06.09.05 – Undefeated middleweight and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward will be featured on the televised portion of the Tarver vs. Jones 3 undercard. Tarver vs. Jones 3 takes place on Saturday, October 1 at the St. Pete Times Forum live on pay-per-view. “It is an honor and a privilege to fight under two great champions,” said Ward. “At the time I signed with Square Ring I hadn’t even had my pro debut, but it was always a dream to fight on the same card as Roy Jones, Jr. Now it’s a dream come true. I hope on October 1st I can set the tone and then Roy can come back and vindicate himself.”
“We are so happy to include up and coming superstar Andre Ward to the Tarver vs. Jones 3 undercard,” said Brad Jacobs of Square Ring, who promotes Ward. “This will give the fans across the country a chance to not only see the sole US Gold Medalist from the 2004 Olympic Games but a certain future world champion.”
“It’s a pleasure to have Andre Ward on the Tarver-Jones 3 card,” said Joe DeGuardia, President/CEO of Star Boxing. “His accomplishments, including his spectacular gold medal winning performance in the Olympics, have shown that Andre is destined to be a world champ. In as much as Andre is a class gentleman outside the ring as well, I expect that he will be a champ to be proud of, and the HBO PPV fans should tune in early to catch a glimpse of this future star.”
“We’re excited about the addition of Andre Ward to the Tarver-Jones 3 pay-per-view event on October 1st”, said HBO PPV’s Mark Taffet. “Boxing fans will appreciate the chance to see one of the sport’s brightest new faces.”
Andre Ward (5-0, 3KOs) from Oakland, CA became the first became the second US boxer since 1992 to win Olympic Gold and has not lost a boxing match since he was 14. Ward, known for his blazing hand speed and ring savvy began his professional career as super middleweight and has since gone down to middleweight where he has won his last two fights by TKO. Ward’s October 1st opponent has yet to be named.
The 21-year-old Ward has an impeccable work ethic. Prior to his last bout against Christopher Holt on August 18, Ward boxed a thirty-two minute round against two sparring partners (the first for twenty minutes and the second for twelve) in which over 1000 punches were thrown. The work paid off – Ward floored Holt with a straight left hand in the third round to end the fight in his native Bay Area debut. “We believe that we train harder than anyone in boxing,” said Ward, who is currently training in Oakland, CA.
Tarver and Jones…their names will forever be linked to one another in boxing lore. They first met in the ring as thirteen-year-olds at the Sunshine State Games in Gainesville, FL., and each went on to become Olympic Medalists. As professionals, Jones became one of the most decorated champions in boxing history while Tarver fought his way to the top to become world light heavyweight champion. But for Tarver to be known as the best and to be part of history, he had to beat Roy Jones. Jones-Tarver I, on November 8, 2003 ended in a Jones win by decision. The rematch took place on May 15, 2004 and Tarver shocked the world when he knocked out Roy Jones, Jr. in round 2. On October 1, 2005, Tarver and Jones will settle the score, and this time there will be “No Excuses,” presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Square Ring, Inc. and broadcast live on pay-per-view.
The Tarver vs. Jones 3 pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9pm ET/6pm PT on October 1, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to over 50 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your daily Tarver vs. Jones 3 updates, log on to log onto www.HBOPPV.com