you know God is in the mix. You feel me, but if Roy would have fought me when he first was supposed to fight me as his mandatory …I don’t think I was ready at that time,” said Antonio Tarver.

Mike Tyson couldn’t have agreed more: “That’s why it didn’t happen.” Antonio Tarver added that destiny stopped him since he had to pick a few more pieces before he was ready for a win. He could have fought Jones Jr., but he wasn’t good enough to score a victory.

Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver went on to fight three times. They met for the first time on November 8, 2003. The match ended with Jones Jr. winning it by a majority decision. Six months later, they met again for a rematch. This time, Tarver usurped a major upset by knocking down Jones Jr. to become the light heavyweight champion. The duo lined up for one last time on October 1, 2005. Though the outcome was the same as the previous one, a triumph for ‘The Magic Man’, it came via a unanimous decision.

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Who is your favorite light-heavyweight champion of all time? Please share the details with us in the comments below.

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