By Jordan Moskowitz

Antonio Tarver, who challenges Steve Cunningham Friday in Newark in a heavyweight bout, doesn’t want to be lumped in with still-fighting Roy Jones Jr. and James Toney, even though they are all 46 years old and all refuse to hang it up.

 

He believes he’s still a dangerous fighter and so deserves to be taken seriously.

“It’s totally unfair [to compare me to Jones and Toney] because I’m on a different level,” he said as sat in a private dressing room eating a plate of barbecue chicken and broiled vegetables at BB Kings in Manhattan before the final press conference.

“I’m at a different level. It doesn’t take away from what they’re doing and God bless them. I’m not ever going to try and rain on anyone’s parade. If they feel like they can still do it, do it. And I’ve inspired a lot of older fighters to get back in there and try but at the same time I’m on a different level and they’ll see that Aug. 14. Everybody is not able to do what I do at this level and I’m fighting one of the toughest, most grittiest fighters out there. I feel real good about this fight."

"I’m ready to put on a show and after Friday night I don’t think there will be any more doubt about what I can bring to the table. And what I’m telling the world is that I’m going to be the next heavyweight champion, whether I go through Wilder or Klitschko. But of course I want Klitschko. That’s the biggest fight out there in the heavyweight division right now. There’s nobody else that has won anything. There’s not a five-time champion anywhere in the heavyweight division but me. I’ve seen this movie before, when the whole world doubted me. I’m right where I belong. I like to be the underdog.”

Toney lost a decision to journeyman Charles Ellis on Saturday while Jones is scheduled to step into the ring against unsung Eric Watkins (12-9-2, 5 KOs)

at Foxwoods Resort on Sunday as he tries to get a bout with WBO cruiserweight champion, Marco Huck, who is in Friday’s co-feature in Newark.