Tweet
Former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, the man who finally toppled the lengthy reign of Bernard “the Executioner” Hopkins, can’t wait for his highly anticipated rematch with Kelly “the Ghost” Pavlik – the man who smeared his perfect record with a seventh-round knockout last year. He vows that the February 16th rematch held in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be much different: “If I get him in that position again, I’m going to finish him. It’s all about revenge.”
He refers to the second round when Taylor had Pavlik in major trouble but could not quite finish his courageous and resilient challenger. Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella expressed it as follows: “Next time he does the chicken dance, he won’t finish the round.”
To his credit, Taylor exercised his right to a rematch – though he cannot regain his middleweight title, as the rematch is being fought at the catch weight of 166lbs. But, Taylor cares much more about avenging his lone professional defeat than garnering ***elry around his waist. He wants to recapture more than a belt; he wants to reclaim his principles of hard work and dedication that he said he abandoned at times during his preparation last year. “I think I underestimated him just a little bit,” Taylor admits. “My mindset wasn’t right. This training camp is all work. It wasn’t like that last camp.”
Taylor acknowledged that his stamina was less than ideal and that he ran out of gas in the fight that he was leading on all three scorecards. “I was beating this guy half-assed, but I got tired,” he said. “I didn’t do what I was supposed to do in training camp. … I lost what it took to become world champ.”
Taylor’s corner will look much different, as Hall-of-Fame trainer Emanuel Steward no longer serves as head trainer. Instead, Taylor’s trainer, mentor and father-figure Ozell Nelson serves as the lead trainer. Nelson first began working with Taylor in boxing when the boxer was 11 years ago. That bond remains strong and Nelson has never left Taylor’s corner even when Pat Burns and then Steward served as lead trainers.
“We have been together forever,” Nelson says. “We know each other. When he was a youngster I would take him out to a brick job and worked hard. He saw the value of hard work and dedication. We work real well together and we both know that this hard work is what it takes.”
Taylor says that he has increased his sparring much more for the rematch than the initial bout. He has done his roadwork rather than shirk training responsibilities. He expresses confidence that his increased conditioning will enable his superior skill to take over and win the bout. “He doesn’t do anything better than I do,” Taylor says of his opponent. “He comes to fight and is strong. But, he was at his best last time and I wasn’t.”
The former champion says that if he nearly crushed Pavlik the first time around when he was not in top condition, imagine the outcome when he is fully prepared and finely conditioned. “I got too comfortable last time around and he capitalized on it,” he says. “This time I’m in tip-top shape and can go 12 rounds easy. I didn’t go 12 rounds in the gym sparring last time. Now it is different. There is nothing like the feeling knowing you are in shape.”
The Taylor camp expressed displeasure at comments of Pavlik’s trainer Jack Loew who referred to Nelson being responsible for Taylor’s amateurish style and mistakes. Nelson responded: “They refer to Jermain’s bad habits from the amateurs. Well, they are the same bad habits that kept Kelly from making the Olympic team [referring to Taylor’s victory in the Olympic Trials].”
DiBella was more vocal: “The Pavlik people are very confident, bordering on ****iness. … I think they should remember the second round. … Kelly deserves all the credit [for the victory] but it could have easily ended in the 2nd round. I believed then and I believe now that I promote the better fighter and on February 16th, the last fight will be erased and the result will be different.”
Both Nelson and DiBella referred to Pavlik’s nickname of “the Ghost,” adding that “We will be the Ghostbusters.
He refers to the second round when Taylor had Pavlik in major trouble but could not quite finish his courageous and resilient challenger. Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella expressed it as follows: “Next time he does the chicken dance, he won’t finish the round.”
To his credit, Taylor exercised his right to a rematch – though he cannot regain his middleweight title, as the rematch is being fought at the catch weight of 166lbs. But, Taylor cares much more about avenging his lone professional defeat than garnering ***elry around his waist. He wants to recapture more than a belt; he wants to reclaim his principles of hard work and dedication that he said he abandoned at times during his preparation last year. “I think I underestimated him just a little bit,” Taylor admits. “My mindset wasn’t right. This training camp is all work. It wasn’t like that last camp.”
Taylor acknowledged that his stamina was less than ideal and that he ran out of gas in the fight that he was leading on all three scorecards. “I was beating this guy half-assed, but I got tired,” he said. “I didn’t do what I was supposed to do in training camp. … I lost what it took to become world champ.”
Taylor’s corner will look much different, as Hall-of-Fame trainer Emanuel Steward no longer serves as head trainer. Instead, Taylor’s trainer, mentor and father-figure Ozell Nelson serves as the lead trainer. Nelson first began working with Taylor in boxing when the boxer was 11 years ago. That bond remains strong and Nelson has never left Taylor’s corner even when Pat Burns and then Steward served as lead trainers.
“We have been together forever,” Nelson says. “We know each other. When he was a youngster I would take him out to a brick job and worked hard. He saw the value of hard work and dedication. We work real well together and we both know that this hard work is what it takes.”
Taylor says that he has increased his sparring much more for the rematch than the initial bout. He has done his roadwork rather than shirk training responsibilities. He expresses confidence that his increased conditioning will enable his superior skill to take over and win the bout. “He doesn’t do anything better than I do,” Taylor says of his opponent. “He comes to fight and is strong. But, he was at his best last time and I wasn’t.”
The former champion says that if he nearly crushed Pavlik the first time around when he was not in top condition, imagine the outcome when he is fully prepared and finely conditioned. “I got too comfortable last time around and he capitalized on it,” he says. “This time I’m in tip-top shape and can go 12 rounds easy. I didn’t go 12 rounds in the gym sparring last time. Now it is different. There is nothing like the feeling knowing you are in shape.”
The Taylor camp expressed displeasure at comments of Pavlik’s trainer Jack Loew who referred to Nelson being responsible for Taylor’s amateurish style and mistakes. Nelson responded: “They refer to Jermain’s bad habits from the amateurs. Well, they are the same bad habits that kept Kelly from making the Olympic team [referring to Taylor’s victory in the Olympic Trials].”
DiBella was more vocal: “The Pavlik people are very confident, bordering on ****iness. … I think they should remember the second round. … Kelly deserves all the credit [for the victory] but it could have easily ended in the 2nd round. I believed then and I believe now that I promote the better fighter and on February 16th, the last fight will be erased and the result will be different.”
Both Nelson and DiBella referred to Pavlik’s nickname of “the Ghost,” adding that “We will be the Ghostbusters.
Comment