Tarver, Johnson force question: What good are belts?
By JOHN C. COTEY
Published November 16, 2004
The decision by light heavyweight champions Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson to toss their belts (WBC and IBF, respectively) aside to fight for a big payday in December is likely to stir up debate over the usefulness of the sanctioning bodies.
While each used his belt to get into position to make millions, both say the reality is this: It's time to cash in.
Tarver has filed for bankruptcy and has been in court for two years with his promoters.
"I needed to make the move to better suit myself and my family," Tarver said from his training camp Monday, "and holding on to the WBC belt did not do it for me. We needed to do this while we both are hot."
Both are 35 and coming off knockouts of Roy Jones Jr. With Oscar De La Hoya and Jones possibly on the way out, Tarver is hoping a win over Johnson makes him HBO's choice to step in.
LOSER LEAVES TOWN?: Carlos Diaz 's comeback continues Friday when he takes on former IBF champ Francisco Tejedor in the main event at Tampa Westshore Doubletree Hotel.
The One Punch Productions card pits Diaz, who is 0-4-1 his last five fights mostly because of poor management, against a once-respected opponent.
But that was 10 years ago, when Tejedor was IBF flyweight champ for two months before Danny Romero beat him in 1995.
Since losing, Tejedor has fought 23 times and won just four, the last in 2002. He's still a good opponent for a reeling Diaz, but promoter Terry Trekas should have made this a loser-has-to-retire match.
Palm Harbor middleweight Gene Molen , once a potential contender, was scratched because of injury. Oldsmar's undefeated Carlos Manuel Rivera is on the card, which starts at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, call 813 503-8109, or visit www.onepunch.net
WAITING HERE IN ALLENTOWN: For the second time this year, Johnny Walker left St. Petersburg's David Santos standing at the altar.
Or in this case, the Days Inn in Allentown, Pa., where Santos and Walker were supposed to fight Thursday.
While Santos made the trip north for his first fight since February, Walker never made it down from Detroit. Fearing he would be stood up again, though, Santos made sure he was guaranteed his money and cashed the easiest paycheck of his career.
Walker, who has lost his last nine fights, was supposed to be a tuneup for Santos, who said he has a signed contract to fight IBO light featherweight champ Cassius Baloyi in February. Santos will make the trip to Johannesburg with a year's worth of rust to shake off. It will be his first pro fight outside the United States.
He hopes Baloyi shows up - after all, his nickname is Mr. Shy Guy.
FORMER CHAMP OUT: Clearwater's Tyrone Booze , a former cruiserweight world champion, was released from Bayfront Medical Center last week after a near-fatal accident involving a truck.
Booze was hit by a backing truck on Sept. 15. The driver did not notice he hit anyone until he heard Booze yell. Booze was transported to Bayfront Medical Center and remained there the past six weeks recovering.
Before Winky Wright and Jeff Lacy became world champs, Booze was the area's most celebrated champion. In 1992, he knocked out previously unbeaten Derek Angol in the seventh round in Manchester, England, to win the vacant World Boxing Organization cruiserweight title.
Trained by Jim McLoughlin out of St. Petersburg's Fourth Street Boxing Club, Booze defended his title with a unanimous decision over Ralf Rocchigiani three months later, but lost the same way to Markus Bott in 1993 to relinquish his belt.
Booze (22-12) fought the best cruiserweights of his time, losing decisions to Evander Holyfield , Bert Cooper , Dwight Quawi and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad .
-- Times correspondent Christopher Cook contributed to this report.
