Woods to teach arrogant Tarver a lesson by James Slater Mar 19th 2008

With each and every fight of his career, 35-year-old Clinton Woods strives to become the very best light-heavyweight in the world - if he isn't such already. And while such grandiose praise may seem unrealistic, Clinton himself, in a recent interview, went as far as to say that he didn't think he was the best light-heavyweight in the world - he KNEW it! This goes to show you how massive is the confidence inside the man who once struggled and lost to David Starie at domestic level.   Well, on April 12th, as if any British boxing fan didn't know, Woods finally gets a fight he has wanted since, well, seemingly forever. Clinton, 41-3-1(24) meets the former pound-for-pound and world light-heavyweight king, Antonio Tarver of Florida.The action takes place in the former champ's backyard of Tampa and Woods IBF strap will be on the line (along with the American's IBO bauble).   The fight will mean so much more than just the IBF and its title, however. For too long a time the American's have sneered at Clinton's 175 pound supremacy. "Oh, look at what Roy Jones did to him," they say as one, in reference to Woods' brave stoppage loss to the then masterful Jones back in September 2002. Almost ignorant of the huge improvements Clinton has made to his game since, the US critics refuse to accept Woods as a major force, let alone a dominant one, in today's light-heavyweight world.   Come April 12th, they, along with the over-confident Tarver, are in for a shock. Finally, the fight Clinton has ached for is his, and with it comes the chance to win over an audience of naysayers who will have little choice but to accept Woods as being very much for real should he do away with the former Rocky Balboa star. Not since his revenge win over long time nemesis Glen Johnson - who boxes the gifted Chad Dawson on the same bill - has the Sheffield man been so motivated. In other words, Woods is as dangerous as can be.   Tarver, 26-4(19) is, without any doubt, a fine fighter. He may have seen the form that saw him brutally account for former pound-for-pound standout Jones in quick fashion pass, but nonetheless Tarver is still formidable. Yes, he has struggled as of late with the tough but largely unknown Elvir Muriqi, and the 39-year-old was, let's not forget, taken to a school he had never attended before in his fight with Bernard Hopkins. But Tarver is not a fighter to be taken lightly. A hard-punching southpaw who has never been stopped, the Floridian is aghast at the very thought of losing to Woods - a fighter he referred to as being nothing more than a hand-picked opponent at the recent UK press conference to hype the fight. But therein lies the problem that Tarver simply will not, or cannot, see. His arrogance matching that of the majority of his countrymen, Tarver sees virtually no threat in Woods. Big mistake. Clinton is a deceptively tough fighting man, as Glen Johnson, Julio Gonzalez and others can attest. With Tarver's mind on nothing more than simply picking up a major belt on the way towards a revenge fight with Hopkins ( a fight for which Tarver has a myriad of excuses) he is in for much more than he is bargaining.   Hunger and motivation are two of the most important, indeed vital, ingredients a prize fighter can rely on when entering a bout. Clinton Woods has both in huge amounts. But does Antonio Tarver? Over confidence, and the possession of an oversized ego to go with it, just might see to it that Tarver gets the shock of his life come April 12th. Of course, the fists of Sheffield's man of steel will have to play their part in convincing the former movie star that he cannot win. But we can rely on Clinton for that side of things.   Woods gets the fight, and the chance at the profile the winning of it will get him, in less than a month's time. Look for the 35-year-old - a fighter who has improved with age like very few British fighters of his era - to win a points decision that will finally win over his American doubters.

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