BOXING Jones faces Tarver

In a rematch, Roy Jones Jr. will defend his title that he won from Antonio Tarver.
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Roy Jones Jr. finds it ironic that Antonio Tarver tells anyone who will listen that he was robbed in their first fight.
Jones knows a little something about bad decisions himself. Before he made a dime in the ring, he was on the losing end of one of the most celebrated decisions ever.
"I've been the victim of one of the worst robberies in the history of boxing," Jones said.
Jones never got a chance to avenge the decision that cost him the gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, moving on instead to make millions showcasing his spectacular talents as a professional.
Tarver, on the other hand, had to wait only six months to get his rematch with Jones.
Battle tonight
The two meet again tonight for the WBC light heavyweight title Jones took from Tarver last November. It's a fight that will settle far more than just who wears a gaudy green championship belt.
"His whole legacy is on the line whether he realizes it or not," Tarver (21-2, 17 knockouts) said. "We are stuck together like Siamese twins in history."
Jones, who had to move to the heavyweight division for his last challenge, has found one in his natural weight class in the brash, talkative Tarver. He seems motivated to put on a show, and prove at the age of 35 that he still retains most of the skills that made him such a dominant fighter.
The scheduled 12-round fight will be televised on pay-per-view from the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino. It is expected to begin about 11:30 p.m.
Escaped with decision
Jones (49-1, 38 knockouts) looked old, sloppy and out of shape in the first fight, but still escaped with a majority decision that was loudly booed and loudly disputed by Tarver. Embarrassed by the performance, he says this fight will be different.
"I won the first fight, so what am I out to prove," Jones said. "I'm just coming back to do it again because the fans say 'Hey, he gave you the hardest time in your career.' You're right. Well, let's do it again."
Jones likes to claim he never makes excuses, but says he had to lose 25 pounds in training for the first fight, which came eight months after he won a decision from John Ruiz to win the WBA version of the heavyweight title.