By Mark Vester
He tried making a rematch with Winky Wright, but instead - middleweight champion Jermain Taylor will face former junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma on December 9 at the Alltel Arena in Arkansas.
After fighting top-rated contender Ronald "Winky" Wright to a draw back in June, Taylor wanted an immediate rematch with Wright after initially stating that he would take an easier fight before facing Wright again. Rematch talks began and quickly fell apart after both sides could not agree to the terms.
Taylor told boxing scribe Dan Rafael that although he is happy to be facing an opponent like Kassim Ouma, he would rather be facing Winky Wright. He feels Wright did everything in his power to get away from a rematch. Taylor said that Wright knows that he is unable to beat him.
"I was very disappointed by Winky's decision," Taylor said. "I'm middleweight world champ and I am calling him out. I don't have to fight him either, but I wanted to. He knows he can't whup me. I just felt like he did everything he could to get out of fighting me again. But that's the fight I want. Winky should want it at as well. It was a draw, a tie, so let's go ahead and see who is best. But if Winky don't want to fight, I can't make him fight. I would like for my next fight to be against Winky, but I am not looking past Ouma."