As Antonio Tarver prepares for his title defense against "Bad" Chad Dawson, he must be thinking one thing : Roy Jones, Jr. Not the Roy Jones that he destroyed, but the Roy Jones that beat him. Tarver could also be seeing a prettier, younger version of himself.
When he was a young man, Antonio Tarver was a hell of a fighter, combining fast hands, feet, reflexes and power. Tarver is still a good fighter, but with age comes slower speed and weaker endurance to punch hard in the later rounds. Chad Dawson, the young lion of the light heavyweight division, carries some of the same qualities that made Tarver a star.
I believe that where Dawson will get Tarver is the speed. Dawson is lightning quick, and often, fast hands mean more power. Tarver, having made his professional debut at the late age of 28, and never having been knocked out, is a fresh 39, so he will still have his senses and technique intact. But you just can't get back what you lose in quickness with age, and that will be the difference.
Tarver is wily and skilled, so he will put up a fight, but "Bad" Chad Dawson is a highly skilled, and fast on top of that. Tarver may have had enough left in him to beat Clinton Woods, but the fast-rising Dawson is an entirely different story.
More Tarver vs. Dawson!
"I Am a Fighter" videos
Beatdowns! Hype
0 comments:
Post a Comment