Any takers this time for Gary Shaw's house?

Gary Shaw, the American promoter, is never slow coming forward to back his guy. On Tuesday, at a casino on Leicester Square, he was standing squarely behind Antonio Tarver, who challenges Clinton Woods for the IBF light-heavyweight title at the St Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida, on April 12. Shaw is so confident his guy will win, he says he's willing to put his house on it.

"I have a lot of respect for Clinton Woods for coming over to Tarver's home town, that tells me he has a lot of heart and big balls," Shaw said. "But he's never been in the ring with the likes of an Antonio Tarver - Tarver's been in there with the best in the world, he's experienced a large crowd.

"If Clinton is going to call out Julio Gonzalez and Rico Hoye in the same breath as Antonio Tarver, I'm telling you he doesn't have a chance. If he's thinking Tarver is Hoye or Gonzalez, when that bell rings he will realise that he made a mistake thinking they are interchangeable. Tarver is the consummate boxer, Woods has never faced anyone like that before. The class of Antonio Tarver is the difference.

"This is Mayweather-Hatton to me. I don't like to bet on fights, but on Mayweather-Hatton, I'd sure like to have bet my house and I would bet my house of Antonio versus Woods, because Clinton is Hatton coming into the ring - he's never faced a guy like this before."

Of course those with good memories would remember that Shaw does not have the best of records when it comes to saying he is willing to bet his house. Two years ago, he came to Manchester with an unbeaten and, in Shaw's view, unbeatable fighter called Jeff Lacy who was facing Joe Calzaghe. "Lacy will win, I'd bet my house on it," Shaw said.

Remarkable as it seems, Calzaghe was the outsider meaning he would I suppose he would have stood to win three-quarters of a house for his had someone taken his fictional bet. But it would have been him, of course, moving into a hotel on his return to the United States if his bet had been taken.

"Let me tell you, I learnt a lot about Joe Calzaghe that night, I thought I was having an out of body experience," Shaw said. "I learnt that Calzaghe is among the best fighters in the world - bar nobody."

Comments

[QUARTZ]

I think Woods will win on points. his workrate and accuracy will be higher than Tarver's. Tarver is shot.

[Scrapiron]

I fancy Clinton strongly. I don't think Tarver's anywhere near as good as he and Shaw think he is. He caught Jones at the right time and has been living off that ever since. He scraped past Johnson and won a majority decision over Elvir Muriqi. Woods is consistent, persistent and stronger than any of those guys at the weight. I think Tarver is a fortunate recipient of the skewed logic which exists in American boxing, which says that one win over a big name makes a career, and ensures said fighter is consistently regurgitated and celebrated with little time for the facts. Fernando Vargas, anyone? I think this is, relatively speaking, an easy fight for Woods.

[Adam C]

I think Clinton has a much better chance than a lot of people are giving him. The Woods that beat Johnson and Gonzalez is nothing like the won that lost to Jones years ago. He's faster, punches harder and has got a chin like rock. Tarver is not getting any younger and he showed against Hopkins that he doesn't like it when the going gets tough.

[Phill Arrowsmith]

This is a fascinating fight. Which Tarver will turn up? Has he really regained his focus? Is Woods, as I have said, "a very lucky world champion in a poor division?" I sincerely hope that the best Tarver turns up and that Woods knocks him out and makes me eat my words. If he does Ron I promise I'll be straight on here to apologise for arguing with you about that statement.
Unfortunately I can't see either of those things happening.