Tampa's Antonio Tarver inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Antonio Tarver, who rose from Tampa Bay’s amateur ranks to Olympic bronze medalist and five-time world champion, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Fighting primarily as a light heavyweight, Tarver amassed a 31-6-1 record with 22 knockouts during a pro career that spanned from 1997 to 2015.

“The Magic Man” won his first world title in 2003 and jumped into the mainstream of sport with his fights against Pensacola great Roy Jones Jr.

“To the sport of boxing, you saved my life,” Tarver said Sunday during his induction in Verona, New York. “You give me an identity, you gave me direction and a platform to show the world who I really was. Boxing taught me resilience, courage and the power of belief in yourself when the odds are always stacked against you.”

Fighting out of the famed St. Pete Boxing Club, “The Magic Man” won one of his light heavyweight championships in 2004, when he knocked out Jones, who had long been considered the top fighter in the sport.

Tarver beat Jones in two of their three fights — the last one a unanimous decision in Tampa at what is now Benchmark International Arena in 2005.

Before they became rivals, Jones' controversial loss in a gold-medal match in the 1988 Seoul Olympics helped send Tarver on his way to greatness.

“When I witnessed the great Roy Jones get robbed, bro, I can’t tell you,” Tarver said. “I got off the couch and ran 3 miles and I’ve been running ever since.”

Tarver's charisma helped him become known for more than his success inside the ring. He was a top boxing TV analyst and famously played heavyweight champion Mason Dixon in the 2006 film sequel “Rocky Balboa.”

Tarver, 57, joins St. Petersburg’s Winky Wright, a 2018 inductee, in the boxing hall. They are part of Tampa Bay boxing legacy that includes Tommy Gomez, John “The Beast” Mugabi, Jeff Lacy, Willie Monroe Jr. and Jasmine Artiga.

Tarver was born in Orlando but moved to Tampa as a child. He attended Chamberlain High School, where he excelled as a multisport athlete before dedicating himself to boxing.

Even after capturing an Olympic bronze in 1996 and skyrocketing to international fame, Tarver remained loyal to Tampa, and still lives in the area. He trained out of local gyms, raised his family in the area and collaborated with others to help elevate the region’s boxing scene.

Antonio Tarver was 4-0 in Tampa bouts, including the 2005 decision over Jones. They included a 2001 decision against Reggie Johnson to capture the NABF and IBF light heavyweight titles at the Tampa Convention Center, and fifth-round KO of Mike Sheppard in 2008 at Benchmark arena.

Also inducted in the hall on Sunday were: Kazakhstan middleweight Gennadiy Golovkin, who went 42-2-1 with 37 KOs with a record-tying 20 consecutive title defenses; Nigel Benn, a champion as a middleweight and super middleweight who went 42-5-1 with 35 KOs.

Rounding out the class were woman champions Naoko Fujioka and Jackie Nava; early 20th century fighter Jimmie Clabby; journalist Kevin Iole and late broadcaster Alex Wallau; cut men Russ Anber and Jimmy Glenn; referee Frank Cappuccino; and ring physician Dr. Edwin “Flip” Homansky.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.