“Mayweather, Myself, and A Couple More Guys Got Shafted”: Olympic Medalist’s Rocky Path to Success Unraveled on Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson

Antonio Tarver. A name that should be etched alongside boxing royalty like Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins. Yet, a nagging feeling of disrespect seems to follow him. Perhaps it’s a chip on his shoulder, a constant reminder that his achievements haven’t garnered the recognition he feels they deserve. But maybe, just maybe, that very frustration fueled his fire. Tarver wasn’t content to live in the shadows.

The Olympic medalist stormed the light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions, collecting titles and carving his own path to greatness. Later, he also dwelled in the heavyweight division for the three last fights of his career. He won two out of the three fights and got served a split-draw decision in the last one. Besides his feats, he believes he was treated unfairly at the beginning of his professional career.

Antonio Tarver voices his distress about the boxing business

Antonio Tarver, in conversation with Mike Tyson, opened up about the challenges he faced early in his professional career. Tarver feels he, along with a few other fighters, were overlooked by promoters despite their talent. “Mayweather myself and a couple more guys got shafted, you know what I mean,” Tarver lamented. “They never really promoted it, like they did whenever else.”

He feels this lack of promotion hindered his recognition, especially considering his amateur pedigree. “Three months ago, I’m the best fighter in the world,” Tarver said, referencing a potential amateur accomplishment. “But when I tried to turn pro champ, I couldn’t find a manager or a promoter to work with me.” So, seeing these hardships, Tarver decided to get into this business himself in 2022.

He expressed the desire to guide his son so that he can avoid things that he had to go through during the early days of his career.

Tarver decided to take the mantle himself

Antonio Tarver donned the coaching cap to guide his son, Antonio Tarver Jr., in his professional debut at “Fight Night in Tampa.” This isn’t a comeback for Tarver Sr., it’s a legacy in the making. He’s passing on over two decades of experience to his son, who bypassed the amateurs and started his pro career a bit later in life. Despite a car injury setback, T2, as Anthony Jr. is known, boasts an undefeated 8-0 record. But Tarver Sr.’s vision extends beyond his son. He’s on a mission to reignite Tampa Bay’s boxing scene.

This time, he’ll do it from the corner, not the ring. He’s become a promoter, using his boxing IQ to pave the way for the next generation of fighters. About his new endeavor, he told FOX Sports, “I want to discover the next great fighter that’s right here in Tampa, Florida. We’ve been winning championships in every sport now. We might as well go ahead and do the big sweep with boxing and get another champion right here in Tampa.”

So, Tarver didn’t fall into the loop of resentment about his past ordeals. In fact, he decided to make things better for the upcoming talent. And with time, he may even be successful in his journey.

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