By Terence Dooley
Former middle Champion Jermain Taylor capped a remarkable comeback by taking the IBF 160lb title from Australia's Sam Soliman, 40, via a lopsided decision in Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Mississippi last night—scores of 116-111, 115-109, and 116-109 from Fred Steinwinder III, Alfredo Polanco and David Taranto respectively. Taylor, 33-4-1 (20), floored Soliman, 44-12 (18), five times en route to the win, although some of the knockdowns appeared to be down to a leg injury sustained by Soliman, who had balance issues throughout.
The 36-year-old now holds a world title for the first time since losing to Kelly Pavlik in 2009 (L TKO 7) and has options on the table due to his connection with Al Haymon. Taylor, though, only has a four-month window of opportunity to nail down a voluntary as he is on a six-month mandatory defence deadline—Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam earned a shot at the belt when beating Curtis Stevens by decision on October 1st.
‘Jermain Taylor has six months to do his mandatory but in reality he can fight anyone in the top 15 in an optional defense within the next four months,’ stated Lindsey Tucker of the IBF when outlining Taylor's time-scale to BoxingScene. ‘Sixty days prior to the six month deadline Taylor will be notified to start negotiating with mandatory challenger Hassan N’Dam.’
N'Dam is 31-1 (18), his sole loss came against Peter Quillin in October 2012. The 30-year-old Frenchman was floored six times yet somehow managed to see it through to the final bell against "Kid Chocolate". A run of four wins has brought him to the brink of another world title fight, and, rightly or wrongly, Taylor's viewed as a marked man in the division due to his age and the fact he suffered a brain bleed after losing to Arthur Abraham in October 2009 (KO 12).
However, he was cleared in 2011 after passing a battery of tests at the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas before being cleared to fight by the NSAC. "Bad Intentions" is now 5-0 in his comeback.
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