By Tom Donelson

Jermain Taylor is one of those boxers that trainers and fight managers drool over. The guy is young, good-looking, 6’1, has a sledgehammer jab, he can move and he can slug. Taylor has the potential to add weight to his frame and become a champion in multiple weight divisions. Taylor has run through his competition to compile an impressive unblemished record.

Now Taylor faces the toughest test of his young career as he faces a boxing legend in Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins is 40 years old, but fights like a man who is 10 years younger. Hopkins is known as one of smartest boxers in the ring, capable of doing it all. Hopkins has shown over the years that he can and will, employ all of boxing tricks to win a fight. He can fight rough and he can finesse you. This is the ultimate pass/fail test for Jermain Taylor. If Taylor wins, he is the undisputed champion of the world and a certified star in the sport.

What makes this fight intriguing is that what we don’t know much about Taylor. We know everything about Hopkins, but Taylor is a mystery. The only major top ten middleweight opponent on Taylor's record is William Joppy. And Joppy was a fighter way past his prime. Taylor is relatively an unknown factor in the fight.

Can Taylor beat Hopkins? The answer is yes. The first real question is how Taylor will handle the pressure of the event. This is the first big event for Taylor and as fight time starts to inch closer, Taylor will be under an enourmous amount of pressure that he has yet to experience in his career. How Taylor handles the pressure of the pre-fight build up and fighting a hall of fame fighter could prove to be the difference in the fight. Hopkins is also determined to test Taylor’s confidence.

As for style, Taylor has the style to beat Hopkins. taylor has the quick hands to challenge tight defense of Hopkins. The key to this fight is Taylor’s game plan. Over his last few fights, Hopkins has boxed in the early rounds and forced his opponent to come to him. Hopkins is most effective as a counter puncher and his movement allowed him to control the pace of the fight. Fighting against Eastman, he averaged 30 punches per round but he connected on nearly half of those punches. Eastman never pressed the older Hopkins and as a result, Hopkins moved around the ring all night.

On one hand, if Taylor is aggressive and presses the action, he is playing into Hopkins' strength. On the other hand, Taylor needs to force Hopkins to fight at a frantic pace to test Hopkins' 40 year old body. Hopkins wants to fight at a leisurely pace and control the action. What would happen in the second half of the fight if Hopkins is forced to throw 50 punches or more per round? Will age become a factor at this point? Taylor is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He has to force the action but he becomes vulnerable to Hopkins' counter-punching.

Taylor has the potential to be a great fighter, but his career has a question mark over it. When Hopkins lost to Roy Jones nearly 12 years ago, it was Hopkins who was the fighter with potential against a great fighter. Now the situation is reversed. A Taylor win means a changing of the guard, but a loss is a temporary roadblock to a future championship. Hopkins is a boxing master in the ring, but even the great Hopkins must fall prey to age. Taylor has the goods to make Hopkins look old, will he be able to put them to use?