05.05.04 – Roy Jones, Jr., regarded as the best fighter today in any weight class will battle Antonio Tarver for the WBC & IBO light heavyweight titles in a rematch of their November 8, 2003 bout, which Jones won by majority decision. Two title bouts and a ten-round heavyweight attraction have been added to that main event. The blockbuster fight card, presented by Don King productions in association with Square Ring, Inc. and Mandalay Bay and sponsored by CMXchange, will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Jones-Tarver II will be produced and distributed domestically by HBO Pay-Per-View and broadcast internationally and on closed circuit by KingVision.
“This supporting cast for the pay-per-view telecast is dynamite,” says promoter Don King. “There’s the fearless Zab ‘Super’ Judah fighting the hard-punching former world champion Rafael Pineda. We also have the former world champion Danny Romero from Albuquerque, coming back against the tough Giovanni Andrade of Brazil. I can’t wait to see ‘The Jedi’ Gerald Nobles – the hardest hitting heavyweight in boxing — tackles the former world heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone – I am excited about this one.”
Just five weeks after his last bout, two-time world champion Zab “Super” Judah (30-2, 22 KOs) from Brooklyn, NY, steps back into the ring, bringing back memories of when the sport’s best maintained a much busier fight schedule. Both of Judah’s world titles came at junior welterweight, where Judah fought his entire professional career before moving up to welterweight to challenge undisputed champion Cory Spinks on April 10. In that 12-round bout, momentum went back and forth with both fighters getting knocked down. Some ringside observers felt if the bout lasted another minute, Judah would have won. Zab won the respect of the boxing world, but lost the decision to Spinks.
Judah will battle Rafael “Derby” Pineda (38-5, 31 KOs), who hails from Barranquilla, Columbia for the WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Championship. Pineda has had many memorable world championship bouts against the likes of Mark Breland, Roger Mayweather, Pernell Whitaker and Cory Spinks. Like Zab, he feels there is unfinished business between he and Spinks, but right now, he is only concerned with Judah and the road back to the welterweight championship.
Three-time world champion Danny “Kid Dynamite” Romero (44-5-1, 37 KOs) from Albuquerque, NM, will make his first defense of the IBA super bantamweight title against Giavanni Andrade (37-7, 30 KOs) from Bahia, Brasil. Romero began boxing at the age of five, had a stellar 13-year amateur career, won his first world title as a flyweight in 1995 and his second title in 1996 as a super flyweight. Shortly thereafter, he moved up to super bantamweight where he won the title on May 23, 2003 in a twelve-round decision against Trinidad Mendoza. Andrade, the Brazilian super bantamweight champion, will be getting his fourth opportunity at a world title.
Rounding out the telecast in a ten-round heavyweight showdown, Gerald Nobles (22-0, 17 KOs), the undefeated “Philly Powerhouse” stands in the way of Bruce “The Atlantic City Express” Seldon (35-4, 31 KOs) and his quest to return to heavyweight prominence. Nobles’ last fight took place at Madison Square Garden on April 17 and ended in a first round knockout and three of his last five bouts have not lasted two rounds. The former heavyweight champion Seldon won the WBA title on April 8, 1995 with a seventh round TKO over Tony Tucker. He successfully defended that title once before losing to Mike Tyson the following September. Now on the comeback trail, Seldon has had two fights, both ending inside of three rounds.
Tickets for Jones-Tarver II, priced at $800, $600, $400, $200 and $100, are available at the Mandalay Bay Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. To order tickets by phone, call (702) 632-7580 or toll free (877) 632-7400.
The Jones-Tarver II pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9pm ET/6pm PT on May 15th, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to over 48 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For more event information log on to www.HBOPPV.com.