Boxing.com

Those who have been eagerly waiting for Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver to fight again need not wait any longer.

They first fought on June 10, 2006, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for Tarver’s IBO light heavyweight title. As things turned out, it wasn’t Tarver’s night, as the lopsided 118-109 decision on all three judges’ scorecards indicated.

Many have forgotten that fight and night, as many have forgotten many fights and many nights. But neither Hopkins nor Tarver is among them. Both men, like many men (and like a few women as well), self-mythologize, and both men remember their losses as well as their wins. It may not seem like yesterday to you and me, but it seems like yesterday to Hopkins and Tarver.

Yesterday afternoon, the newly restored WBC light heavyweight champion and the current IBO cruiserweight champion took to the verbal arena known as Twitter, aka Land of the One-Liners, to hash out their differences in a public forum.

Their war of words wasn’t engaging or satisfying, but it was unsightly, and grew out of control to such an extent that ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael, who in effect started it all by giving Hopkins a platform to crow, eventually resorted to peacemaking, instead of rabblerousing, by quoting those immortal words of Rodney King, “Why can’t we all just get along?”

It started before noon and went on into the night. Tarver overreacted by lobbing the first tweet (with a little judicious editing and spell-check below).

“I read a bit of the interview,” Tarver tweeted, “and as always he’s delusional about my accomplishments. I’ve given and shown Bernard all the credit and respect from a fighter’s standpoint, but as a person I question why he continues to bring my name up in conversation. He says I’m envious and jealous of him, and anyone who’s ever met or knows me knows that’s impossible because there’s never been a jealous bone in my body. I’m too busy loving me.

“About our fight, he shouldn’t get the credit he gets. I took a long layoff, lost 53 lbs. in two months, and I still believe it’s a good chance I was poisoned and I may never get the chance to prove it. So I’ll charge that to the game.”

Tarver had bulked up to portray a heavyweight in one of the Rocky movies, and had to drop a lot of weight in a short period of time in order to fight Hopkins. He may have been weakened by the weight loss. He wouldn’t be the first fighter that has happened to. The bit about having his been poisoned is news to me. But he wouldn’t be the first fighter who has leveled that accusation either.

“The rematch was made years ago,” Tarver continued, “but I knew he would never fight me again. But unlike Roy Jones Jr. after our fight he never became champion again. I have twice. I lost to one person since Hopkins, the same man that would have surely beat his ass. Why would I want to fight a man that can’t draw flies to a picnic, the worse PPV in boxing history? At 47 B-Hop is still breaking records. Do your little interviews. Leave my name out of your mouth. I’m the Cruiserweight Champ. Until you get your weight up shut the fuck up. You claim you’re the Champ. Fight Dawson to regain your credibility and prove you’re the legend you say you is…”

Tarver was perhaps getting to the nub of the issue. But he was tweeting with such abandon, that it was hard, if not impossible, to separate the wheat from the chaff.

“Money shouldn’t be the issue. You got paid in advance the first time. Our business is done. Handle yours. I’m handling mine!!! I get nothing out of beating a 47-year-old ancient fighter when I’m KO’ing young champions.

“B-Hop, name the last fighter you KO’d and how long ago that was… Oh, was it your business partner De La Hoya 10 years ago?

“He wants to call out my name every time. He wants people to remember he beat me. He’s lived good off that one win.”

Tarver tweeted about his big KO over Roy Jones Jr. in his prime. He also tweeted about Hopkins having earned enough money to have his teeth fixed, which is of utmost interest to us all.

“The only name he needs to be calling out is Chad Dawson!!! I’m not calling him out. I’m addressing the BS he said in an earlier interview. I got bigger fish to fry!!”

That Hopkins was able to get under Tarver’s skin so effectively, that he was able to get Tarver to overreact as he did, must have pleased Bernard no end. I can imagine him with his iPhone in his palm, staring at the tiny screen with a wicked little grin on his face, as Tarver had in effect lost it by taking the bait and tweeting up an imperfect storm.

Hopkins is known for many things, but being a man of few words isn’t among them. But this time, this once, he kept it short, sweet, and to the point. Bernard tweets as he now fights, selectively choosing his spots before stepping back to admire his handwork.

“Here we go again,” Hopkins tweeted. “Stop making excuses. You are a pro. You signed the contract. I whooped your ass. You are full of shit. You got poisoned from me beating you up. You fought Chad in Vegas, at the Hard Rock, a 1200 seat arena and y’all sold 100 tickets. You are nothing to me. Don’t worry about my bread or teeth!! I’m comfortable with my life. Go to bed. You have to get up in the morning for work.”

I don’t know who won the round or won the fight, or even if there was a round or fight to win. Twitter wars have a character all their own, and the rules, such as they are, must make the Marquis of Queensberry spin in his grave.