MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Antonio Tarver won the IBO light heavyweight title Saturday, unanimously outpointing Glen Johnson to avenge a split decision six months ago.
Tarver had winning scores of 116-112 on two cards and 115-113 on the third.
Tarver came out punching in flurries and continued through the 12 rounds. He threw 851 punches, landing 218, while Jamaican-born Johnson fired 564 times and hit 149.
Tarver, 23-3 with 18 knockouts, also sought to take advantage of his longer reach, while Johnson, 42-10-2 with 28 knockouts, steadily tried to press inside.
Johnson landed several hard body shots but said Tarver managed to avoid the majority of potentially damaging punches.
"Most of the shots where hitting him in the chest and you know those shots are just not as effective as hitting solid in the body or in the head," Johnson said. "Every time I would go to the head, he would slide under me."
Johnson said he was ready for a rematch but that would be up to Tarver.
"If Tarver wants to fight again, I'll come back fighting," Johnson said. "And if he wants to do something else, so be it."
Johnson and Tarver, the only two fighters to knock out former three-time world champion Roy Jones, fought in Las Vegas in December, with Johnson taking a split decision.
Tarver argued he was robbed, even though Johnson was the aggressor through out the 12-round fight. Two judges scored the Las Vegas fight 115-113 for Johnson, while the third gave it to Tarver, 116-112.
Jones, who had lost only once in 50 previous fights, sustained the two knockouts last year. Tarver floored him in the second round in May in Las Vegas, and Johnson scored his knockout in the ninth round in September in Memphis.
Jones was an HBO commentator for the Memphis and Las Vegas fights.
Tarver lost to Jones in a 12-round decision in November, 2003.
Johnson, a native of Jamaica who started boxing at 20 and turned professional the next year, was a virtual unknown until beating Jones to keep the IBF title.
Tarver, a former WBC and IBF light heavyweight champ, won an Olympic bronze medal in 1996.
At 1.89 meters (6-foot-2 1/2), Tarver, a southpaw, had a 10 centimeter (4-inch) height advantage over Johnson. Both fighters are 36.
For their December fight, Tarver gave up the WBC title and Johnson surrendered the IBF crown.
Andre Ward, an Olympic gold medalist last year, improved his professional record to 4-0 with a technical knockout of fellow American Ben Aragon, 4-4-1, in the third round of a scheduled six-round middleweight bout. Former WBA welterweight champion Ike Quartey of Ghana, 36-2-1, took an unanimous decision over former IBF and WBO junior middleweight champ Verno Phillips, 38-11-1, in a 10-round junior middleweight fight.
Associated Press
Tarver had winning scores of 116-112 on two cards and 115-113 on the third.
Tarver came out punching in flurries and continued through the 12 rounds. He threw 851 punches, landing 218, while Jamaican-born Johnson fired 564 times and hit 149.
Tarver, 23-3 with 18 knockouts, also sought to take advantage of his longer reach, while Johnson, 42-10-2 with 28 knockouts, steadily tried to press inside.
Johnson landed several hard body shots but said Tarver managed to avoid the majority of potentially damaging punches.
"Most of the shots where hitting him in the chest and you know those shots are just not as effective as hitting solid in the body or in the head," Johnson said. "Every time I would go to the head, he would slide under me."
Johnson said he was ready for a rematch but that would be up to Tarver.
"If Tarver wants to fight again, I'll come back fighting," Johnson said. "And if he wants to do something else, so be it."
Johnson and Tarver, the only two fighters to knock out former three-time world champion Roy Jones, fought in Las Vegas in December, with Johnson taking a split decision.
Tarver argued he was robbed, even though Johnson was the aggressor through out the 12-round fight. Two judges scored the Las Vegas fight 115-113 for Johnson, while the third gave it to Tarver, 116-112.
Jones, who had lost only once in 50 previous fights, sustained the two knockouts last year. Tarver floored him in the second round in May in Las Vegas, and Johnson scored his knockout in the ninth round in September in Memphis.
Jones was an HBO commentator for the Memphis and Las Vegas fights.
Tarver lost to Jones in a 12-round decision in November, 2003.
Johnson, a native of Jamaica who started boxing at 20 and turned professional the next year, was a virtual unknown until beating Jones to keep the IBF title.
Tarver, a former WBC and IBF light heavyweight champ, won an Olympic bronze medal in 1996.
At 1.89 meters (6-foot-2 1/2), Tarver, a southpaw, had a 10 centimeter (4-inch) height advantage over Johnson. Both fighters are 36.
For their December fight, Tarver gave up the WBC title and Johnson surrendered the IBF crown.
Andre Ward, an Olympic gold medalist last year, improved his professional record to 4-0 with a technical knockout of fellow American Ben Aragon, 4-4-1, in the third round of a scheduled six-round middleweight bout. Former WBA welterweight champion Ike Quartey of Ghana, 36-2-1, took an unanimous decision over former IBF and WBO junior middleweight champ Verno Phillips, 38-11-1, in a 10-round junior middleweight fight.
Associated Press
