Muriqi Tells Boxingtalk That Tarver’s All Smoke and Mirrors
“During the interview with Jim Grey do you know why Tarver was talking all that garbage? It was all an act, he was performing? Because he’s an actor that’s what he does he’s an actor, he was pretending that he won the fight,” Muriqi.

Last Saturday at the Hartford Convention Center, in Connecticut Elvir Muriqi took on former world champion Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver. When Jimmy Lennon Jr., read the final scores submitted by the judges a majority decision win was awarded in favor of Tarver. (John Rupert 112-116, Glenn Feldman 113-115 and Judge Steve Weisfeld 114-114) This decision does not sit too well with Muriqi. To say the least an irate Muriqi feels he won the fight hands down. Prior to this fight if you would have polled most boxing pundits and fans, about this light heavyweight encounter, many would have picked Tarver easily.
Some may have the preconceived notion that Muriqi was overmatched and that maybe for “The Kosovo Kid” simply going the distance would have been a victory in itself. However for Muriqi there is no consolation in defeat and no moral victories.
“Honestly all you have to do is turn the volume off and score the fight yourself. Look at the body shots. Who made the fight? Look at how Tarver fought all he did was try to steal the last .20 seconds of the rounds,” Muriqi.

“Before the fight I had all the respect in the world for him. Now afterwards I have none. He’s got nothing, he can’t punch like people think, and he’s not that fast and he has no heart. After the 1st round I told Collin I said yo this guy’s got nothing. I got this guy,” Muriqi.

Muriqi stated that when the decision was being rendered he had no doubt in his mind that it would go in his favor. Throughout the duration of the bout, his corner was also confident.
“I won the fight clearly. My corner thought so too. I was told I was doing well and I was told to just be careful of his little flurries, all he was doing stealing rounds,” Muriqi.

Muriqi insists that he simply outworked Tarver and was the aggressor for the majority of the 12 round contest. Muriqi also took exception to the way the television announcer’s ignored his work on the inside.

“He was just landing little flurries and a lot of his shots I was catching them on my arms. The bruises on my face including the cut were because of him leading with his head. To me he felt like a walking mummy. He had nothing. When I would land a body shot, and he countered with something they would talk about that instead of my initial work. It’s like they tried to hypnotize the audience,” Muriqi.

Throughout the bout Showtime television tandem Steve Albert and Al Bernstein kept harping on potential future bouts for Tarver, mainly squaring off against current champion Chad Dawson.
“I felt totally disrespected and discounted after I watched it on television. They were talking about Dawson, like If I was not even in the fight, when in fact I was winning the fight”, Muriqi.

And in staying in the television theme, the post fight interview with the victorious Tarver brought laughter to Muriqi. “During the interview with Jim Grey do you know why Tarver was talking all that garbage? It was all an act, he was performing? Because he’s an actor that’s what he does he’s an actor, he was and pretending that he won the fight,” Muriqi. Muriqi was casually making reference to Tarver’s roll in the movie Rocky Balboa.
Another incident that left Muriqi a little perturbed was the diva like treatment that Tarver received. Muriqi told Boxingtalk, that in the fight arena, there was an elevator that was blocked off and reserved for only Antonio Tarver’s Team to use. Muriqi said that everything including the gloves that were used was all slanted towards Tarver, including the fact that one of the judges was from Tarver’s home state of Florida. The fight card which was promoted by Joe Deguardia’s Star Boxing was a hit in terms of the live gate, the Connecticut venue was sold out.
The majority of the fans were waving Albanian flags. Muriqi thinks that not only did he win the bout but he also showed the world that he is someone who sells tickets and gives fans what they look for and that’s a fighter who comes to fight.

“I was the boss in there 110% and I am his boss. You know what Antonio Tarver was my bitch in there on Saturday and he’ll always be my bitch. I know he is a former world champion and he did this and that, but he never beat me and he never will beat me. He’s a total bitch” Muriqi.

Muriqi undoubtedly would like a rematch, but feels that the chances of that happening are not in his favor. He feels that his style is simply trouble for Tarver. He said that if he and Tarver faced each other again he would not only beat Tarver, but stop him.

“I would like to thank all the fans and all the people who believed in me. I also want to thank those who doubt me and because you fuel me too. I’m a guy who comes out there and gives people their moneys worth and I am definitely the best light heavyweight in the world, and I am willing to prove that, any time and any place,” Muriqi.

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