When a promoter prefaces a fighter’s introduction with a forceful reminder of his charity work, the pretext is usually clear: you’re probably gonna think this fella’s a bit of a plank, but stick around, he’s a nice plank really.

Clinton Woods, Sheffield’s IBF light-heavyweight champion who defends his belt against the 39-tear-old Tarver in Tampa on 12 April, is one man who still thinks he’s just a plank.

“I always hated him, but I can’t stand the guy now,” said Woods towards the end of an ill-tempered news conference in London, which contained more flash points than a Buenos Aries derby.

Whether Antonio Tarver - former Olympian, former undisputed light-heavyweight champion and twice victor over the great Roy Jones – is a nice guy or not, he certainly makes a hell of a lot of noise. And, in common with most American fighters, he’s obsessed with respect.

Tarver’s main beef was Woods’ contention that he was going to knock the American out on the way to a clash with Wales’ super-middleweight king Joe Calzaghe later this year.

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But his trainer Jimmy Williams, dressed in a mustard plaid suit with lapels as wide as his charge’s gob, seemed more upset about the taxi arrangements.

“When you come to Tampa, we’re gonna tell you how to treat people,” said Williams, looking like he’d just walked out of an episode of Kojak.

“We won’t send you no cab, we’re gonna pick you up in a limousine. You’re bad hosts. We have class man and we’re gonna show you what class is about.”

Unfortunately, Tarver’s promoter Gary Shaw was soon calling one of his former fighters a “piece of &*$* who couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag”. Very classy, Jimmy, very classy indeed.

What can be said for Tarver is that, in common with most black American boxers I’ve met, he has presence and charisma to burn. Indeed, the small suite at The Empire Casino in Leicester Square seemed barely able to contain him.

Tarver recently co-starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in Rocky VI and the contrast between him and Woods - who probably only plays cameo roles in his own living room - was striking.

“You’re an ordinary fighter – I’m an extraordinary fighter,” said Tarver. “You’re sitting next to greatness, Homey. You’re not good enough to carry my bag.”

“You got beaten by Grandad,” shot back the 35-year-old Woods, referring to Tarver’s defeat to former middleweight king Bernard Hopkins in 2006.

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At one point the two men squared-up, but there was little danger of any pre-April knuckles. It was just Tarver, who’s been in plenty of fights bigger than this one, playing games.

Shaw, however, was not in such a frisky mood, at one point rising to his feet to challenge a young kid who had vowed, rather cryptically, to knock Tarver’s “roasted peanut head off”.

He also had a heated exchange with Ambrose Mendy, former manager of Nigel Benn, while Williams took exception to a BBC employee and suggested they get more closely acquainted up on stage.

Whether all this amounts to an early psychological point for Tarver is difficult to say. Ricky Hatton trounced Floyd Mayweather in the talking stakes ahead of their fight last December but was badly outclassed when it came to fight night.

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But Woods is far less cocksure than Hatton. He will have realised on Tuesday that he has arrived in the big time. Whether this rather retiring Yorkshireman can focus through all the hype and hoopla could be one of the keys to the outcome of the fight.