Tarver is not ready to retire

Thursday's press conference was always going to be an occasion for Antonio Tarver to unveil the showman that is never far from the surface and so it proved. Two days to go before he challenges Clinton Woods for the IBF light-heavyweight title and Tarver was there to sell tickets and get the Tampa Bay area out to support him in the first of what he hopes will be a run of three titles in three bouts.

"I'm not ready to retire, I'm not here to play no games, I'm not ready to go nowhere," Tarver, 39, said. "So all those writers who are writing me off, talking about 'I've seen my best day', they don't have a clue.

"If you think I've come this far to let Clinton Woods get anything on Saturday, you've got to be kidding. I'm back, I'm as stong as ever, we trained our ass off and we are going to set Tampa alight. Clinton Woods and his team are excited and they are going to have a lot of hopes and dreams that are going to be dashed. It's going to be a spectacular night."

This part of Florida has proved a big success in the sport in recent times. According to Gary Shaw, the St Pete Times Forum, where the bout will take place, has seen more big fights in recent years than any other similar sized area outside Las Vegas. It was there that Jeff Lacy beat Robin Reid in 2005, where Ronald 'Winky' Wright beat Ike Quartey in 2006 and where Tarver beat Roy Jones Jr in 2005.

"Tampa is a hot spot," Tarver said. "We've been doing in here for a few years now, myself, Jeff Lacy, Winky Wright and now Nate Campbell who just won the undisputed lightweight championship. There must be something in the water here.

"I respect Woods. He's come through in a lot of tough fights. But if he fights like he always does and comes to pressure me, this fight is going to end early. When I have to try and chase down guys and corner them, that is when I have trouble. I don't think I will have to go looking for Woods. I know some people think that I'm the underdog in this fight, but all that does is challenge me more and I am at my best when I'm challenged. I expect to and am confident that I not only will win, but will win in spectacular fashion. I am going to break Woods down and knock him out."