LAS VEGAS -- Roy Jones Jr. escaped to fight one more time. The way he looked against Antonio Tarver, one more fight may be all he has in him.

	Jones (left) connects with a left to Tarver.

Showing the effects of dropping down from heavyweight to 175 pounds, Jones managed to win an unpopular majority decision Saturday night over Tarver to add the WBC light heavyweight title to the WBA heavyweight crown he already held.

It took Jones all of 12 rounds, though, and it wasn't easy. Looking more like an aging fighter than the dominant boxer of his time, Jones was booed loudly by the crowd who thought Tarver had done more than enough to win.

"I was very tired because of the weight," Jones said. "It was a tough fight because of the weight. I had to lose 25 pounds, and it was a tough 25 pounds to lose."

Tarver gave Jones as much trouble as any fighter in his 14-year pro career, marking his face and threatening to hand him his first real loss. But Jones landed well to the body and did enough to win on two of the three ringside cards.

"I beat the man tonight, that makes me the man," Tarver said. "I won the fight hands down. His face tells the story."

Jones won back the title he vacated to move up and win the WBA heavyweight title from John Ruiz in March, but Tarver seemed to land the bigger punches and took the fight to Jones most of the night.

Judge Glen Hamada had Jones winning 117-111, judge Dave Harris had it 116-112 and Jerry Roth had it 114-114. The Associated Press had it even 114-114.

Jones said it was his last fight as a light heavyweight and one of his last ever. He wants to fight Mike Tyson sometime next year to finish his career.

"One megadollar heavyweight fight with Tyson and then I'm done," Jones said.

The way Tarver saw it, Jones was already done.

In a fight full of trash talking and taunting, Tarver was the busier fighter and negated the speed of Jones by keeping him at arm's length.

The 34-year-old Jones, who had to drop from 193 in his last fight with Ruiz to the 175-pound limit, seemed to tire early and only in the late rounds was able to land some effective combinations.

"You saw for yourself I beat the man," Tarver said. "His face tells the story. I hurt Roy tonight."

The fight was more of a chess match early, with both fighters trying to figure the other out and neither doing much to try and score punches. The action was so slow in the first round that the crowd booed as both fighters crouched and looked at each other.

But it picked up as the rounds went on, building to a frenzied finish as Jones came on strong in the final two rounds.

"I'm disappointed. I gave better than a great effort tonight," Tarver said. "I am the new people's champion."

It was Jones, though, who stood on the ring ropes with his hands aloft in a victory he said was well deserved.

"I was fighting the first two minutes of every round and he was trying to win the last 30 seconds of the round. That was his strategy," Jones said. "But you can't win a fight winning only 30 seconds of a round."

Jones (49-1, 38 knockouts) was an 8-1 favorite against Tarver in a rematch of an amateur fight the two fought as 13-year-olds in the Sunshine State Games in Florida. Jones won that fight by decision, and he made it 2-0 with a win that meant a lot more Saturday.

Tarver had complained Jones ducked him while he was light heavyweight champion and that he didn't get the recognition he should for winning the title Jones vacated in a fight against Montell Griffin in April.

In the ring, the two taunted each other, shaking their heads "no" when they got hit and showboating at times. At the end of the fourth round, Tarver stood and yelled at Jones, who looked back in disgust.

The fight had been billed "Now, it's personal," and for once the hype was right.

"I take my hat off to him," Jones said. "He was trying to win. I got very tired because of the weight."

Jones agreed to let Tarver enter the ring last because his title was at stake, even though Jones is a heavyweight champion. But he vowed before the fight that he would be leaving the ring last -- and he was.

Even ring announcer Michael Buffer seemed to be trying to convince the crowd that Tarver was legitimate when he introduced him as "the true champion."

Tarver (21-2, 17 knockouts) had been in only one title fight, winning the light heavyweight crown that Jones vacated to fight Ruiz. But even though he was less experienced he controlled the action for big parts of the fight.

"You're frustrating him, don't fall into his game plan," Tarver's trainer, Buddy McGirt, told his fighter after the third round.

Tarver landed his best punches when Jones was on the ropes, covering up and trying to look for a counter shot.

"Don't stay on the ropes Roy," trainer Alton Merkerson said. "Stay in the center of ring. Don't give him what he wants."

After the eighth round, which Tarver dominated, Merkerson was growing increasingly concerned.

"You've got to let your hands go," he told Jones. "You've got to put something on this joker to slow him down."

By that time the crowd, which cheered Jones so loudly when he entered the ring, was now urging on Tarver.