Antonio Tarver vs. Johnathon Banks: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
Whenever two American heavyweights clash, some piece of the boxing community takes notice. This is even the case when one of the fighters is 46 years old.
Just four years shy of his 50th birthday, Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver's latest trick will be to try to turn himself into Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins. Tarver is hoping to defy the age laws that humble most veteran fighters. The Alien's late-40s exploits have many a fighter trying to emulate his success.
Tarver's opponent is Emanuel Steward's longtime boxing and training protege, Johnathon Banks. Since Steward's passing, Banks has taken over as the lead trainer for Wladimir Klitschko and had a couple compelling fights of his own.
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Neither man has much of a chance of ever being taken seriously as a threat to Klitschko's titles though Tarver believes that is ultimately his destiny.
Beating Banks would legitimize Tarver as a real heavyweight contender. These days, that doesn't mean what is used to. If he's able to string a few wins together, he just might get his shot at Klitschko. He's got to win on Thursday first.
Here's how you can catch the Tarver-Banks battle.
When: Thursday, Dec. 11 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California
TV: ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
The Book on Tarver
In all honesty, most boxing fans probably wouldn't know Tarver were it not for Roy Jones Jr. fighting past his prime. Tarver first lost a disputed majority decision to Jones Jr. in Nov. 2003.
Ever the competitor, Jone Jr. gave Tarver a rematch and was knocked out in the second round for his trouble. The KO was the beginning of the humanizing of Jones Jr., a fighter who may have been the most physically gifted boxer in the history of the sport.
Tarver claimed the the WBC, WBA, IBO and two other lower-level titles with the win, and he rode the fame to more meaningful bouts with the likes of Glen Johnson, Chad Dawson and even the aforementioned Hopkins.
The Magic Man didn't exactly have great success when matched against top-notch competition. Against those opponents—of which he fought Johnson and Dawson twice, Tarver's record is 1-5.
Those fights took place at light heavyweight. Tarver has moved up two weight classes since then. Now competing at heavyweight in his second bout in the division, Tarver is hoping to extend his career.
In his heavyweight debut in Nov. 2013, Tarver stopped 39-year-old Mike Sheppard in the fourth round. Can Tarver find a way to beat a man 12 years his junior who also has a naturally larger frame?
The Book on Banks
It's been more than a year since Banks was in the ring. In his last bout, he lost a disputed decision to another fellow American heavyweight named Seth Mitchell. Banks had stopped Mitchell in the second round of the previous fight but couldn't get the job done in the rematch.
Banks had always been stigmatized as a sleepy fighter, but the stoppage win over Mitchell contradicted that. In the rematch, he reverted back to the overcautious approach.
Based on his experience as a trainer and time with the legendary Steward, Banks' in-ring IQ is noteworthy. His problem is a lack of aggressiveness. He often gets off to slow starts and fails to jump on the opportunities his opponent gives him.
Now that he'll be facing a more seasoned veteran known more for his pure boxing acumen, it'll be interesting to see whether Banks can turn it up and put on an exciting show.
Prediction
This fight has snoozer written all over it. Tarver is a southpaw with power, but we don't know if that strength will translate fully to the heavyweight division. Yes, he stopped Sheppard in his last bout, but the latter has 17 losses with 12 via KO in his career.
All Tarver did was join a long list of guys who ended the journeyman's night early.
Tarver will need to be more careful with Banks. However, because Banks is a notorious slow starter, the early rounds might have fans booing the slowed action. Around the fourth round, we should have a good indication of how this fight is going to go.
Though neither man is a natural cruiserweight, Banks is more comfortable at heavyweight, and his larger frame should give him an advantage on the inside. He's also a skilled and accurate puncher when he decides to let his hands go.
That could be the issue for him in this bout.
When Banks lost the rematch to Mitchell, he landed a higher percentage of his punches (34-20) but was out-thrown (417-261). Banks was simply looking to counter, and that cost him the fight.
Mitchell said this after the bout, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael: "Banks was looking to counter punch only. I had to stick to my plan and be smart and be disciplined. I felt I easily won eight of the 12 rounds."
If Tarver can produce a high punch output, he'll beat Banks. Tarver has never been stopped in his career, and Banks isn't likely to launch an assault that truly tests The Magic Man's chin. As long as he doesn't get careless, Tarver should win a unanimous decision.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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