LAS VEGAS – It was the first time in his career that Roy Jones was booed. It also was the first time he was beaten up.
His left eye swollen, his legs wilting, Jones mustered just enough energy to win the final two rounds on two judges’ scorecards last night and earn a majority decision over Antonio Tarver to regain the WBC light heavyweight champion.
“Bull!” the crowd at Mandalay Bay Event Center shouted in unison, clearly unhappy Jones had gotten the decision.
Judge Jerry Roth saw the fight a 114-114 draw. Glen Hamada had it 117-111, while Dave Harris scored it 116-112. The Post favored Jones 115-113, with Jones winning the final two rounds. Jones also won the final two rounds on Hamada’s and Harris’ scorecards.
Tarver (21-2, 17 KOs) was clearly disappointed.
“I can’t worry about what they do outside the ring,” he said. “I know I know I won the fight inside the ring. I hurt Roy Jones and he knows it. I won the fight hands down. All you have to do is look at his face.”
Jones looked relieved. It was clearly the most difficult fight of his career.
“I was never hurt,” he insisted. “He landed some punches and got my eye a little bit. His strategy was to win the last 30 seconds of every round. It was a tough fight.”
Both fighters met the 175-pound weight limit on Friday. Jones came down from the 193 pounds he weighed in winning the WBA heavyweight title from John Ruiz last March. Jones was reportedly 186 pounds as of late as last week, and having to shed so much weight took its toll.
Halfway through the fight, Jones looked bushed, breathing heavily between rounds and often laying in the corner, using the rope-a-dope tactic to catch his breath.
With Jones clearly tiring, Tarver could have easily won the fight. But he didn’t do enough work, especially in the final two rounds, where Jones was the aggressor.
Tarver, a tall southpaw, was often too cautious. Neither fighter threw many punches early. Jones seemed to find his rhythm in the sixth. When he wasn’t playing rope-a-dope in the corner, he was scoring with combinations that started with a left hook to the body and right hands to the head.
Tarver fared better in the seventh and eighth rounds as Jones continued to fatigue.
Tarver tried to rally late with a flurry as Jones wilted along the ropes. Then Tarver began a premature celebration as the bell rang.
Jones said he planned to meet Mike Tyson in a “mega-dollar” heavyweight fight.
“Then I’m done,” he said.
* On the under card, Winky Wright (46-3, 25 KOs) retained the IBF junior middleweight title with an easy unanimous decision over Angel Hernandez (25-5, 16 KOs).
Good-looking middleweight prospect Jermain Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) made his Las Vegas debut by stopping Rogelio Martinez (13-5-1, 6 KOs) in the seventh round.