Tarver - Woods: Announced for Undercard of Dawson - Johnson

We're not even close to March and already we have significant light-heavyweight champions and high ranked competitors who will square off early on.
Clinton Woods, the IBF light heavyweight world champion and Antonio "Magic-Man" Tarver will face off on the undercard of Chad Dawson & Glen Johnson on April 12, 2008.

Tarver, once recognized as the best light heavyweight in the world is slowly but surely finding his pathway back to the top. His upcoming matchup against Clinton Woods proves to be off much significance to his future and the rest of the division. Every since his lop-sided loss to Bernard Hopkins in June 2006, Tarver has been on the road to recovery and has seem to find yet another opportunity to shine. Clinton Woods of Sheffield England has quite a resume of household names. He went 1-1-1 against hard-punching Glen Johnson, defeated Julio Cesar Gonazles on two occasions and loss to then pound 4 pound fighter, Roy Jones Jr. It's an hell of an opportunity for Woods also; a spotlight on Showtime television against another household name in this unofficial 175lb reign of light heavyweight supremacy. Because of his activity in the ring and his dedication to the division, Woods has been fairly ranked as #2 right behind Bernard Hopkins.

"It's a fight I have been longing for. He told me he would beat me years ago, well now he has got the chance. He can't run any longer because the deal has been made. It is smell the coffee time and he is going to find out the hard way what a thorough beating is all about. He lost to old man Bernard Hopkins on points but I am going to knock him out and then my status as the best light heavyweight in the world will be confirmed. If Joe Calzaghe gets past grand-dad Hopkins the week after I make mincemeat of Tarver, he can come looking for me. I'm ready for Calzaghe anytime and any place and he knows it." - Clinton Woods Fightnightnews.com.

A win for either man could prove to huge, best of all, this fight will be free on network television so the whole world can witness. Realizing the utter importance of this fight, both fighters will have to be at their A game and cannot look anything less than spectacular. If Antonio Tarver can pull of this big name, without a doubt, he'll emerge back amongst the public eye and be in line for a mega fight at least by the end of the year. Same rules apply for Woods. If Clinton Woods is successful, it'll push him along even further - perhaps into a fight with the winner of the Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins affair. No - It won't be an easy task for either man, but it'll be quite an interesting night when we find out who will emerge victorious. Let us also be mindful that we still have quite a few super middleweights (168lbs) who would probably entertain the idea of heading north to 175lb for a big fight. Allan Green, Mikkel Kessler and Jeff Lacy are names that could be right around the block.

Let's count on our hands: Jones- Trinidad at 170, Dawson - Johnson, Hopkins - Calzaghe, Tarver - Woods, what's next? A few victories and eventually a significant light heavyweight affair somewhere down the road of 175.