Tarver's challenge to Hopkins: "Winner take all punk!"

By G. Leon

21/06/2004

Tarver's challenge to Hopkins: "Winner take all punk!"

"Got any excuses now?"

Light heavyweight king Antonio "The Magic Man" Tarver had a lot to say in response to our recent interview with undisputed middleweight king Bernard Hopkins: "I thought I was being quite respectful when I did my last interview with you. This punk claims to have thick skin and then nearly has a nervous breakdown when I give him some helpful advice. The Extortionist is all talk and time and time again this has been proven. He's offered 6 million to fight Roy, talks a lot of shit, then punks out at the last minute. He talks about these title defenses against shot or C level fighters and thinks he's made history. Take a close look at who he calls out. Fernando Vargas after Tito beats him, same with David Reid after Tito beats him, Shane Mosley, Jermain Taylor a pup who's still a work in progress."

You think we all don't see the pattern? Oh yeah, you'll talk a good game when it come to stepping up and taking a challenge, but no sooner than HBO is ready to televise the fight, you run like a thief in the night. You cause this big drama about Joe Cortez as if we didn't know it was your way to take attention from your dirty fighting in the ring. I should start calling you the Drama Queen.

On national television, his idol, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler embarrasses him by pointing out his sloppy foot work. Then Marvin is asked, what great middleweight fighter would he have liked to fight if it had been possible and again The Extortionist is dissed by his idol. Hagler answered Carlos Monzon because Monzon, unlike you was no punk. The Extortionist sees me knock out Roy and he's awe struck. Later, he sees me on Leno and he's star struck. Now he's being a groupie trying to ride my coat tails while kissing Arum and Oscar's ass because he knows he has to be a good boy." Members click here for the rest of this must read exclusive interview that can't be found anywhere else.

"He talks about his thug days as if he was wearing some badge of honor. But the punk won't tell you that his claim to fame in the streets was ripping off old ladies for their social security money with a sawed off shotgun hidden under his coat. He preys on the small and weak but never steps up to take a challenge. Once he puts his foot up his ass, the excuses start coming out like diarrhea. Last week he said I wasn't even on his radar after September 18th, two days later, on national television, he claims that he's going to knock me out. That's what you call relapsing.

"He talks about crack, not realizing the only crack I'll be doing is finishing cracking his teeth if he ever tries to be half the man he claims he is by fighting me. He talks of himself as some great fighter when one good look at his face tells you about the train wrecks he been in against sub par competition. He claims he's going to knock me out. Does that mean like his knockouts against Joppy and Allen?

"I told you before that I could use The Extortionist as a tune up fight and that's what this will be. Talk about jaws dropping, he states that his relationship with Bouie Fisher was just like Hagler's was with the Petronelli brothers. Did you ever hear the Petronellis call Marvin a piece of shit?

"Lou DiBella resurrected your dying career and how did you repay him? You falsely accused him of trying to extort money from you in order to get on HBO. Anybody in this business who knows Lou, knows that he's credible, caring, honest and a straight shooter who would never rip off a fighter, let alone ask for a bribe. He took a man who tried to help him and without the least of concern tried to ruin his career in order to advance his own career. How's that for an ingrate? Lou had him pegged perfectly when he was interviewed on Real Sports and asked what type of person The Extortionist was, he immediately replied, "A Punk".

"You can yourself a man and go on this Internet tirade with a fighter's wife. That's right, look at how much of a punk you are picking on Jin Mosley, Shane's wife. You're such a classless low life, you definies the word ingrate.

"I want to get this punk before those brittle legs fall apart. I'm going to finish cracking those teeth even though I know that somewhere out there I'll have an orthodontist pissed off at me, but so what! Forget about getting 20 title defenses. Why not come fight the man, who knocked out the man, that beat you easily? When you fail, you can still go back and get your 20 defenses. If by some stroke of luck you beat me, you can get the 20 defenses by fighting worse opposition than you've been doing and nobody will say jack.

"Enough lip service, show the fans that you're a least half the man that you couldn't be when they had you locked up. I'm going to make this crystal clear to you right now Extortionist, let's do it winner takes all, it's the second time I give you the invite. Pick on somebody your own size so that I can show the fans the bitch you were in jail. I know you carry all that anger around because you had some slip up's in the joint. Is that why you wrote letters to you family begging them to always send soap on a rope? You like to believe you're smart, the funny thing is that you just flipped the switch for your own Execution idiot. And IF you ever fight me, keep the mask off, I already know that what lies beneath is nothing but a PUNK!

"Finally, if you can't respond YES to my winner take all challenge, then just take your dirty, stinky, ass somewhere else and stop calling my name bitch. I've even saved your cheap ass the expense of having to pay your lawyer with my generous offer. There's no complicated contract to quarrel about here, and now that you're free, no Don King to blame about the money. If your people believe in you, which I know they don't because you surely don't, it's on. HBO should be elated, I'll have knocked off two of their headaches in less than one year. P4P, say goodbye to that too. Two tune-ups, two KO's, now that's what P4P material is all about you idiot. Make sure you make good on your word to tell me in my face what you said the other day because if you do, I'm going to knock you out right then and there for free. I, like the fans, you know, those fans that you would spend time with if you didn't have something better to do, am waiting to hear your excuse for how you're going to pull out of this fight.

"One thing I know for sure, with a winner take all, we've eliminated the money excuse. So what's the next one punk? You talk a good game, now back it up. Now you have a real reason to throw down a flag, go ahead, throw the surrender flag and show your 100 fans that you're nothing but a punk ass bitch that only preys on the small, the weak, and helpless little old ladies with a sawed off shot gun. If it gives you any comfort, bring your new found friend Joe Cortez to be the ref. As long as he can count to 10, he's a keeper. For a limited amount of time, if you act quickly, I'll even throw in another bonus. We can do the fight in Philly so that when I have you taken out in a stretcher, your people won't have to travel very far to see your sorry ass in the ICU ward.

"After reading this statement Extortionist, it should be plain for you to see that not only can't you beat me inside the ring, it only get worse for you when you try doing it outside the ring. The only thing you need to do now is simply respond yes or no about fighting me because after this don't ever mention my name unless your ready to attend you self imposed execution, punk."



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