Antonio Tarver Quotations

I feel like God gave me an amazing ability, and it's my duty to show people what I'm made of.

Got any excuses tonight Roy?

Yeah I got a question: Any more excuses tonight, Roy?

He was bested by a better fighter, ...I didn't feel like he was intimidated. If I made a mistake he would have punished me.

Maybe now people will give a man credit where credit is deserved. Roy Jones was beaten by a better fighter period. I'm one of the best in the world.

Every fight is do or die for me. I've come too far to start over. I'm on a destiny trip right now. I'm racing towards that heavyweight world championship.

I was a big light heavyweight but I feel perfect at heavyweight. When I look back at some of my old fights, I was really just a shell of myself. Now I'm healthy and strong and ready to get to the top.

I wasn't blessed with this unique talent for nothing. I have to put it on display. The game hasn't retired me. When I went through all of my struggles, I became a champion right then. Now I just have to walk through my destiny.

I'm fighting the very best and I'm beating the very best. I'm looking to knock everybody out.

When I look at the 'Rocky Balboa' film when I played the undisputed heavyweight champion, I feel like art is going to imitate life. I played the champ in a movie and I'm going to become the champ in reality.

This fight is more about what Roy Jones lost than what I took

I don't know what he can say anyway that's gonna make a difference in the outcome of this fight, ... When you look at a guy that's unsure of what's gonna happen, the last thing you want to do is come out and stick your foot in your mouth. So it's best that he stays quiet, he stays hidden, and he works as hard as he can work to avoid the inevitable, and that's getting knocked out on October 1st. So when you're looking at a guy from that standpoint, you have to say 'okay, I understand.'

I don't know what technical changes he can make. Obviously, he needs to make a whole lot of 'em. I bring families back together again. I should get some credit for that.

I am after the big killers in the heavyweight division. I want to retire as the heavyweight champion of the world,

Basically, the fight was rushed on me at a time when I was really enjoying my celebrity. You never stop learning. I traveled the country and went on a few vacations. I was just living the life,

Give a man credit where credit is due,

I got a question, ... Do you got any excuses tonight, Roy?

He was trying to bait me. But I wasn't going to fall into that trap because I knew he came to fight.

He isn't going to hit me with the left hand anyway, so he won't have much use for that, ... whatever Roy Jones shows up, I am planning on destroying.

He came to reclaim his throne, but it wasn't happening tonight,

Whatever Roy Jones brings, it won't be enough. I've trained hard. I'm a better fighter.

To come out in Tampa, Fla., my hometown, it's going to be big. It's going down in history as one of the most memorable trilogies of all time.

His words to me were: 'I wrote the script with you in mind.' I am truly excited about the possibility of playing Mason Dixon, and we're getting ready to work an entirely different stage, baby.

He was bested by a better fighter, ... I didn't feel like he was intimidated. If I made a mistake he would have punished me.

He was beat by a better fighter. Period. I am one of the best fighters in the world. Give me my credit. You all thought I would be one-punch happy but I passed my test. I did my homework. I took nothing for granted. I wasn't assured of victory until they raised my hand.

I think it's a slap in the face to all the people that have pumped him up and glorified him over the years,

I think Roy now understands that his legacy is on the line. He wants redemption, and the only way he can get that is by beating me. For once in his life, he's taking a real risk, and you have to commend him for that. But it's Tarver time. Roy might be as great as everybody says he is. But I plan to show once again that he's not better than me.

I'm not about giving guys opportunities. I'm about taking opportunities.

I wasn't going to let it go to the scorecards and I knew I had already played that game before, and there is nothing fair in the game of boxing. I learned that the hard way,

When I show up ready and prepared, I'm undefeated. I've never lost. I'm hard-headed in some ways and have to learn my lesson the hard way, ... It's the best lesson learned, unfortunately, but it costs you.

Tonight, I really had to dig deep, ... I let him know my will was stronger than his.

Tonight I had to really dig deep because you saw the best of Roy Jones.

We got prepared for the second fight. We came in shape. We came in conditioned. We worked very, very hard. We were determined to once again overturn a political decision, ... I became a champion that night because I knew I could go the length to get the job done, and that's why I'm coming into this fight with the same confidence I've always had.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Do you have any excuses tonight Roy Jones? And seven punches later - seven is the number of completion - seven punches later is Roy Jones no more. So you have to look back, it's a powerful, powerful statement. I told Roy Jones when he was the heavyweight champion, You're not even the best fighter in Florida. And I got to prove it. So it's a spiritual thing when you think about it, man. And I'm just so thankful. Going through the transition from amateur to the pros - they can't deny me no more. I refuse to be denied. And I told the world that it will recognize, before it's all over, they will recognize. And now they do.

I should be commended. I bring families back together, ... I think it's good because his father is the only one with the compassion to throw in the towel when he sees his son in over his head.

the Roy Jones of old just to survive.

Roy Jones gave me the platform, ... If you all - the media, the public - wouldn't have built him so high, my accomplishment probably wouldn't have been so great. A lot of people want to say that he lost a step, he's not the same fighter. He didn't lose a step until he met me. I just want the whole world to know that no matter what point in his career, I always spelled trouble for Roy Jones.

Roy Has Come Up And Said, This Is It, This Is All Or Nothing

Roy had a lot of resistance, ... playing chess all around. He was beat by a better fighter. Period. I passed my test. I did my homework.

Put real life in perspective... I am not in awe by the media or HBO... they are the ones that have made Roy Jones into some kind of icon... they have blown him up... well I am the one who popped that balloon.

This fight won't go much past the sixth,

A lot of people are thinking I'm one-punch happy. I'm a better fighter today than you've ever seen. I'm more focused. I'm more convinced of my ability. Whatever Roy Jones brings, I'm here to tell you it won't be good enough. Not here. Not now. Not ever.

A lot of people are thinking I'm one-punch happy,

A lot of people want to question his ability and skill now that I have arrived, but pre-Antonio Tarver, he was like a prima donna,

It seems like I always have to take matters into my own hands and be my own judge and jury, and that's my right and my left hand,

It is with great regret that I must inform you that I have concluded that the best route for me and my family is to fight Glen Johnson on December 18, 2004,

That remains to be seen, ... Roy didn't give himself enough time off before he fought Glen Johnson. Now he's had time to rest, physically and mentally. He looks good; we know he's serious. A desperate fighter is a dangerous fighter, and Roy is desperate now. If he loses this fight, it's all over for him so he's going to prepare like he's never prepared before. I'm training for the best Roy Jones ever. If he's less than that, so be it. If he's a shot fighter, I'm the one who shot him.

Tampa, get ready because here we come, ... It's going to be an electric night of boxing, and once and for all we will put the nail in Roy Jones' coffin. May he rest in peace.

I want to post a question to the media, ... When will you be convinced? Will Oct. 1 be good enough?

It's really a slap in the face to all those who have pumped him up and glorified him all these years and that's the media, ... He shows no compassion for the sport - the sport that made him a wealthy man, an icon. Shame on him.

At the same time, I should have been more responsible to my career and the game that has given me so much, boxing. It was a tough lessoned learned. They gave me 1 1/2 months to get prepared for the fight coming off hot dogs, Cokes and a lot of pasta. It was a tough transition.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I'm going in there and I can expect a knockout,

I'm ready to take care of my business. What you all didn't see the first time around, and what you think you didn't see the second time around, if you think it's going to be any different, then you're sadly mistaken.

I met Sylvester Stallone back in 1995. He flew me from Atlanta to Orlando and my entire family met him and his wife at Planet Hollywood. We sat down and talked boxing. He loved boxing and all the things I had overcome. He really took a liking to me,

I'm the only one he can make serious money with, but I'm not going to wait around for Jeff Lacy either because I just don't think in the big scheme of things it does anything for my legacy. It's all about my legacy now,

I'm the legend killer. That's my new moniker. Like Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins had his era and now he's got to go. Personally, I think he's nuts for even thinking he can beat me. But I'm not going to talk him out of (trying).

I haven't heard it but I heard it went glass.

I put the golf clubs up -- that shows my commitment, ... Whenever you call me and I'm not boxing, I'm on a golf course somewhere. So being able to put those up -- you know we're focused and ready.

I put the golf clubs up, that's a testament to my commitment, ... Whenever you call me when I'm not boxing, I'm on a golf course somewhere. So having to be able to put those up consistently, it's been beautiful. So we know we're focused and we're ready.

Hopkins gives us this feel good story of how he's going to walk away from the boxing game, riding out on his throne.

Good things happen when you believe, ... A long time ago, I had a vision. I don't just want to be a champion. I want to be a superstar. I have the ability to be spectacular every time out. I did without for a long time. I struggled; I came up on the dirt road of boxing. I'm a hard worker; I'm goal-oriented. When I set a goal, I'm totally consumed by it. Failure isn't an option.

The guy had great resilience. He came to regain his throne. It didn't happen tonight. I did what I came in to do.

The fight will give me what I want. It brings about the luster of boxing our sport is missing. If I can't beat Mike Tyson, I can't run with the big boys.