06.05.09 – HBO Sports delivers an action-packed light heavyweight title fight when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: CHAD DAWSON VS. ANTONIO TARVER II is presented live SATURDAY, MAY 9 (9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT) from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, exclusively on HBO. The WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING team will be ringside for the event, which will be presented in HDTV and in Spanish on HBO Latino..
Other HBO playdates: May 10 (9:00 a.m.) and 11 (12:35 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 10 (4:30 p.m.) and 12 (11:30 p.m.)
Coming into his prime at age 26, light heavyweight titleholder Chad Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs) is a rising star who is making his much-anticipated HBO debut. The New Haven, Conn. resident has quickly become one of the most feared competitors in the division, thanks to his dominating speed, size and athleticism. In the 12th round of his first encounter with the crafty Tarver last October, Dawson delivered a blow that sent his rival to the mat, eventually claiming victory.
The formidable Antonio Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs) of Orlando, Fla. boasts a perfect 3-0 record in rematches, having turned the tables on Eric Harding, Roy Jones Jr. and Glen Johnson in the sequels to those encounters. Though he was overpowered in his first battle with Dawson, Tarver is determined to settle the score in this 12-round light heavyweight title fight.
The telecast will also include the exclusive replay of the May 2 junior welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao scored a decisive second round KO triumph. All WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events are broadcast in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
Dawson Ready To Give Tarver A Pound For Pounding!
LAS VEGAS, NEV (May 5, 2008) – “Bad” CHAD DAWSON has pulled out all stops in training for his upcoming defense of the IBF/IBO light heavyweight title belts he proudly wears courtesy the unanimous decision victory he earned over the previous champion ANTONIO “Magic Man” TARVER on October 11. Dawson, the undefeated two-time light heavyweight champion, will meet Tarver in a world championship rematch This Saturday! May 9, in The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The fight will be televised live nationally on HBO, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, along with the replay of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton junior welterweight title fight.
“I already know I’m the best in the division because no other champion will fight me, which is why I give Tarver so much credit for stepping up again,” said Dawson. “Our last fight was a good one and Tarver has always won the rematch after a loss which has inspired me to train harder than ever. I’m not going to be another rematch victory notch on his belt like Roy Jones, Jr., Glen Johnson and Eric Harding. I’m out to prove that I’m not just the king of the light heavyweight division, but also the best, pound for pound, and if it means giving Tarver a pound for pounding, then so be it. No mercy.”
Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and AT Entertainment, remaining tickets to Dawson-Tarver II are priced at $250, $175, $150, $75, $50 and $35 can be purchased at www.hardrockhotel.com, www.Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.
Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs), from New Haven, Conn., began his second reign as a light heavyweight world champion by dethroning the defending IBF/IBO champion Tarver in a hard-fought battle in Las Vegas on October 11, 2008. For Dawson, it was a victory that proved he was one of boxing’s elite and a Top-10 pound-for pound fighter. Dawson’s resume proves he’s the man to beat. In fact three of his last five victories have been against defending or former world champions who had a combined record of 105-15-2 (76 KOs), a winning percentage of 86% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%. Dawson, 26, captured his first world title on February 3, 2007 by dethroning previously undefeated WBC light heavyweight champion Tomasz Adamek. It remains the only loss on the new IBF cruiserweight champion’s resume. Dawson successfully defended his title three times over the next 14 months, the third against former world champion and 2004 Fighter of the Year Glen Johnson before vacating the title to challenge Tarver.
Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs), from Tampa, Fla., is one of his era’s greatest champions. The only man to hang two losses on the legendary Roy Jones, Jr. and the first to ever knock him out, Tarver also boasts victories over world champions Glen Johnson, Montell Griffin and Reggie Johnson. A true renaissance man, Tarver heads up his own promotional company, AT Entertainment, his own charitable foundation, The Antonio Tarver Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established to fund, create and provide opportunities for young people to achieve their dreams, and he co-starred with Sylvester Stallone in the 2006 hit motion picture “Rocky Balboa.