Jermain Taylor circa 2000
IS JERMAIN TAYLOR PUTTING HIS LIFE IN PERIL?
Los Angeles, CA– Men are challenged with the existence of time that has vanished from our youth. A man must face the inevitable, that time itself is a representation of the past, present and future. The past is a recorded performance that cannot be duplicated, with many failed attempts to preserve a specific point of achievements. We, at least in boxing, all have to relinquish and give back what we once possessed, the physical attributes, superior quality and artistic accomplishments. Time is a manipulation of mechanics with false interpretations, and sometimes crude, ruthless infinite extensions and results.
11 YEARS SINCE JERMAIN BECAME A NAME!
2000 Olympic Bronze medal winner Jermain Taylor is a man lost between the disappointments of here and now and according to many fight game experts, he has no business stepping between the ropes this Friday (December 30) on a Showtime card emanating from Cabazon, CA. The country boy from Little Rock, Arkansas is ending a two year ring absence, and in the minds of some is putting his health in peril. Taylor’s willingness to be great in a sport that he has been acquainted with since the age of 13 is now a man who at 33 may discover the hardships that his once God-given talents have deteriorated in a downward spiral. Taylor, (28-4, KOs 17) has lost four of his last five with three of those losses coming by way of brutal knockout. Taylor has exhibited physical characteristics of a Faberge egg, exquisitely well groomed but when tested to the chin, it becomes damaged goods much like it’s delicate shell.
BY FAR, THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AMERICAN PRO FROM 2000 OLYMPICS
Placing third in Sydney, Australia at 156 lbs. in 2000, Jermain was looked upon as having a bright future in the paid ranks. Taylor went on to take the linear middleweight (160 lbs) title from Bernard Hopkins in 2005. Also winning the return match and defending the title three times with a disputed draw, his championship reign when he was halted in seven rounds by Kelly Pavlik. Losing the rematch by (UD 12), sandwiching a win between the two Pavlik losses before he got a ‘boxing” reality check. His last two fights have ended unsuccessfully in the final portion of the 12th round, the first to Carl Froch (the guy Andre Ward beat easily last week) and Arthur Abraham . Not trying to be redundant, but both were extremely brutal knockouts suffered by the Arkansas native.
Taylor Taking Heat From Froch
GOING BACK TO 160 & CALIFORNIA FRIDAY
Prosper on back south to the middleweight division is the key, or so he thinks. The former champ didn’t have much success up north in the super middleweight division. His speed was still there, and his arsenal looked good as he gave the aforementioned Carl Froch all he could handle. The weight and firepower were far greater than he could endure at this stage of the game. Instead of saying he had retired, Taylor said that he would, “Revaluate his boxing career” after the last loss. Had he closed the book then, Taylor would have had a good, but not great career.
GOOD FOR TAYLOR, FRIDAY’S OPPONENT CAN’T PUNCH!
Facing Taylor Friday will be Jessie Niklow, 24 and out of Baltimore, Maryland. To be frank, Niklow is a virtual novice when it comes to the elite level. So far in five years as a pro, he has collected a mediocre record that stands at (22-2 8 KO’s), his only notable loss coming at the hands of Fernando Guerrero (TKO 4). Niklow had about 60 amateur fights. So he can fight a little, and may pose some problems since he is an active lefty over the course of two years that Taylor was in semi-retirement. Other than that, he has not much power or the explosiveness of recent memory. Simply put, the essence of being a great fighter is at an extreme distance for Nicklow. Unless Taylor is completely shot, I see him winning on points.
Dominic Verdin