NO EXCUSES AFTER TARVER IS BEATEN JOHNSON FAVORED BY TWO JUDGES IN SURPRISING DECISION.

Byline: Robert Morales Staff Writer

Antonio Tarver did not seem to have the same dynamite in his hands that he used to knock out Roy Jones Jr. last May. He still appeared to have defeated Glen Johnson on Saturday in the main event at Staples Center.

The judges disagreed. Two of them had Johnson winning, and that is all he needed to come away with a split decision in a highly anticipated light heavyweight bout in front of 9,126, including Kobe and Vanessa Bryant at ringside.

Judge Marty Denkin of West Covina had Tarver winning 116-112, but Melvina Lathan and Chuck Giampa scored Johnson the winner by the 115-113 scores. Daily News had Tarver winning, 115-113.

``I thought I won the fight,'' said Tarver, who is 22-3. ``I thought I hit him with some clean shots; I thought I dictated the pace and threw the harder shots. I hurt him in that last round.

``It could have went either way on the scorecards, but I thought I was ahead on the scorecards entering the 12th round, and I finished strong. But I guess I just have to knock everybody out.''

Tarver, of Orlando, Fla., did his best work with his left cross. Except for a few instances, he did not seem to be throwing it with fight-ending intentions, like he did when he knocked out Jones in the second round seven months ago.

``I am not one to make excuses,'' Tarver, 36, said. ``I hurt my left hand early in the fight. I'll have to get an X-ray. I caught him with a good shot in the fourth or fifth round, and I had excruciating pain.

``He fought with a cut (left) eye, and I fought with an injured hand. We're both warriors.''

Each fighter was paid a guarantee of $1.05 million, but Tarver's promoter, Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing, said Tarver would end up making much more than $2 million ``based on the profits of the show.''

In order to stage what was considered the best light heavyweight matchup possible, Tarver relinquished his World Boxing Council belt and Johnson gave up his International Boxing Federation title.

The organizations had threatened to strip them of their belts if they signed to fight each other instead of their mandatory challengers. Although Johnson made less money than Tarver on Saturday, he was the big winner.

Even if there is controversy about the outcome, there is no question that Johnson (42-9-2) appeared to be the hungrier of the fighters.

``I knew the fight was close going into the 12th round,'' said Johnson, 35, of Miami. ``He was working with me. I dug deep, and he ran off some punches on me, but I blocked them and counterpunched effectively.''

Tarver caught Johnson in the head with a hard left cross 50 seconds into the 12th round, pushing Johnson back. Johnson seemed hurt. The fighters went toe-to-toe, and Johnson began to land to the body.

Although their exhaustion at that point was probably equal, Tarver appeared to have won that final round. But the judges who scored Johnson the winner gave him the round. Had both scored it for Tarver, the bout would have been a majority draw.

``He never hurt me,'' Johnson said. ``He knocked me off balance, but he never hurt me. Nothing hurts me. I was never concerned about his power.''

Heavyweight contender James Toney said he was supposed to fight Tarver in a bout that was going to be announced this week. That won't happen now, but perhaps a Tarver-Johnson rematch is in order.

``Definitely, I will give him a rematch,'' Johnson said. ``Antonio Tarver is a great fighter. He proved he is a true champion.''

Tarver is game.

``Of course, I want the rematch,'' he said. ``I did enough to win the fight. When he hit me, he didn't get anything. But I'm good in rematches. I lost to Eric Harding and came back and knocked him out. I lost a controversial decision to Roy Jones and came back and knocked him out.''

Jones, who worked Saturday's HBO telecast, had Tarver winning.

Johnson afterward talked about the hard work and determination it took to not only get the fight with Tarver, but prevail. It could be that's what the judges saw. Tarver did land the cleaner punches, but he at times was outworked by Johnson, whose best work was done with a straight right hand and a crisp left jab.

``We both fought very hard,'' Johnson said.

Many of the rounds were very close. Tarver may have hurt his left hand, but he still threw it plenty. He would land it and look to have Johnson on the run, but Johnson would come back and put the pressure on Tarver, who at times didn't seem to be fighting with enough intensity.

Robert Morales, [phone], Ext. 2213

robert.morales(at)sgvn.com

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Photo:

Glen Johnson, right, connects to Antonio Tarver's head during his split- decision victory.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer