By Tony Nobbs: Light heavyweight of the decade Antonio Tarver returned to world champion status by dominating Danny Green at the Sydney Entertainment center to be crowned IBO cruiserweight champion tonight. In a one sided fight, four time 175 lb king Tarver took center ring and continually backed Green up. Tarver’s jab was working wonders opening the door for his left hand magic.
A hard left sent Green to the ropes in the opening stanza and an uppercut sat the Aussie on the deck in the second. The third round saw a short left snap Green’s head back against the ropes and four, five and six was the same with Tarver, looking nothing like a 42 year old fighter, moving Green around and comfortably out boxing the defending title holder. Ever couragous, Green gave his home crowd something to cheer about with a strong aggressive seventh heat but Tarver got back on top in the eigth. Round nine saw the brilliant American pick it up and he battered Green who was out on his feet a the bell. The fight was stopped by the home corner as the 38 year old sat onhis stool.
In the main under card contest, IBF no. 15 N. Ben Rabah knocked South Africa’s ex world champ Isaac Hlatshwayo, no 6 IBF in round four of a welterbout match up.
Shane Cameron captured the Commonwealth cruiserweight championship with a dramatic last round stoppage of Dominic Vea. In a brutal fight, both men were rocked and battered, Cameron scoring the stoppage when a right hand sent an already gone Vea to the deck after a series of sharp head shots.
In a terrific pier sixer, Sydney’s Kerry Foley escaped with a draw over six rounds against New Zealand prospect Rob Berredge at cruiserweight. Foley was decked in the fifth round barely surviving the round and did a good job getting through a rough last three minute period. A point deduction for use of the elbow cost the visitor a unanimous decision victory.
In the first bout of the night, South African Pieter Cronjie won on a round four knockout over late substitute Michael O’Donnell. A left hand to the body ended matters. O’Donnell did his best to make a fight of it but was up against a better prepared opponent who was scheduled to fight ex WBO title challenger Mohommad Azoui.