If words carry weight, the Oct. 11 showdown between light-heavyweights Chad Dawson (26-0, 17 KOs) and Antonio Tarver (26-4, 19 KOs), on Showtime, should blow out the co-headlining heavyweight title fight between Sam Peter and Vitali Klitschko. On a national teleconference held today, the two were at each other’s throats, with threats, promises and predictions of a dominating victory.

Tarver: ”I have a lot of Chad Dawson’s on my resume, but he doesn’t have one Antonio Tarver. I’m going to take him into uncharted waters. He’s going to get a crash course.”
Dawson: “This is a fighting game, not a talking game. You keep running your trap, your big-a** mouth. You find out what happens Oct. 11.”

Tarver: “I ain’t never been scared of nobody.”

Dawson: “You’re gonna be scared … He’s slow, he’s old. He’s a scary fighter.”

Tarver: “I’m slow, I’m old? You don’t really believe that. All that talking got you hyped up. I’m coming to teach a young boy new tricks.”