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If no Tarver, Paul for the vacant title

Paul Briggs

Don King

Antonio Tarver

Glencoffe Johnson

PAUL Briggs is flying down to Florida to lunch with Don King and see about salvaging Paul's light-heavyweight championship match against Antonio Tarver.

And if not, to set Briggs up for the vacant title.

Hurricane Paul won his WBC mandatory against Stipe Drews. Thereupon, the WBC ruler, Tarver was ordered to face Briggs.

Don King bidded the highest purse, $2,711,000, and proposed to stage it on New Year's Day in Dubai.

But Tarver shied - and has now been diverted by an extra million dollars offered him to shape up instead with IBF champion, Glencoffe Johnson, in a two belt match.

Tarver and Johnson are the two knocker-outers of "Pound for Pound" Roy Jones Junior . .so Home Box Office wants these two. Wait your turn won't do. Briggs might eliminate Tarver!. Must have them at once. Hungry Boy's Order. Now!

The HBO knows a momentary "rave match" when it's momentarily here.

The IBF reminded Glencoffe Johnson that he is overdue to fight a mandatory (Tarver not counting in the IBF) or be stripped. The warning told on Glen enough to make him postpone yesterday's press conference that was to officially declare Tarver v Johnson for Los Angeles December 18.
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The WBC, likewise, will hold Tarver to his appointment with the much deserving and very patient Paul Briggs. Or strip him.

Take away their two belts, WBC and IBF, what has HBO got left to wrap round Tarver-Johnson?
Well, they've got The Ring Belt which carries a spot of prestige on the strength of The Ring magazine's 82 years' history.

The International Boxing Organisation, too, is eager to add its sanction to a boom bout. What is the IBO? A dot in the alphabet.

Furthermore. Melbourne Mick Croucher happens to be in America. The one man ruler of the World Boxing Foundation will hardly overlook the chance to throw a WBF belt into a spotlit ring.

Our California insider predicts that Tarver and Johnson will go with the dough of HBO: Los Angeles, December 18. Both fighters will let their belts go and neither will get another crack in WBC or IBF

"The two fighters are thinking pensions," writes Salmon. "HBO put three fights in Tarver's contract. And Johnson will up his ante.

"As an added incentive, Tarver has his beef with Don King, who told him he'd step on his head after Briggs knocks him out.

"Shame we might not get to see that."

FRANK QUILL, Melbourne's man on the WBC Board of Governors, said the World Boxing Council would hold to its instruction to Tarver to accept Briggs and King.

The Council not only got Tarver his first bout with Roy Jones Jnr, which was close, last November; it then got the grateful loser a return bout, his goldmine of a KO, this May.

There was no doubt he would forfeit the WBC title if he failed to meet Briggs.

In that event, Hurricane Briggs would be matched with the second rated contender for the vacant title.

How about Thomas Ulrich of Germany.

Or Pietro Aurino of Italy.

In Sydney Summer!

 

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