http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/questions-now-raised-over-green-tarver-result-119168
Questions now raised over Green-Tarver result
By Brett Bonetti
Following the news that IBO Cruiserweight Champion, Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver tested positive for the Anabolic Steroid Drostanolone following his split decision draw with Lateef Kayode on June 2, questions are now being asked if Tarver was “juiced” for his previous fight with Australian, Danny “The Green Machine” Green in Sydney Australia in July 2011.
Green went into that fight as a warm favorite to win and retain his IBO cruiserweight title, however Tarver shocked Green and the fans after he won the fight when Green’s corner was forced to throw in the towel following round 9.
Green had stated after that loss that he had never been really hurt before that fight and has today questioned the legitimacy of the American’s victory over him in their fight in Sydney. Following the revelation that Tarver tested positive Green said “I’m shocked by the news, but it does make you think.”
Green also queried at how Tarver got down to the cruiserweight limit and stayed very strong for their bout after looking significantly heavier when they both toured Australia just eight weeks beforehand to promote their world title fight.
“When he came over for the promotional tour he looked much bigger, he was huge, massive, yet he was able to lose, I’d say, approximately 55 pounds in eight weeks to weigh in light.”
“How did he keep that strength, he wasn’t sapped during the fight of strength or power? A lot of people on Twitter and the internet are now asking questions about our fight,” Green said. “I hear the IBO has stripped him, so is it still a loss on my career? He has tarnished his reputation and he has got himself in a whole world of trouble. He has got to live with this forever,” Green said.
“He’s wanted to lose weight the easy way, I know what it is to strip weight, extreme weight, I had to lose 10kg, I didn’t have to fight Anthony Mundine. It’s hard and it takes strict discipline.”
Green is currently in training for his final fight in Perth on July 25 against American Danny Santiago who in 1997 was also defeated by Tarver.
Tarver claims that the result is a false positive and used Twitter to announce the following.
“Today’s news of a false positive caught me as well as my family and supporters by surprise, I apologize for the embarrassment it caused”
“I’ll appeal and submit to the California Commission everything that I’ve consume prior to June 2 that could have caused this honest mistake.”
Tarver was fined $2,500 of his $1 million purse for the Kayode fight, and has been suspended indefinitely by the California State Athletic Commission pending the test of his ‘B’ sample.
Tarver is the third high profile boxer to test positive in the past two months along with light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson and former welterweight champion Andre Berto.
Whether Tarver was taking steroids before his fight with Green in Australia is unknown. “Certainly I didn’t have a great night against Tarver, but I now have to wonder if he had a bit of extra magic,” Green concluded.
