Taylor relinquishes championship before Hopkins bout

LITTLE ROCK -- Jermain Taylor reportedly relinquished his IBF middleweight championship Tuesday after his Dec. 3 rematch with Bernard Hopkins became official. Taylor, who still holds the WBC, WBA and WBO belts, would have been stripped of his IBF title for failing to make a mandatory defense, IBF championships chairman Lindsey Tucker told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for Sunday's edition. Instead, Lou DiBella, Taylor's promoter, sent the IBF a letter saying the fighter would voluntarily give up the belt. Taylor defeated Hopkins on July 16 to become the undisputed middleweight champion. He was under contract to fight the IBF's No. 1 contender in his next bout but instead will face Hopkins again. The IBF title is now vacant, and Taylor owns the other three major belts. "This diminishes nothing," DiBella said. "He is still the undisputed champion."