Please Rewind Talent Wall

Antonio Tarver

Antonio Tarver comes to acting with a public identity shaped first in the boxing ring. Born in Orlando on November 21, 1968, Tarver built an amateur career that included United States light-heavyweight championships in 1993 and 1995, a National Golden Gloves title in 1994 and an Olympic bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He turned professional at 28, stopping Joaquin Garcia in the second round of his 1997 debut. Tarver won his first 16 professional fights, 14 by knockout, before moving into tougher competition. His career was defined not simply by victories, but by his ability to return from defeats and settle unfinished business. He avenged an early loss to Eric Harding, defeated Montell Griffin to claim the WBC and IBF light-heavyweight titles, and became far more widely known through his rivalry with Roy Jones Jr. After losing their first meeting by majority decision, Tarver knocked out Jones in the second round of their 2004 rematch, regaining the WBC title and winning the WBA Super title. He later completed the trilogy with a unanimous-decision victory in 2005. Tarver also reversed a loss to Glen Johnson, regained the IBF title against Clinton Woods and moved through the heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions, defeating Danny Green for the IBO cruiserweight championship in 2011. That boxing career gave Tarver a natural familiarity with cameras long before acting became part of his professional life. Following the second Jones fight, he appeared on late-night television, featured on the covers of Ring and KO Magazine, and co-hosted an ESPN Friday Night Fights telecast. His screen presence therefore carries the directness of someone accustomed to performing under pressure, with no separation between personality and competition. Tarver is associated with both boxing and acting, although his film career is not yet represented among Please Rewind’s covered movies. For now, his profile remains anchored by a remarkable ring career: Olympic medalist, multi-time light-heavyweight champion and a fighter whose most important chapters often came in rematches.