Antonio Tarver Names The Boxer He Would Like To Play On The Big Screen [Exclusive]

Former unified light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, the first man to knockout Roy Jones, Jr., has said he is serious about getting back into acting.

Tarver played Mason “The Line” Dixon in the 2006 Rocky Balboa movie. In an exclusive interview with KO on SI, he revealed that he would like to return to the screen for a significant role.

“I think I would be perfect for a Jack Johnson movie, I want to do that myself,” said Tarver.

Jack Johnson (1878–1946) was more than just a famous fighter, he was an icon. He was the first African-American to capture the heavyweight crown, doing so in an era of Jim Crow and severe racial injustice.

He faced persecution under the Mann Act (1910) for his involvement in interracial relationships. He held the world heavyweight title (in those days, there was only one) from 1908 to 1915 and compiled an impressive record of over 113 fights (73-13-10, 1 NC).

Repost from @firstroundtv The moment that shocked the boxing world 👀🥊

When Antonio Tarver knocked out Roy Jones Jr. 👊🏼

Where does this moment rank in your all time boxing performances? #boxing #podcastclips #firstroundtv #boxinglife #britishboxing

“Still That Guy”!… pic.twitter.com/O8F5W2I99Q
— Antonio Tarver Sr. (@AntonioTarver) August 16, 2025

His story continues to attract attention. President Donald Trump issued a posthumous pardon for Johnson’s Mann Act conviction in 2018. Trump decried the "racially-motivated injustice” that had targeted Johnson in a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. The move was supported by former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and “Rocky” Star Sylvester Stallone.

At the time Stallone said he was interested in producing a biopic on Jack Johnson with MGM. Separately, Hollywood actor Mahershala Ali has been linked to playing Jack Johnson in an HBO miniseries.

“All I need is his [famous] gold-capped tooth,” Tarver said, noting his passing reference to the “Galveston Giant” as Johnson was known.

As an amateur, Tarver won gold at the Pan Am Games, World Championships, and U.S. Nationals all in the same year – a feat that no other boxer has accomplished. He is one of the most well-remembered light heavyweight champions of this century, who in his prime earned the WBA (Unified), WBC, IBF, and Ring magazine titles.

Above all, he is remembered for this three-fight series with Roy Jones, Jr. In their second fight in 2005, he became the first fighter to defeat Jones by knockout. In his last fight in 2015, he held Steven Cunningham to a split draw—the same “USS Cunningham” who dropped future unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in 2013.

Tarver said that he wants to get back into acting more generally and has also written a script for a “Creed” film. A script which could see him reprise the role of Mason Dixon from the “Rocky Balboa” movie.

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