Tag: Antonio Tarver

Antonio Tarver denied to box Frank Mir by Georgia commission; Triller proposes replacement

The Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren pay-per-view is facing a change near the top of the card.

[autotag]Antonio Tarver[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] is no longer the supporting act to Triller’s Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren main event.

The boxing match between former heavyweight boxing champion Tarver and former UFC heavyweight champion Mir will not happen at the pay-per-view event next month.

The Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission has deemed Tarver unfit to compete due to a local bylaw, which states that any combat sports athlete over age 50 must have 10 fights in the preceding 10 years. Tarver, 52, has five fights dating back to 2011.

ESPN first reported the news Tuesday, citing commission executive director Matt Woodruff.

Subsequently, Triller has pegged former IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham as the replacement opponent for Mir.

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Tarver, 52, is a former WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO champion. He most recently saw action in 2015 when he fought to a split draw with Cunningham.

Mir most recently competed in MMA in October 2019 and picked up a decision win over Roy Nelson at Bellator 231. Known as a submission specialist throughout his 20-year career, Mir is signed to BKFC but hasn’t made his debut yet.

Cunningham, 44, has not competed since an August 2017 loss to Andrew Tabiti.

The Paul vs. Askren pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place April 17 at Mercedes Benz Arena in Atlanta and stream on pay-per-view.

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Mike Tyson opens as significant betting favorite against Roy Jones Jr.

Mike Tyson has opened as a significant betting favorite against Roy Jones Jr. in their Sept. 12 exhibition.

Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. are set to square off in an eight-round exhibition match on Sept. 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Although Tyson will be competing inside a boxing ring for the first time since he was stopped by Kevin McBride on June 11, 2005, the former heavyweight champion has opened as a significant favorite over the former four-division champion.

According to BetOnline, the 54-year-old Tyson is a -350 favorite (bet $350 to make a $100 profit) to defeat Jones in the pay-per-view matchup. The fight is billed as an exhibition and both fighters will wear gloves with extra padding. Nevertheless, oddsmakers favor Tyson despite Jones having last fought just two years ago, a unanimous decision victory over Scott Sigmon in a cruiserweight bout.

It has yet to be announced at what weight the bout will be fought, but it is assumed that it will be at heavyweight.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) is renowned as one of the biggest punchers in boxing, but he hasn’t won a fight since a first-round knockout of Clifford Etienne in 2003. He ended his career losing three of his final five fights, all by stoppage, but his latest body transformation and series of training videos have led many to believe that he will have a return to form against Jones.

Jones, 51, has won 12 of his last 13 fights, albeit against largely unknown competition. His lone loss during that span was a fourth-round knockout against Enzo Maccarinelli in December 2015.

Jones was widely recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he was brought down to earth in 2004 when he was knocked out by Antonio Tarver. Jones would lose his next three fights and seven of his next 12 before putting together his latest run of victories.

Both Jones and Tyson have acknowledged this is an exhibition.