Can Antonio Tarver Step Up to Heavyweight?
Earlier this summer, former light heavyweight world champion turned Showtime boxing commentator Antonio Tarver announced that he was planning on returning to the ring. Taken on its own, that isn’t terribly surprising – despite the fact that he’s 41 and lost his last fight to Chad Dawson. However, the fact that Tarver announced that the he would be making a return to the sport as a heavyweight caused ripples through the sport.
Speaking before Andre Ward’s victory over Allan Green, Tarver said that he was moving up for two reasons. One was that he was “looking a little full” and probably wasn’t going to be able to continue to make the weight for light heavyweight. Meanwhile, he said that there really wasn’t enough compelling competition for him (outside of one unnamed person who was presumably Australia’s Danny Green) so he decided that if he was going to commit to the sport than he might as well aim high and shoot for heavyweight glory.
At first glance, it would appear that Tarver’s talk of taking on fighters like David Haye and the Klitschko brothers is more of pipe dream than reality. He weighed in for his last bout against Dawson at 175 pounds. He’ll need to put on at least 30 pounds in order to compete with former cruiserweights like Haye and Tomasz Adamek – much less bigger heavyweights like the Klitschkos or Alexander Povtekin. This is tough for any fighter but especially for an older fighter who is naturally going to struggle with adding weight without the extra weight turning into flab.
There are several factors that point to the fact that Tarver could make the transition from light heavyweight to heavyweight. One thing is Tarver’s body frame – he’s 6’2” and has a 75” reach, both measurable that compare favorably with elite heavyweights. It’s theoretically possible that he could put on the weight he needs in order to be a competitive heavyweight while still remaining lean and agile.
Another factor in Tarver’s corner is that even though he is 41, he apparently has not lost much of his speed or quickness. Even though he’s dropped his last two fights (both to Dawson) the losses didn’t seem to be a result of Tarver losing anything physically or showing the signs of being a “shot fighter.” Rather, it appeared that the southpaw Dawson was simply a bad match-up in every way for Tarver.
There have been many light heavyweights who have attempted to make a transition to heavyweight. Some of them have been successful in the past – Tarver’s former rival Roy Jones Jr. moved up to heavyweight and won a world title when he beat John Ruiz back in 2003. Michael Spinks also successfully made the move up from light heavyweight to heavyweight champion when he beat Larry Holmes in 1985. Among current top heavyweights, Adamek started his career as a light heavyweight, even though he moved up to cruiserweight before becoming a heavyweight.
Ultimately, Tarver’s success as a heavyweight will depend on several factors. The first is his ability to move up two weight classes while carrying over some of his power. While he was never a huge power puncher, he’ll need to hit hard enough to dissuade top heavyweights from moving through him. Additionally, he’ll also need to prove that he can take a legitimate heavyweight punch – he’s never been knocked out as a light heavyweight which speaks volumes about his chin.
Finally, his success or failure as a heavyweight might be dependent on his ability to get favourable match-ups. Even though he talked specifically about Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, they are simply too big to be realistic opponents. If he can concentrate on smaller heavyweights like Haye and Adamek, he might have a chance to defy expectations and make a bit of history.
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