Читать книгу Greatest Ever Boxing Workouts - including Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Roberto Duran - Gary Todd - Страница 10
ОглавлениеCountry: USA
Date of birth: 21 November 1968
Wins: 27 (19 KOs)
Losses: six
WBC/IBF/WBA/NBA/IBA/IBO LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
Since winning the Olympic bronze medal in the light heavyweight class of 1996, southpaw Antonio Tarver has blasted his way through the 175-pound division with speed, power and a never-say-die attitude that has made him ‘the king of the rematches’.
In June 2000, he was beaten on points by the unbeaten Eric Harding; two years later he fought him again, this time beating Harding by a fifth-round technical KO.
After winning the vacant WBC and IBF Light Heavyweight titles vacated by Roy Jones Jnr. in 2003, by beating the experienced Montell Griffin, Tarver challenged the super-confident Jones Jnr. in Las Vegas but was beaten in a close fight. He still fought well enough to earn a rematch with the pound-for-pound champion.
I remember going to watch this fight while suffering from the flu. I really fancied Tarver to beat Jones this time, and nothing was going to stop me attending. Tarver hit the cocky Jones with a thunderous punch that put him down and out in the second round, to snatch his titles away from him and catapult himself into a life of fame, fortune and superstar status that he could previously only have imagined.
Tarver had come a long way since fighting in the small halls around Miami, Indiana and Philadelphia. Everyone wanted to know him now. There were commentary spots on HBO and celebrity golfing tournaments. Tarver was living his dream.
Next up for the ‘Magic Man’ was the ‘Road Warrior’, Glen Johnson. Johnson had experience and he could punch, but his greatest attribute was his brave heart. In their fight Tarver and Johnson went toe to toe, with the challenger winning by a split decision. Tarver’s dream turned into a nightmare. What could he do now?
The same thing he always did when someone beat him – rematch! True to form, Tarver fought better next time around to win by unanimous decision.
Just over a year had passed since Tarver had knocked out Jones when it was announced that the two would meet again. (Why? I asked myself.)
In the fight, Jones was a shadow of his former self and Tarver had him out on his feet but didn’t finish him off. He still won convincingly enough, beating him by unanimous decision and finally fulfilling his claim to be the best light heavyweight in the world.
In June 2006, Tarver defended his titles against Bernard Hopkins and lost unanimously over the championship distance. In the fight, it looked as though the magic had gone. After a year off, Tarver returned to fight tough guy Elvir Muriqi well enough to win the vacant IBO Light Heavyweight title once again.
In 2008 Tarver was back, with decent wins against Danny Santiago and Clinton Woods. All the talk was of fighting the unbeaten ‘Bad’ Chad Dawson. Dawson was a hungry, gifted fighter who was trained by Eddie Mustafa Muhammad at Johnny Tocco’s gym in Vegas, and in his mind, Tarver was his ticket to ride.
In the fight, Dawson was tremendous while Tarver seemed to be stuck in second gear, losing by unanimous decision. Many thought that would be it but, as he’d done many times before, he came back for the rematch. Although Tarver fought better this time around, Dawson won once again.
At 41, maybe it’s time to hang up the gloves and reflect on his tremendous career, enjoying the memory of his big fights and remarkable rematches.
ANTONIO TARVER’S TYPICAL DAY
What time do you get up in the morning to run? 5:30am.
Do you stretch before you run? No.
How far do you run? I run three-five miles on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I concentrate on explosive sprinting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (I also go swimming, once a week, to loosen up.)
After your roadwork, what do you do? I stretch, then I relax.
What do you have for your breakfast? Egg whites, oatmeal, fruit, water, and I take vitamins.
What time do you go to the gym? 12:00 midday. About two months before I fight, I concentrate on strength and conditioning. No boxing, just exercises.
What time do you leave the gym? 2:00pm.
What do you do after training? I love playing golf. I practice and practice. I like playing my PlayStation, and I love listening to music.
What do you have for your dinner? Chicken, fish, brown rice and salads.
Do you have any interests or hobbies? Golf, baseball and watching sports.
What time do you go to bed? 10:30pm.
What is your favourite exercise in the gym? Focus pads.
How many days do you work out? Six days. I go for a long run in the morning, then I go and play golf in the afternoon.
Before you won the world title, did you have a job? Yes, I worked at Warehouse Home Depot.
ANTONIO TARVER’S WORKOUT
SPARRING DAYS
STRETCHING: ten to 15 minutes.
SHADOWBOXING: two x three-minute rounds.
SPARRING: four to ten rounds, depending on stage of preparation.
FOCUS PADS: two x three-minute rounds.
SPEED BAG: three x three-minute rounds.
RELAX
NON-SPARRING DAYS
STRETCHING: ten-15 minutes. I would then wrap up my hands.
SHADOWBOXING: two x three-minute rounds.
HEAVY BAG: four-six x three-minute rounds.
FOCUS PADS: three x three-minute rounds.
FLOOR TO CEILING BAG: three x three-minute rounds.
SKIPPING: 15 minutes, non-stop.
SHADOWBOXING: three x three-minute rounds.
COOL DOWN
NOTE: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in training camp.
8:00PM AT NIGHT: extra session for strength and conditioning. Plyometrics, medicine ball/stomach work, dips, pushups and lots of stretching out. (No weights.)
MASSAGE: twice a week.
