LOS ANGELES — Antonio Tarver thought back to his 2000 loss to Eric Harding when asked about challenger Chad Dawson

"I'm looking at this guy as a serious threat," said Tarver, the IBF and IBO light heavyweight champion. "The last time I overlooked somebody, I got my jaw broken."

Tarver (27-4) and Dawson (26-0) attended an outdoor press conference Wednesday to announce their Oct. 11 title bout at the Palm Casino Resort.

The bout will be televised on Showtime in conjunction with the WBC heavyweight clash from Germany between champion Sam Peter and former titleholder Vitali Klitschko.

"We finally cornered Tarver," said Gary Shaw, whose company promotes Dawson.

The 39-year-old Tarver had been chasing Joe Calzaghe, but when the Welsh fighter accepted a match with Roy Jones Jr., Tarver looked toward the 26-year-old Dawson, a recent victor over the dangerous Glen Johnson.